When you start your first job out of college, the transition to the working world can be daunting. But at Arrive Logistics, a people-first organization leading the way in the logistics industry, the commitment to training makes it easier for graduates to thrive.
“I didn’t know anything about logistics when I first started,” said Global Service Operations Manager Lily Samuel. “I just pictured a semi truck on the highway.”
By the time she left the classroom, though, Samuel was brimming with confidence and excitement. In the weeks she spent with her new cohort, her instructor helped get her up to speed on not only logistics knowledge, but the ins and outs of Arrive and its mission. She and her new colleagues hit the floor eager to contribute to the organization they’d become so familiar with.
From there, the road to success was wide open for Lily. In fact, the same is true for any Arrive employee. With the support of long-term mentorship and endless advancement opportunities as the company scales, ambitious individuals who perform at a high level can find themselves in positions they couldn’t have imagined before.
Samuel, for example, started as a carrier representative and now manages a global team. Business Development Associate Manager John Pasquale never dreamed of this high a management position so early on in his career. And Client Success Team Lead Madison Chang went from a reluctant sales rep to leading an operations team.
Wherever a curious, committed new hire wants to go, Arrive will help them get there through shadowing, mentorship and training. And for those without a clear direction in mind, Arrive can help them discover and build upon their personal strengths and ultimately align them with a professional path that empowers them to put those strengths into practice.
I’m excited to see what the future holds — there are new roles popping up all the time.”
Tell us about your career journey at Arrive.
Samuel: I was a carrier representative at the Chicago office for about a year before moving to Austin. I always knew I wanted to go into a leadership role, so when I moved here I became a training specialist. I was with new hires doing the classroom training for five months, then I moved on to be an L&D specialist, taking people after their training to help them get acclimated to the floor. Then I was an associate manager on the carrier team for about six months, and now I’m a global service manager. I’ve done pretty much every role on the carrier side of things.
Pasquale: I started as an entry level sales rep, before moving up to the top tier of our team. Then I got promoted to manager, and now I’ve come full circle and I’m the manager that handles the trainees on our team. I was challenged by the people that mentored me in a very constructive way that made me grow outside of my comfort zone. It took me to heights I never could have gotten to otherwise.
Chang: I started on the coverage team, which is on the carrier side. I didn’t want to do sales at all — my real interest is in operations. Arrive was definitely interested in my career growth. They set up shadowings for me of people who were in my current role, so I could see what I’d be doing. After a few months I was able to move over to operations. I started as an account coordinator, then worked my way up to team lead. I’m grateful for my coverage background, though, because now I’m not afraid to pick up the phone to make sure my customers are taken care of.
What sort of training and resources are available for employees at Arrive?
Pasquale: Employees typically do a classroom training for a few weeks, and then they graduate to the floor. But instead of being thrown to the wolves afterwards, leaders assign a mentor who takes the new hire under their wing. That’s really where I learned everything about the business — I still talk to my mentor every day.
Samuel: My mentor is in Chicago, but I still talk to him all the time. The mentorship program is something that we really pride ourselves on. It’s scary to be thrown onto the floor and not know what you’re doing, so it’s nice to have that person that you sit next to every day. The relationship with your manager is a great resource, too — anytime you want a one-on-one meeting, it’ll happen. I always know where I stand and what I need to improve on.
Chang: The thing about Arrive is that there’s always a support system — there are plenty of people I can lean on on my team. And now it’s great because we have an extensive training program with more resources, in addition to a valuable support system when new hires hit the floor.
Getting to know everyone at the company is a huge stepping stone to help you in your career.”
Who’s someone that helped you get to where you are at Arrive today?
Chang: On my first day, the very first call, I remember answering the phone and freezing — I didn’t know how to sell, and I was so afraid of making a mistake. The mentor who was training me joined my call so I could just listen to him. He really set the example. I don’t know what I would have done if he wasn’t there.
Samuel: Our VP of carrier sales is the reason I’m in my current role. We have an internal board where new jobs are posted all the time. This VP set up a meeting where he encouraged me to apply, saying my name had come up in conversations. He really believed in me, and other people were dropping my name as a potential candidate for the role too. Getting to know everyone at the company is a huge stepping stone to help you in your career.
Pasquale: The reason I’m here is all thanks to a handful of people, including my first mentor, and my current senior manager. They had a hand in building me up to where I am now.
Women in Logistics
- Samuel: Now that I’m in a leadership position, I use it to encourage other women. I check in with my team constantly and always encourage confidence and hard work — it really pays off in this industry.
- Chang: Our Client Success Manager , and Chief Strategy Officer, are both amazing role models. They constantly remind all employees to be confident in our skills and let our talent and hard work speak for itself.
As a manager, how do you support your team?
Pasquale: The first thing I do with new trainees is get to know them on a personal level. Good managers need to be empathetic towards everyone — each person is different, and it’s my job to figure out what the best formula is to help them to grow. Every single week, I block out time where we all have a meeting with no set agenda — it’s just a chance for everyone to talk. Once you know them, you can push them to grow.
Chang: I always make time for one-on-ones — once a month for sure, but I try to do it twice a month. I make myself available and let them know that they’re my focus. I want them to feel like they run the show day-to-day, but that I’m involved enough to know what the issues are. There are also little things that show that I’m there for them as a person — planning team outings, ordering breakfast for everyone, things like that. Maybe you’re having a bad day and you want donuts, so we get donuts for the whole team.
Samuel: I’ve only been in this role for two weeks. I was just in Colombia, and my sole focus of the trip was to build a relationship with everyone there. I’d never met them in person — they have somebody new that they have to report to, and it’s probably nerve wracking. So when I was there, I did one-on-ones with every single person — just an easy conversation where we got to know each other. I also walked around and shook every person’s hand.
What are your long-term ambitions at Arrive?
Samuel: I want to continue to be surprised. I just started this role, so I’m hoping to be here for a while, but I truly believe that after this I will go to something else that’s even more scaled. It’s only the beginning.
Chang: I’m excited to see what the future holds — there are new roles popping up all the time. But right now, I’m really enjoying this team lead role where I get to coach and develop reps.
Pasquale: My VP asked me the same question in my interview, and I said “I want your job.” There’s not a doubt in my mind I can get there.
