Marcus Johnson Recognized as Employee Owner of the Quarter for Q2

on Thursday, July 25, 2024 in Awards & Recognition

Logistics Sales Representative II Marcus Johnson—better known as MJ to his coworkers—is “the epitome of continuous improvement,” says Brett Crable, Strategic Accounts Manager at TMC Logistics.

Since he started as a Logistics Sales Representative in February of 2020, MJ has proven his willingness to work hard to succeed. “He’s usually the first one in the office and the last one to leave,” says Marcy Noble, General Manager of TMC Logistics’ Des Moines office. “He’s always willing to lend a hand with anything. He’s very detail-oriented, and he always gives 200%, no matter what the situation is.”

MJ’s work ethic and drive to succeed truly make him a valuable part of the logistics team. “He’s intrinsically motivated,” Brett notes. Marcy agrees, noting as an example that MJ sends out an end-of-day checklist email that gives updates on all of his shipments. “This was something that we asked people to do a few years ago, but then we switched to a different approach. Marcus kept doing it because it kept him accountable,” Marcy says.

MJ’s dedication to excellence also defines how he interacts with customers. “Everyone loves him,” Marcy says of MJ’s relationships with his clients. When his contact at a family-owned business mentioned that her young sons enjoyed seeing TMC trucks on the road, MJ even arranged for a TMC driver to stop by the office with a truck to take pictures with the kids.

At two different points, MJ faced the unfortunate situation of losing a major account from his book of business because of contract issues. Rather than dwelling on it or letting it affect his attitude, MJ took it in stride as a new opportunity and worked to bring new accounts onboard and build relationships with them to replace the lost business. “I don’t think he ever mentioned them,” Marcy says of the accounts that were lost. “He just went right back to work.”

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

During his time at TMC, MJ has taken full advantage of every opportunity he’s been offered to improve as a logistics professional. He was a member of the GAAP (Growth Account Acceleration Program) class of 2023, which Marcy believes helped him refine his sales and account management skills to become even more successful in his role. Each year, participants in the program attend a series of classes and workshops designed to help them become more effective sales professionals.

MJ made the most of GAAP, building on his skills and his drive to succeed. “His organizational skills have always been top notch, but GAAP prepared him for taking on larger accounts. I knew he would get a lot out of the program—he’s a sponge,” Marcy says. MJ was truly a standout in his GAAP class, even receiving the “Close the GAAP” award in recognition of his hard work.

With his inherent drive to succeed and the skills he gained in GAAP, MJ was well prepared for a new challenge in the first quarter of 2024 when he took over management of a major customer account. MJ immediately made a positive impact for the customer with his attention to detail and his work ethic. He has built a strong relationship with the customer’s team in just a few months.

His account management skills have also made a positive impact for the account. He created a spreadsheet to proactively track spot rates throughout the quarter (a practice that other TMC account executives have borrowed for their own accounts) and stays on top of all of their shipments with daily email updates, leading to greater efficiency and transparency. “All the small details he’s taken on himself have made a big difference for the account,” Marcy says.

Hard Work Leads to Success

MJ’s hard work has definitely paid off in the second quarter of the year. He doubled his volume and revenue from the first quarter and increased his margin percentage, while taking on a new challenge in the large account he now handles. “And this is all from his work ethic, his ability to recognize and take some risks on lanes, his account management, and his desire to succeed,” Marcy notes.

Congratulations to Marcus Johnson for being named Employee-Owner of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2024!