30,000 Feet: Where We're Going
Nussbaum summed up in one sentence:
We are purpose-driven to create positive impact with every interaction.
These words appear all over Nussbaum: permanently attached to the wall, printed on reminder cards, digital displays, and even the side of a trailer! That’s because it’s our company vision – a simple yet powerful summary of who we are and where we’re going.
5,000 Feet: How We Operate
Okay, let’s begin our descent.
Visions are nice. Vision statements are catchy. But how do they translate into service, into real business value? Let’s consider two examples:
| A New Lane/Account | Stewarding our Footprint | |
| Purpose Driven | Our ownership culture means we have a personal stake in this! Our success hinges on the success of our customers and drivers, so we set high standards for customer service and the driver experience. | As employee-owners, we are conscious of our impact on the environment. We view efficiency as a double-win – benefiting our world and our bottom line. |
| Positive Impact | As a result, sales, pricing, ops, and billing work closely via custom tools and strong relationships to ensure everyone has the right information. Not just for the first week, but ongoing. If a service issue arises, employee-owners care about their brand and quality of work because it directly impacts their success. | As a result, we invest in new truck technologies that increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions (solar panels, skirts/tails, MirrorEye, etc). We incentivize good driving habits that lead to fuel efficiency, rather than paying for high MPGs or on-time deliveries. This serves both the drivers’ paycheck and good environmental stewardship. |
| Every Interaction | Employee owners view every phone call, email, delivery, or face-to-face interaction as a chance to build lasting relationships. | Every Nussbaum truck can run more efficiently to decrease our footprint. Every driver can earn more by implementing fuel-efficient habits. |
On the Ground: Owning it Every Day
Living our vision is a team activity, but a team is comprised of individual contributions! And when someone goes above and beyond to make a positive impact, we honor them with an “Own It Moment.” Within the past few months, we’ve recognized individuals like:
- Jon, Maintenance Coordinator – traveled to Indiana for a wedding and drove an extra 240 miles out of his way to deliver and install a new bumper so Driver Cathy could keep moving.
- Tim, Professional Driver – stopped to help a young mom (with young kids in the vehicle) change a flat tire on the side of a busy road.
- Cory, Professional Driver – stopped by the terminal and took the initiative to sweep out empty trailers, setting up the next driver for a timely departure.
So, what makes for a good vision?
Short, memorable, and can be lived out in 1,000 different situations. We took care of the first two criteria (short and memorable) when we wrote it. Our employee-owners take care of the rest every single day.
To learn more, please visit nussbaum.com/purposedriven.
