Logistics Employee-Owner of the Quarter Q4: Nicole Durbin

on Thursday, February 6, 2025 in Awards & Recognition

TMC is proud to announce that Nicole Durbin has been named Logistics Employee-Owner of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2024. Congratulations, Nicole!

Delivering Excellence for Customers

Nicole works as a Senior Account Executive at TMC’s Logistics office in Brownsburg, Indiana. In this role, she handles the day-to-day tasks involved in ensuring that customers can find the capacity they need for their freight, either on TMC’s black and chrome trucks or with one of our approved carriers.

Making sure that a portfolio of clients all get unique, customized freight solutions is no simple task. It requires intense attention to detail, a deep understanding of the freight market, and superior customer service skills—all of which Nicole demonstrates on a daily basis, says Kevin Duff, General Manager of the Brownsburg Logistics office.

“Nicole consistently delivers exceptional work,” he says. “Her attention to detail and solutions-oriented mindset ensure that client needs are met at the highest level, fostering trust, reliability, and loyalty in her customer relationships.”

Nicole works closely with Jen Kottka, Regional Sales Executive, on customer accounts. Jen says that partnering with Nicole has made a huge difference for her customers. “We’ve seen tremendous growth on our accounts. Customers love her, and she builds trust with them. She’s super professional to customers. She can give updates on things you didn’t know you needed updates on,” Jen jokes.

Improving Skills and Growing Key Accounts

Keith Chyla, Vice President of Logistics Sales and Account Management, notes that Nicole’s account management skills were always great, but she gained a new level of confidence and skill when she completed TMC’s Growth Account Acceleration Program. As part of the program, Keith says he had the opportunity to mentor Nicole and watch her grow. “I told her, ‘I’m going to push you.’ She responded really well and stepped up to the challenge,” Keith says.

With Nicole’s account management skills, Keith notes that Jen has been able to add more clients to their portfolio, confident that they will get the service they need. “Nicole’s customer service, attention to detail, organization, and willingness to provide excellence in customer service and execution have allowed Jen to focus on selling,” he says.

And these skills have led to a significant growth in accounts Nicole works on. The one particular customer account, for example, has grown by more than 100 percent in the last year, and Kevin says that Nicole’s efforts have been key to this success.

“Nicole’s ability to analyze challenges, identify effective solutions, and adapt quickly to her evolving role has been instrumental in driving significant growth for both her team and this account,” he says. “By providing customized solutions and going above and beyond to meet client expectations, Nicole has strengthened client trust and played a key role in the account's impressive growth.”

Nicole often goes out of her way to ensure that her customers get what they need, providing top-of-the-line service in every interaction. “Customers say, ‘We love Nicole,’’ says Keith. “Even when there’s bad news, they take it well—because they know she’ll take care of them.”

Jen notes, “She knows what customers expect, and she’s willing to do what they need.”

Nicole uses her professionalism and positive attitude to build strong relationships with her fellow TMC employee-owners, as well. Nicole often partners with other teams within TMC to find coverage for her customers’ freight on a TMC flatbed truck or with an approved carrier, and she is just as diligent and detail-oriented when working with internal teams as she is with customers. “The coverage team likes to cover our freight because they know Nicole has all the details and information,” Jen says.

Kevin sums up what it’s like to work with Nicole simply: “If she says she’s doing it, she’s done it.”

Congratulations to Nicole on being recognized as the Employee-Owner of the Quarter for the fourth quarter! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.