Customer service, beyond expectations can act as a magnet for more business. It’s a force that the Shasko team at independent Landstar agency PIT in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has put into practice.

While independent Landstar Agent Troy Shasko spearheads the agency, his niece Darian Shasko, the logistics coordinator for PIT agency, recently took the lead on successfully executing an expedited load for a division of a prominent health technology company. The result was the creation of new business opportunities.

Landstar agents and carriers with an interest in cross-border freight transportation along the U.S.-Mexico border gathered in Laredo, Texas, for Landstar’s ninth annual Mexico Cross-Border Agent & Carrier Summit held Oct. 8 -10. Over the three days, nearly 200 attendees networked, listened to guest speakers and learned more about the current cross-border economy and what the future might hold for those facilitating cross-border transportation logistics services.

Additionally, attendees were able to hear from company executives about Landstar’s support system for everything from marketing, selling, pricing and shipment visibility to heavy haul services and carrier recruitment and engagement.

While predicting the transportation industry's future is no easy feat, there are plenty of opportunities to help shape it. For example, earlier this year, Girl Scouts from three different Illinois-based troops were given a rare and insightful look into the trucking industry, thanks to the efforts of Landstar employees in Rockford, Illinois, and Landstar business capacity owner (BCO) Dawn Arrington.

This special event — organized by Landstar’s Heather Johnson, director of Automotive Services; Tammy Ireland, manager of BCO Recruiting; and Kari Schelling, manager of Human Resources, all based in Rockford — aimed to introduce the girls to the vital role that trucking plays in our daily lives.