Transportation tech company brings jobs to Tampa Bay

Austin-based Arrive Logistics, a multimodal transportation and technology company, recently opened an expansive Tampa office with plans to hire hundreds of new employees.

Arrive officials made the formal announcement Thursday morning. However, the new 26,000-square-foot Westshore office, the company’s first in the Southeast, opened Nov. 7 with an initial cohort of 47 people.

A $300 million fundraising round in 2021 has bolstered expansion efforts, and the company plans to hire 3,000 new workers in the next three years. Scott Sandager, chief of staff, said he expects the Westshore location to hit 100 employees within a year and reach its 250-person capacity by 2025.

“We are built for growth in the Tampa office,” said Sandager. “And are actively hiring to bring in local talent.”

Arrive launched in Austin in 2014 and has grown exponentially. The company opened a Chicago office in 2016, followed by a San Antonio location in July. According to an accompanying release, officials plan to open additional offices by 2024.

The latest outpost, said Sandager, was carefully selected and is integral to reaching hiring projections.

He described Tampa Bay’s initial team of 47 as a mix of new local hires and a careful selection from other offices to provide industry experience and a connection to Arrive’s culture. He relayed the company’s commitment to providing career growth, including leadership opportunities, as part of its local growth.

Sandager explained that company officials compiled a list of strategic expansion markets and polled employees to influence the final decision. The area’s live-work-play allure and upward trajectory propelled it to the top.

“Tampa was identified as one of the most popular places,” said Sandager. “Not only for our employees but as a high-growth business community and a strong logistics talent market. Our talent acquisitions team has also cultivated strong partnerships with the numerous local universities to help source future talent.”

Company officials polled employees before selecting Tampa Bay as its fourth location.

The company employs over 1,500 people, with its technology department comprising more than 250. According to its website, Arrive automates processes and provides shippers and carriers with digital tools that allow workers to focus on service and problem-solving.

In addition to hiring at least 3,000 new team members, the website states company officials will contribute $120 million to software development by 2025 as it scales its “Copilot model.” Inc. Magazine named Arrive Logistics one of 2019’s Best Workplaces and placed it on its list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies from 2019 through 2021, reaching 413^th.

As one of the country’s largest freight brokerage firms, Arrive projects $2.4 billion in revenue this year.

The company’s motto, relayed Sandager, is “we deliver, so you can.” He said that means Arrive strives to provide a best-in-class experience for the companies it works with, something a location in the Southeastern U.S. will help it achieve.

“We’re able to have employees positioned much closer to a subset of those shippers and carriers in that area,” he explained. “To meet their needs and expand our relationships with others based close by.”

Arrive’s 26,000-square-foot Tampa office is at 4902 Eisenhower Blvd. N. in the Westshore District.

While Sandager said several different market factors cause the ongoing supply chain disruptions, he expressed his company’s commitment to ensuring secure and on-time deliveries. He added that Arrive works with over 6,000 shippers and 70,000 North American carriers and provides creative solutions when issues inevitably arise, especially in the current climate.

“Our expansion into Tampa provides the opportunity to source world-class talent to honor that commitment,” he added. “Our current team is already performing at a very high level and take a lot of pride in being the flagship members of this new outpost.”