Our Culture
“Culture is the engine that drives our company.”
Tobin Cassels, President
History
History
W.T. Cassels, Sr. founded Southeastern Freight Lines along with his son, W.T. “Bill” Cassels, Jr. in April 1950 in Columbia, South Carolina. Mr. Cassels, Sr. had 14 trucks, 20 employees and a $5,000 loan. With a deep faith and commitment to his Creator, the foundation of our company was established. The word “compromise” has never been in our vocabulary when it comes to:
- Moral Standards
- Business Ethics
- Commitment to our Associates
- Commitment to our Customers
Southeastern continues to operate under these core values today. We truly believe that our culture is the engine that drives this company. We are committed to adding value in everything we do, or as our motto states, provide Quality Without Question.
We believe our Culture is our greatest asset.
Every decision we make falls within the Quality Pyramid developed in 1995.
Our Culture is built on the following 5 values:
We are going to care about each other.
We are going to value each other’s opinions.
We are going to respect one another.
We believe that doing the right thing is always right. Integrity creates trust between our team.
We are here to SERVE. We don’t make or sell anything other than a service. We separate ourselves from our competitors by serving each and every customer, and associate, at the highest level possible.
We believe in caring for each individual person and having their best interests at heart.
Anything can be made better, and complacency is the enemy of greatness.
A unified team is a competitive weapon. At SEFL, we make sure everybody is on the same page.
An employee survey reflected an engagement score indicative of the “top” places in the world to work.
“The companies you REALLY admire are in the mid-70’s. There is no one above 85%.”
Robert Berrier, PhD, Retired, President and CEO of Spring International
Southeastern Serves is a program dedicated to giving back to communities across
Southeastern’s footprint. Since 2012...
631
Projects Completed
9,634
Volunteers
28,541
Hours Served
Sustainability
Southeastern helps to protect our planet by incorporating practices which promote sustainability. We implement energy-saving measures, continuously improve our fuel efficiency, increase the use of renewable resources, and utilize effective waste management programs.
We are committed to doing our part to preserve the health of our planet and the wellbeing of our associates.
See more details here.
Scroll to see pictures of our projects!
Job Security
With no layoffs in the history of the company for full-time associates, we have remained true to our culture. The Great Recession of 2008 and recent COVID-19 pandemic are great examples of how Southeastern is committed to our people. Both events were extremely worrisome times for everyone. However, regardless of how our business levels were affected, our leaders made the decision to stay true to our values and keep our people working.
While the company does not have a “no layoff” policy, we feel secure knowing that our leaders have strategic game plans for times of trouble.
