While in the mountains this week, I took a big risk. No, not mountain biking or bungee jumping or cliff diving. Still, it was a scary risk in today’s day and age…I disconnected. During our mountain vacation, we had extremely limited internet access, meaning I was just about entirely unplugged for several days. Running a business has certain responsibilities, sure – I kept my phone on in case of an emergency, but for the most part? I was freer than I’ve been in a while. One of my favorite things to do when I’m
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Worse than Jury Duty, if you ask me. Worse than the dentist. That’s right, recently, I had to lace up my big girl shoes and go to the DMV. Forget the jokes and stories – even legitimate research has been done to find out just why people hate the DMV so much. Taking a driver’s test, registering a vehicle or simply getting identification. These processes seem so easy, and yet? They never are. The DMV is nearly always a source of headaches, with long lines and impossible paperwork requirements, making each trip a full-on
Read more →They used to be the dread of summer. Worse than mosquitoes, worse than heat waves, worse than a sunburn. Confined with your parents and siblings for hours at a time with minimal space, weak air conditioning, and (gasp!) no TV. I’m talking about childhood road trips. And while these drives might seem like nothing to our long haul brothers and sisters in the trucking industry, as kids, they used to feel like torture. Back in my day, intense planning went into a Road Trip. In addition to library books and crossword puzzles, there was
Read more →In my house, Friday nights are Family Game Nights. It might sound very Brady Bunch – one big happy G-rated family gathered around the kitchen table enjoying amicable quality time. I assure you – Game Night is brutal. I’ve written before about my highly competitive spirit. Let’s just say that the apples don’t fall far from the tree. My husband, my two boys, and even my niece are all exceptionally competitive. Our favorite go-to games are Yahtzee and UNO. We drop our real names on Game Nights, referring to each other by our card
Read more →Folks in our industry probably pay a little more attention to trucks than regular drivers. We can glance at a truck and get a pretty good idea of what kind of cargo it might be hauling – most of the time. Occasionally, however, even logistics experts are stumped. Take for example, the recent hauls that were being spotted on the highways surrounding our hometown of Wilmington, NC. Come to find out, these over-sized “mystery tubes” are tower sections of wind turbines that were being shipped from our port to Edenton, NC. It seems that
Read more →Ahh, July 4th weekend. I don’t know about you, but as a pool owner? I spent mine poolside. For me, a day bonding with friends and family over cannonball dives and bomb pops is the perfect way to say “God Bless America.” Today I’ve got my very own pool, which is a wonderful asset, so long as I remember to keep out algae (and bears). But what if you don’t have a pool? I remember as a kid in the summer, the pool was the Holy Grail. If you, or your neighborhood, didn’t have
Read more →Americans are tough. We’re proud to be rugged, proud to be strong, proud to be American. We prize true grit, and love being the kind of cool guys you see in the movies. But there’s also something very American about opening your heart and feeling the love that we all feel for our country. A few weeks ago, I talked about my daughter Emily’s adoration for Hamilton and her Memorial Day trip to New York City. While she was there with her choir, they performed an entire Memorial Day weekend concert at a beautiful
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Logistically, financially, and physically – spilled cargo is a mess. Some sources estimate that nearly 10,000 containers fall into the ocean every year. According to CNN.com, The World Shipping Council says that figure is grossly exaggerated. The Council, whose members represent 90% of the world’s container ship capacity, reports that on average no more than 350 containers are lost annually. Spilled cargo is never a desired outcome, yet as with many unfortunate accidents, there can be a silver lining: In January of 1992, the container ship Ever Laurel was en route to Tacoma, Washington,
Read more →Two weeks ago, I traveled to Texas to meet with some of our shipping customers. You expect big things when you travel to Texas – ten gallon hats, Texas-sized steaks, and summer temperatures that are off the charts. I suppose, on some level, I was expecting armadillos, too, but I wasn’t ready for the Texas-sized silliness surrounding them. See, they’re known by another name down there – Texas speed bumps. These funny-looking creatures have a bad habit of crossing the road really slowly, causing them to get hit by cars on a fairly regular
Read more →School’s out, and today marks the official First Day of Summer. While many of us are planning trips to beaches, camp sites, or amusement parks, I think one of summer’s best offerings is right down the street. One of my favorite places to go on a summer afternoon is the local movie theater. It’s quiet, it’s air conditioned, and even with rising movie ticket prices, it’s still cheaper than a day at the amusement park. Besides, here in the South, we never know when we’ll get a sudden afternoon downpour, and there’s no better
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