Blog

A Superhero Goes To Kindergarten

On October 2, 2019 / Fuel for Thought

In the logistics world, we are surrounded by everyday heroes. When disaster strikes, our teams step in to provide emergency support and deliver supplies far and wide. Of course, we take our inspiration from the heroes we come home to as well, like Liam, the son of Laramy Gregory, who works with one of our carrier customers. Just before his second birthday on September 30, 2015, Liam had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. There, doctors discovered his heart was enlarged, and he would need a transplant. A few months later, on Christmas Day, Liam reached

Stranger Things Have Happened

On July 22, 2019 / Just Another Mary Monday

Cable, satellite dishes, and even TV sets are slowly vanishing from American homes. They’re being replaced by tablets, desktop computers, game consoles, Rokus, and even cell phones. Almost everything can be streamed on any kind of screen. At our house, we use the Amazon Fire TV stick. Thanks to smart televisions and internet access, we have access to several different streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. It’s amazing how these streaming companies have changed the way we consume entertainment. Little kids no longer know what a commercial break is. And, phrases

What It Takes To Be A Dispatcher

On July 17, 2019 / Fuel for Thought

In our industry, we spend plenty of time praising our hard-working truckers and loyal customers. Dispatchers, on the other hand, tend to get our attention when they’re not doing such a good job. After all, we rely on dispatchers to keep shipments on time and to please everyone simultaneously – truckers and clients alike. When they’re not on their A-game, we notice! It takes a unique skill set to do this work. Here are the 7 traits I think matter most. A great dispatcher: 1. Understands the trucker-dispatcher relationship. Great dispatchers know that they’re part

Shots ‘n Showers

On June 24, 2019 / Just Another Mary Monday

As most of y’all know by now, I’m a proud mama to two wonderful young men. My oldest, Denver Jr. (grandson to Denver and son to Denver Dale), turned 21 yesterday. It’s amazing how the milestones keep flying by – it feels like just yesterday Denver got his driver’s license, and a moment later, he was graduating from high school. While some mamas would be worried sick the night of their son’s 21st birthday, I wasn’t because he spent the day with me and Dale. Denver and Dale stayed up late on Saturday night,

Changing the Tides on Plastic Pollution

On June 19, 2019 / Fuel for Thought

I try to never lose sight of just how lucky we are to live a few miles away from the pristine beaches that surround Wilmington, NC. Locals in this area are blessed to have some of the most gorgeous, well-kept beaches on the East Coast, thanks to regular beach sweeps led by a number of committed nonprofit organizations, like the Surfrider Foundation and the Plastic Ocean Project. Last week, at a Rotary Conference, I had the pleasure of hearing the Executive Director of the Plastic Ocean Project, Bonnie Monteleone, give a talk about her research and conservation efforts.

My First Weekend of Camping Capers

On June 10, 2019 / Just Another Mary Monday

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am not your typical sleep-in-the-woods-camper. I’m a glamper. This year, I thought Dale and I had all of our bases covered for a camping trip we’d both love – especially with the purchase of our new (to us) luxe camper. But, of course, our first trip with the camper went about as well as our previous adventures. On Friday, we arrived at our campsite around 7:00 pm to learn the entire campground was without power. Our camper has no generator, we could only turn

Just Call Me Glamping Queen

On May 28, 2019 / Just Another Mary Monday

As y’all may remember, my husband Dale and I have a habit of getting into misadventures, like the time we flipped over our new pontoon boat in the middle of game day traffic (whoops!). We live in the present, which means sometimes hard-earned wisdom shows up a few seconds too late. As if we didn’t learn our lesson from last year, we recently invested in yet another tow-behind toy: a camper! Why now, just after I’ve officially become debt-free? For good reason, of course: The camper was a gift to ourselves to celebrate our wedding anniversary. On May

The Merry Month of Maycember

On May 22, 2019 / Fuel for Thought

Ah, May! I’m sure I’m not the only parent thinking: ‘Thank goodness the school year is almost over!’ While this milestone definitely calls for celebration with graduation ceremonies and awards banquets galore, there’s also a lot of stress, shopping, and schedule-juggling this time of year. Thankfully, though, my daughters, Emily and Chloe, are total rockstars when it comes to time management. (Of course, they’re not the ones driving to all of these events!) Just trying to remember everything on their to-do list wears me out. They’re heavily involved in our local children’s theater and both

Smitten With A Blackjack Dealer

On May 13, 2019 / Just Another Mary Monday

The last time I wrote y’all, I told you I was credit card debt-free. Lest you think I’ve made a complete Dave Ramsey-inspired turnaround, let me tell you about my recent trip to Las Vegas, where, yes, I played in another pool tournament and lost. I also lost in the casino. You see, I got pulled in by the charismatic charm of a blackjack dealer who was so magnetic, so fun, so entertaining, I couldn’t pry myself away from her table. She just had one of those personalities – everybody wanted to be near her, including me. I

The Glory Days – Then And Now

On May 8, 2019 / Fuel for Thought

The landscape of our local historic area is changing faster than ever. High rises have transformed the skyline, and new shops and restaurants liven up old buildings from Castle to Water Street in downtown Wilmington. While I understand all cities are constantly in flux, as someone who’s been here for a while, I can’t help but reflect on what once was. Underneath fresh coats of paint and new business names are old haunts of mine, and sometimes I find myself missing those ‘glory days.’ The Ice House was once the hot spot to be: