Have you ever heard of ‘liquid mountaineering’? It was introduced in 2010 as a new extreme sport. After discovering an incredible pair of water repellant shoes, a group of athletes decided to try running on water. Like skimming a stone across the surface, the idea was to use tension, speed, and angle to cover as much distance as possible before falling into the water. Millions of people learned about the sport via a YouTube video featuring a group of liquid mountaineers perfecting their sport in Gerês, Portugal. They manage to work their way up to eight to
Read more →Archive for the Fuel for Thought Category
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who ask “But, why?” and those who ask “Why not?” When we last advertised for an opening at Matchmaker Logistics, we had the good fortune of interviewing a pool of really talented candidates. We’re told time and again that our interview process is one of the most difficult candidates have ever experienced, and that’s intentional. We spend a lot of time getting to know prospective employees so we can find the perfect fit for our team. I’m happy to say that with Charlotte Lickfeld, we succeeded. I distinctly
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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
Read more →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
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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.
Read more →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
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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:
Read more →We’re rapidly approaching the month of May, and hot, sunny days are on their way. If you want to avoid sunburns and odd-shaped moles that call for a trip to the dermatologist, it’s time to break out the sunscreen. Yet the first sunburn remains a seasonal tradition for many of us. In fact, about a third of U.S. adults get sunburned every year – and men with lighter skin are at the highest risk for skin cancer. Mow the lawn and spread some mulch on an overcast day, and you can still end up with a farmer’s
Read more →Lately, I’ve been thinking about the power of perspective. Winston Churchill once wrote, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” In other words, the difference between an exciting opportunity and an insurmountable challenge lies in your perspective – and when it comes to our industry, this rings true to me. Sometimes, we forget just how much opportunity lies ahead of us, especially when conversations abound on the subject of truck scarcities and labor shortages (which are very real challenges). Yet, these very struggles present us with
Read more →These days, “social media” brings to mind kids glued to Instagram, friends arguing on Facebook, and a whole lot of Twitter battles. But ideally, these platforms were built to connect us. And when they do that, they can truly bring out the best in humanity. Take the story of Dakota “Bubba” Cadd, a boy with cerebral palsy and Dandy-Walker syndrome, a congenital brain malformation. Bubba often sat in his backyard behind Wisconsin Highway 26, pumping his arm in the hopes that truckers would blow their horns for him. One day, his mom found a
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