Eric Joiner's Freightdawg.com - The Logistics and Supply Chain Blog!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Just a quick wish to all American freightdawgs wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. This is a special day because it is a time to reflect on the welfare and happiness of family without the materialism of Christmas in its secular form most recognized today in media and markets.

I wish you a most happy and HOLY Thanksgiving. We Americans were once thankful for our survival and honored it with a feast meal with the Indians who helped those original settlers. That still has value.

Many folks today consider Thanksgiving a pit stop for fueling up prior to Black Friday and the Xmas season. Accent on the X. I am sorry for that.

I wish you and your family well during this happy time of year.

Eric

STS-135: Atlantis Takes the Greatest Transport System ever into the History Books

Yesterday, on July 8th, 2011, NASA launched the 135th and final space shuttle mission.   I had a lot of internal business stuff to take care of, so I worked from home.  I needed the alone time to get some stuff done, but selfishly, I also wanted to watch this lift off, which was scheduled for 11:26AM Eastern Time.    I have a small TV in my office, so I had it on in the background. I was listening to Anderson Cooper and the rest of the talking heads on CNN blather on about the Shuttle and NASA while the launch team worked through a weather delay, which stopped the countdown at about 9 minutes.

So, slogging through conference calls,  a couple of RFP's and some other business stuff, I kept peering over to see what was going on.   About the time my cell phone rang with a call from our Atlanta District Manager about some staffing issues,  NASA started the countdown again.   I had my back to the TV and was deep into the conversation, when I happened to turn around and saw the Shuttle had already launched and was screaming off into space!!!    My daughter was home at the time in another part of the house. 

Next thing she hears from me is "DAMN!, DAMN!, DAMN!!!!  I MISSED IT!!!"        

I know our local DM thought I had lost my mind. I started fussing "Dammit Rich, you made me miss the shuttle launch!!".    This guy is sitting in the office and and I am sure he thought I was sitting here in my Bunny Slippers.   The phone call ended quickly after that. 

I'm pretty attached to the Shuttles.  I grew up watching Gemini missions when folks like Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley and Eric Sevareid would announce the launches back in the 60's.   Then the Apollo missions came.   Alas, Apollo ended in the 1970's when the moon mission had fulfilled Kennedy's promise and the political juice ran out after the 1973 oil embargo.   

We waited 6 long years for the next launch system to come along.  It was the Space Shuttle.  Arguably the most complex, and most Herculean transportation system ever developed by man.    I vividly recall sitting in my parents home in 1981 when John Young and Bob Crippen took the first shuttle up from Cape Canaveral.   What an emotional event that was.    America was leading again.  Reagan was in the White House.  America was in the ascendency again.  Literally.

Then Challenger happened.   Like the Kennedy assassination and later 9/11,  I think every American remembers where they were when Challenger blew up.   I was in my office when my wife called and told me.  I felt like I had been kicked in the groin.  It hurt.  America hurt.    Two years later, the Shuttle returned, this time safer and NASA was humbled into a stronger, safer space program.    On the backs of Astronauts like Story Musgrave,  Hoot Gibson, Bruce McCandless, Sally Ride and others,  the Shuttle accomplished the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope,  its subsequent repair and ultimately the missions to build the first permanent International Space Station.   Despite the sacrifices of 14 American patriots in the astronauts who died in the Challenger and Columbia accidents,  the Space Shuttle has been an unparalleled success.

STS-135 was essentially a housekeeping mission, taking supplies to the ISS.  It wasn't even supposed to take place.  However, NASA has Atlantis ready to go as a back up shuttle for the earlier missions this year, and decided to fly one last time.  I'm delighted they did.

At some point in the future, America will have the political will to venture into space on its own again.  Whether through NASA and the Orion program, or through brilliant commercial minds who are developing private launch capacity,  America will go back to space.  I can't wait.   The sooner we get a Republican back in the White House again, the sooner that will be.

Enjoy the video above.  That's how I got to see the last mission blast off into space.  

Eric

Internet Lists...I Hate Them. (mostly)

 
I guess I am becoming Internet jaded.   I surf the web like everyone else and even am known to spend mindless minutes hitting the "stumbleupon" button on my browser.  (My wife definitely thinks this is mindless...or at least I am.)

Invariably one hits the many top 10 lists, various "must read" lists, etc.   Usually this is a semi-cheesy attempt to drive traffic without creating much in the way of original content.  I'll admit I am also not above that.   In fact, I am doing it now.   However with at least a little purpose.

50 Things Successful People Have in Common.

Stumbling through the web tonight, I did find a nugget.   Dan Waldschmidt has a very good list that frankly I know from my own experience is true.   50 Things Successful People have in Common is interesting for those who are successful and are mature enough to be self aware.  I hit a good number of these square on, but there are also a few that I could work on. 

It highlights areas for improvement.  However, I also think it has application in hiring.   I know as a successful person, I am often at a loss as to "why exactly" I am good at what I do.    This list at least does a good job of defining attributes that I can identify with and identify in others.   That becomes a basis for evaluation.

Eric

July 4th, 1776...The Logistical Tail of a Revolution

Given my heavy business travel, I read a lot.  I read mostly non-fiction and a lot of history, so when I got an email from a Freightdawg reader about an interesting "infographic" put forth by Derby Logistics on the supply chain challenges of the American Revolution, I was interested.   Most interesting of all were the challenges the British faced in fighting a war 3000 miles away by sea.

The "logistical tail" of an army is the supply chain that keeps the beans, bandages and bullets flowing to the front.   This has been a strategic element of armies from the beginning of time.  It was critical to the defeat of Napoleon and later, the Nazi's in Russia.  It was physical limiter that ultimately contained the Roman Empire.  It's also why some of the finest minds in Logistics today are in the United States military.   It's also one of the key reasons a bunch of farmers and militia folks lead by an aristocratic professional leader like Washington could challenge then eventually defeat the greatest superpower of the age.  

Check this article out on the supply chain that won the American Revolution.   Our country owes much to those who worked to move the materiel that General Washington needed but we also owe our fortunes to the Atlantic Ocean, which forced great hardship on the British.    

Eric

PS: As a guy who spent years working for a British shipping company, I find this fascinating. 

Gas Prices in Atlanta and the Nation.

This spring has been hurtful to American consumers in terms of gas prices.  See below to monitor how badly.   12 months ago, gasoline was one dollar a gallon lower.  By year end, this will be over $5.00.    My family is planning a trip to Disney World at Thanksgiving.   I shudder to think how much the gas cost will be.  Now if I was a Canadian or other seasonal traveler to Florida, I have to think this will give them pause and should impact tourism.   

I appreciate the global political uncertainty in North Africa and the Middle East that is impacting the price of crude oil.  However, when BP is routinely .05-.10 a gallon higher than everyone else, you realize that we are paying at the pump for the disaster they caused in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Hey!  maybe the lines at Space Mountain will be shorter because nobody can afford to go...maybe including me?

Fuel Price Trends for Atlanta and the US.

Atlanta Gas Prices Provided by GasBuddy.com

FYI: The chart here is actually a widget thats dynamic.  The data is real time, so it changes daily, making this short article relevant on a continuing basis.  

Click here to check out the US heat map that graphically depicts fuel prices in your area of the USA.

 

 

To Each of You, A Merry Christmas 2010

Another year older, another year wiser(?)  Another year of Freightdawgedness.  I want to wish each of you a happy, healthy and safe Christmas season.   I've made many friends and learned much in the several years that this blog has existed.  It's made my work more fun.

For me, the happiest new year will be an Auburn Tiger victory in the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Az on January 10th!

Best Wishes and Happy New Year.

Eric

Something Different: How to Manage the Pain of a Corporate Move.

I cover a lot of different types of transportation, but nothing is more personal than picking up your family and your "stuff" and moving to a new city for your job.  This ranks as one of the most stressful things anybody can go through. 

Some companies have great support of movement of employees.   I remember years ago Sea-Land used to move their sales people every three years like clock work.   They would buy your house, arrange transportation and generally make it like a military move.  Nowadays, companies rarely do that.  You're exposed on many fronts from real estate to the cost of the movers.     The article quoted below from moversandpackers.org has some nice tips on minimizing the pain of a corporate move. 

 Movers and Packers: 10 Tips for a Painless Corporate Move

 10 Tips for a Painless Corporate Move

A corporate move is a big deal, and one you want to be fully prepared for. Making the trek across the state or country for work on top of moving into a new home will wear anyone out. Moving is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be painful either. Using these shortcuts and time-saving tricks will help ease the stress of moving and make it a smooth transition you can actually enjoy. Here are 10 tips for a painless corporate move:

1. Declutter: One of the best ways to make your corporate move painless is to declutter your home before you move. Whether or not you are paying to have your belongings hauled across the state or country, you should still declutter to make sure you aren’t taking more stuff than you can handle. This way you’ll have less to move and more room for the important things in your new home.
2. Hire Movers: Make things easy on yourself by hiring movers, if your company isn’t paying for moving services, that is. Professional movers will transport your furniture, household goods, automobiles, pets and other belongings that you cannot move alone to your new home. It will save you a great deal of time and pain to have movers do the hard work for you.
3. Organize and Label: Organizing your things and labeling boxes by object, room and if it’s fragile, will help you and your movers know where each box should go in your new home. You should also notify the movers about where you want furniture pieces to go ahead of time.
4. Know the Layout of Your New Home: When you know the layout of your new home, you can better direct movers where furniture and boxes should go. Also, you should determine whose room is whose and if that empty space is going to be the man cave or the study. This will save you time when you’re read to start settling in.
5. Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Unpack: Before returning to work, you will want to give yourself enough time to get moved in and organized. Having your house in order before your first day will make starting a new job less stressful and more enjoyable to come home to.
6. Transfer your Mail: You don’t want to be in one state and have your mail sent to another. To avoid this frustration, it’s vital that you notify the post office of your new address, give your new mailing address to family, friends and your employer. Also, don’t forget to transfer or cancel any subscriptions that you no longer want.
7. Hold on to Important Documents: Don’t move without gathering all important documents, such as social security cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, student records and medical records and taking them with you. You may have to show identification documents to your employer, so make sure these items are with you during the move.
8. Notify Insurance Providers and Banks: You’ll want to tell your bank and financial institutions that you are moving, as well as move bank accounts, order new checks and empty any safe deposit boxes before leaving town. Also, don’t forget to contact your insurance providers, including life, automobile and homeowner insurance agencies.
9. Rent Storage Spaces: Even after you’ve decluttered and downsized, sometimes you still end up with more stuff than you can comfortably fit in your new home. To fix this problem, you should consider renting one or more storage spaces to house your excess belongings. This way you can hold on to things that are important to you, without getting rid of them or trying to squeeze them inside your house. Plus, storage spaces are the only way to go if you are renting a temporary home.
10. Get Your Utilities In Check: Don’t get caught in the dark at your new home. Be sure to connect all utility services before moving in, and don’t forget to disconnect all electric, natural gas, water, sewer, cable and other services at your old residence.

Some Stuff is More Important than Work.

Today our newest grand son, Liam Michael Wender, was born!  

Our daughter Claire gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy weighing 6 lbs, 12 oz, and 17 inches long.  That's a bit smallish for our end of the family, but it's quality we are measuring here, not quantity!

The kid got here fairly quickly and in the rush, my wife Mary managed to lock the doors on our RUNNING automobile.  So, my bride took my car and rushed off to the hospital. 

I stayed and waited on the locksmith.  Liam got here so quickly I missed the "event", but no matter.  I'm waiting for 5 years to go by so I can take this kid fishing.   We only have to wait 3 years for Disney World.  Won't be too long before I have both these young'uns and their Uncle Clint in a boat with a hook wet.  

Here's a quick snap of a happy granddaddy and Liam on first meeting.  Liam gets to meet his 2 year old big brother Gavin tomorrow!  His education on SEC football commences tomorrow as well. 

The freightdawg now has two AWESOME grand sons!!  

Eric

N836D: First of the Last

The Historical Flight Foundation, located in Opa Locka Florida, operates what is today the last flying example of the famous Douglas DC-7. This DC-7B was once operated by Eastern Airlines.  After meticulous and costly restoration, this old girl finally got off the ground on July 4th, 2010. She will now be making the air show circuit in the USA.

Guess what?  You can fly on her.   The HFF will be selling seats for passengers once the aircraft starts making her rounds.  She will be seen at Airventure in Oshkosh, Thunder over Michigan and coming up in August, Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.    Check out this Google slide show as well for interior pictures.  She is a beauty.

DHL BRU Farewell Party a Great Success!

On June 11, 2010,  staff members at DHL's hub in Brussels, Belgium held a farewell party in honor of team members leaving the company as a result of DHL's hub relocation to Leipzig, Germany.   By all reports, the party was a major bash.   The following is a direct report!

The party was a roaring success with over 620 people attending from as far away as Singapore, the USA & all over Europe including many ‘old’ DHLers. The weather Gods smiled and gave us a beautiful evening allowing many party goers to remain ‘al fresco’ for the duration. The free bar was, quite naturally for a DHL function, very popular while the buffet provided some much needed nourishment to sustain all those present through until the early hours.

The entertainment started at 2030 with ‘Methuselah’ taking us back in time with some oldies on the disco followed by a presentation and slide show covering the history of DHL in Brussels, including some ‘interesting’ old photographs. The excellent band, Xzent, gave us 2 hours of great music before the tombola was drawn with some fabulous prizes as donated by generous suppliers & airlines.

After the ‘official’ business was over, DJs Kristof & Macphisto made sure that the venue rocked through until 0500 with the champagne tent providing a small haven of peace for those who needed it.

Unfortunately the planned auction of old DHL framed photographs could not take place due to technical difficulties but the subsequent ‘on line’ auction raised over Euro 900 for the charity ‘Annick for Kenya’.

A great party in the true traditions of DHL White and the photographs can be found at http://s737.photobucket.com/home/bru110610/allalbums

Cheers,

Neale