It used to be that neighbors asked about your family and meant it. Parents were the only baby sitters. Rip Van Winkle slept 20 years and no one asked him to endorse a mattress.
Scientists of yesteryear developed the notions of gravity, electricity, and the solar system. Years later, they came up with spray cheese, stretch denim, the Home Shopping Network, and reality TV programs.
More recently, researchers have created mobile telephones that fit into a shirt pocket and voicemail systems that enable you to avoid talking to another individual.
Trucks are spec'd on laptops and ordered by modem. Telematics allows real-time monitoring of drivers and equipment. Commercial vehicles are running on alternative fuels and advanced hybrid technologies.
Technology, electronics, and computer systems are making possible instantaneous tracking of shipments and enabling supply chain partners to work together without having to build their own individual supply chain networks.
Change is constant and inevitable. Whether we like it or not, change is the law of business and life.
My father once told me: “Change is like quicksand. Fighting it only makes it worse.”
Many changes occur at the start of each New Year. This is a fitting time to ponder adjustments, as many of us make our resolutions for the new year.
The key to business success for those involved in the distribution of temperature-controlled commodities is to evolve with the markets they serve. The accelerating pace of change has magnified the need for news, information, and practical ideas.
It is the knowledgeable business professionals who find the opportunities in market uncertainty.
That is why we have made some additional enhancements to Refrigerated Transporter. This is part of our continuing effort to serve as your sustaining resource of information.
The most noticeable changes are a refreshed look for the cover and the remade departments, designed to be more readable, with more information.
We have revamped and improved Refrigerated Transporter's website — refrigeratedtrans.com — as well. It has been given a cleaner, fresh new design, making it easier to use and navigate.
The website has increased functionality and includes new features and even more useful, informative content.
We continue to receive nice comments about Refrigerated Transporter's BUSINESSPicture — a weekly e-newsletter that provides an update on the refrigerated transportation and logistics markets, along with timely news and coming events.
If you are not currently receiving BUSINESSPicture you can subscribe for free at refrigeratedtrans.com to receive even more relevant information delivered directly to your e-mail inbox.
The mind is a business person's fundamental resource. All of us at Refrigerated Transporter are determined, with all that we do, to help you mine this resource for increased business success and professional growth.
Our overall objective is to help you better understand the forces and influences that shape our industry so you can better prepare for tomorrow and the inevitable changes that come with it.
To continue to do this most effectively, we need your support.
If you have ideas or suggestions, please let me know. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
My direct phone line is 443-291-6045. My e-mail address is [email protected].
As we begin another New Year, I want to remind you that Refrigerated Transporter is in this business with you. We will all do our best by working together.
As Oliver Wendell Holmes noted: “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they spring up.”
Best wishes for a prosperous and healthy New Year.
