Letter from Marty – Quarterly Newsletter Q1 2021
Bread & Freight: Planning Ahead
by Martin Hellwig
2020 was a challenging year to say the least, and my thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been adversely affected by this global pandemic. Even so, I like to think we can find the good that has come as a result of the difficulties we have endured this year.
One of the best positive points I experienced was the time I was able to spend with my family. Over the holidays – while masked and socially distanced – my brother Spencer took the time to come by and teach my two daughters how to make his famous and beloved Italian bread.
As soon as he entered the kitchen, he began eagerly unpacking his baking equipment and setting his stage on the kitchen island for my daughters to attend his cooking show. His genuine enthusiasm… it was contagious.
Using his page-worn recipe book laden with his hand-written notes… he started his training. Spencer began by sharing his experience making bread. He started baking bread 25 years ago and has worked to perfect the art ever since. As he has gone along, he has now added different types of breads, rolls and even pizzas.
It was apparent that his knowledge and his passion were off the charts. I could see how energized he was to share his information of bread making… Just as I love to explain the process of moving freight to the world. It was truly amazing to see the similarities as he trained & explained how to get quality results every time.
As he ran through the process, the equipment, and how long each step would take, he shared a very important message… “it’s all about the planning.” Bread takes time and requires many steps and a whole lot of knowledge and experience to be the real deal. His command of the process from beginning to end was astounding… his knowledge and perfection was the result of 25 years of trial and error.
I now realized that the planning required for bread making is similar to that required in freight. I could see how organized he was, and how important it was to share his information – just as I love to explain the capabilities of Trans-Border each and every day. Must be in the genes!
Baking bread is an age-old art form that sustains life. And, although as of late we believe the world runs on Dunkin, the world, in fact, runs on bread and freight.
At Trans-Border, we have perfected the ability to assess a need, know the best routes, and plan well enough to overcome the many obstacles & setbacks that stump the bigger, less flexible companies.
Take these lessons from 2020: the importance of family, passions, and hard work, and the ability to adjust when things aren’t going according to plan. We will get through these difficult times together and, when it’s all said & done, we will again break bread together as we once enjoyed!
Until then, let’s look to 2021 with a renewed sense of optimism and carry forward the positive lessons and revelations learned from 2020.
Stay healthy & thank you all very much for your support.
Marty Hellwig
President
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