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Metaphorical mountains

I was chatting with friends this week about mountains

Metaphorical ones.

Those huge obstacles in front of us. Projects, struggles, illnesses, financial problems, relationship issues … things that seem too BIG to handle.

We were discussing about how we often cry out to God and ask him to pick them up and through them into the sea. To make them go away.

And yet we need to climb mountains. They are good for us and through them we learn heaps and are cultivated and grown.

The problem with mountains is often the obstacle in front of us, is the issue of the moment.

We forget about what the view from the top of the mountain will be like.

We forget the satisfaction that comes from making it to the top.

We forget that climbing mountains is worth it.

We just see the obstacle!

Maybe when we remember how good the mountain can be for us, we will stop asking for it to be taken away, be thankful for it.

Maybe we will then focus on the more important task of getting to the top.
 

Business confidence in T&L

The BNZ business survey was out this week. The survey contains quotes from people in various industries. I found the transport and storage quotes interesting and have posted them below:

• Road Transport. Seasonal activities are strong but general freight has eased noticeably.
• Transport/Storage -- Domestic removals and international arrivals significantly down but everything else same or even up on last year.
• Road Transport. Lower running costs (Fuel)and good availability of experienced drivers. Outlook positive.
• Transport import export containers drying up Transport Industry (Freight Forwarding/Logistics): Freight volumes are down due to the state of the economy; companies are sending less freight. Our customers are seeking lower rates to all destinations, which is a challenge for us to offer. However, we see the current economic climate as an opportunity to increase our market share by claiming accounts from the smaller companies who are looking to go into receivership.
• Transport (Courier) Industry. After a quiet January February was a reasonable month. Still behind on budget but there still seems to be a reasonable amount of volume in the network. Quite a bit of pressure from competitors slashing rates which is a little self defeating.
• Transport . We transport food and associated products. Probably as safe a bet as any at the moment. Modest downturn in business coupled with reduced operating expenses. Wage expectation has backed off with a number of driver layoffs in the industry.
• Public transport business generally picks up in an economic downturn. We are starting to see that now.
• We import tyres from overseas and sell directly to Truckies. Buyers are definitely more cautious, but having said that our business has picked up because people have to watch every cent and are shopping around for best deals. We have cut the middle man out. The hardest is the falling NZ dollar, needing more and more available cash flow for purchases inwards.
• Transport - as we carry food and food ingredients plus seasonal items/fish and stone fruit - a comparison is difficult but it feels like it is worse than this time last year, and most people are predicting it will get worse. If oil kicks up in this period there will be casualties in many parts of the transport industry.

KiwiRail appoints Jim Quinn as CEO

This from the NBR... 

KiwiRail Group's announcement of Jim Quinn as its new group chief executive has surprised industry sources, who expected current acting CEO William Peet to continue in the role.

KiwiRail and Kiwibank chairman Jim Bolger announced Mr Quinn as the new chief executive yesterday. Mr Bolger has worked closely with Mr Quinn before; Mr Quinn is currently CEO of Express Couriers Limited, a joint venture between New Zealand Post and DHL. Mr Bolger is chairman of New Zealand Post and Express Couriers.

"Jim Quinn combines experience in the private sector and with a major state owned enterprise. He brings to the rail industry experience from his work in the postal, electricity and transport sectors as well as a strong customer service dimension from the courier business,” Mr Bolger says.

Awesome stuff! Kiwirail needs vision and leadership. Jim will surely do this. He also has industry knowledge to actually work along side transport companies as customers and to improve the service.

All that said, a political hot potato to have with a new government. I wish Jim all the best.

Transport companies go green.

OK, so I have had my summer catch up of Transport & Logistics News.

Here is an international article from DHL and a local one about NZL.

Carbon Neutral Warehouse Pointer To The Future
DHL has completed its first carbon neutral warehouse which is likely to become a pointer the future of warehouse design world-wide. The transformation of its Yorkshire warehouse to carbon neutral status has been achieved by installing a ground source heat pump for heating and cooling, and motion sensors to electric lighting systems. The warehouse also switched to a green energy tariff, which provides energy from carbon-reduced sources.

Tauranga. Transport company NZL Group is hoping to cut it’s annual fuel bill by 8% by improving driver bahaviour in terms of fuel efficiency. Monitoring fuel efficiency is part of a move by the company as part of the business’s plan to look at a triple bottom line approach to operations including environmental impact. Company owner, Mark Fielder, spent four months setting up a fuel efficiency programme at their Mt Maunganui site keeping close watch on the fuel consumed by each of its fleet of 170 trucks. Fielder has been informing his staff on the effect conduct such as avoiding idling, cutting speed and improving driving techniques can have on cutting fuel consumption and emissions.

Cheap trucks anyone?

I read this in the Transport & Logistics News recently.

US Trucking Firms Downsizing
More than 130,000 large trucks are currently parked up in the US equivalent to 7% of the nation’s entire heavy trucking fleet as demand for freight services dwindles. This figure is expected to keep rising as the recession bites. The downside is expected to continue even when the recovery starts. Freight rates are picked to jump as rebounding demand outstrips the industry’s ability to re-commission capacity.

I wonder how that compares to NZ as a percentage, rather than 130,0000?

Summer Reading.

Took a few books away with me to read while at the beach. As normal, took too many books with me. Will post a summary, maybe, once I have read them.

• The Appeal - John Grisham
• Constructing Artistic Integrity - Kim Barbour
• The End of Charity - Nic Frances
• Jesus wants to save Christians - Rob Bell & Don Golden
• Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell
• Growing Great Girls - Ian & Mary Grant
• View from the Summit - Sir Edmond Hillary

Varying topics and reasons for reading. Will be interesting,

A surprise Christmas gift.

Here is peice of art my wife did for me for Christmas. Will hang at work when I get back from leave.

 

Judge gives stern warning to transport operators

This from the NBR last week;

Road transport haulage operators have been given a clear message by a High Court Judge: Overload your vehicles at your peril.

In a reserved judgment handed down at the High Court in Hamilton, Justice Lyn Stevens said the country loses $100 million a year in unpaid or under paid road user charges.

...

The judgment entirely debunked a widely held transport industry belief that enforcement officers allow a five percent weight tolerance over and above the licence purchased.

Justice Stevens made his comments in the case of Mt Maunganui transport operator TD Haulage which was appealing a District Court assessment that the company owed $1.215 million in short paid road user charges.

...

In the end, it is not known what TD Haulage was required to pay to settle the matter because a confidential settlement was reached been the parties during the appeal. But Justice Stevens closed the case by delivering a judgment anyway, using it to sternly warn the industry of its shortcomings.

Personal development

"I believe that I am responsible for my own personal development. Only I know who I want to become. Only I know my real strenghts and weaknesses, my passion and my talent. Only I know the price I am willing to pay to be who I can become."

- Fred Smith Sr.

How very true of me!

Passion

Nothing great ever happens without passion. The driving force behind all masterful art, all moving music, all classic literature, all powerful drama, all stunning architecture is passion. Passion proples athletes to break records. Passion pushes secients to discover new cures for diseases. Passion drives us to share the love of God in creative, innovative ways with those around us. Passion is what gives life to life.

Pg 222 - One Month to Live (Keey & Chris Shook)

BOOK: One Month to Live

I have ego

Discovered this week that the Greek word for "I" is "ego" (εγώ).

The english definition of ego is often around a person having egotism, conceit or self-importance. I guess ego is I-ism to the extreme. Beyond self confidence. Much more that good self talk.

So when I next say 'I' in english, I want... I need... I think..., in greek I am saying ego, ego want... ego need... ego think.

Not always a bad thing, but certainly worth thinking about.

One for my aussie friends

Indifference

The opposite of love is not hate, its indifference.

- Elie Wiesel

In Welly...

I stayed at the Wellington Airport Motor Lodge last night in Lyall Bay. Something about waking up, seeing and hearing waves, even on a wet and windy day, makes the small basic room worth it.

Will stay here again....

Perspective

Read this morning in the NZ Herald that the 6 largest companies in Australia are each, individually worth more than all the companies listed on the NZX (NZ Stock exchange) which is currently valued at about $54 Billion Dollars.

The largest BHP is worth $281 Billion The largest company worldwide Exxon Mobil 581 Billion.

I am reminded that we are such a small drop in a very large ocean...