Dispatches – #8 – The Ideals

Written by Nathan Prince

From a distance it may seem chaotic: drivers pulling in and out of the yard, making pickups and deliveries all over town, passing through at all hours of the day and night. Be assured, it’s not random. Nothing here is coincidental. Rather, it’s part of a larger strategy that we develop and employ here on a daily basis.

Science Corner: An Introduction to Chaos Theory

Any one of those trucks could be from any terminal across the country. Coordinating and securing loads for drivers heading back to their respective regions is key. Economizing equipment and resources is paramount to success in operations. Nothing goes to waste, and if it does hopefully it can be recycled. Efficiency is what we strive for here. It’s the ideal.

We’re fond of quoting Sun Tzu, the wise old general and strategist from ancient China:

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” – The Art of War

For the general, this is an issue of life or death, and, in a very real sense, it can be the same for a company. Notice that victory is possible with or without tactics, but it is impossible without strategy.

Let’s not waste any opportunities. Let’s find a load for the driver passing through. Let’s stay productive, locate the ideal and strive toward it.

Thumbnail and images courtesy of Flickr: pagedooley