No Texting While Driving, It Can Wait!

Our driver focus for the month of November is not texting while driving, the IT CAN WAIT campaign by AT&T. So far over 1 million people have taken the pledge to not text and drive.

Here are some statistics about texting and driving:

Check out the app in the GooglePlay market called DriveMode. You can set up your text messages, e-mails, and phone calls to automatically send a reply letting the sender know that you are behind the wheel, how cool is that? You are able to make up to 5 phone calls and can always call 911. Also, the music and navigation apps still work while driving.

Take the pledge today to not text and drive, IT CAN WAIT! 

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany

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Cyber Monday

We hope everyone had a nice, long holiday weekend with the family and are ready to go back to work. Today is Cyber Monday. It started back in 2005 and is the busiest on-line shopping day of the year. About 129 million Americans are predicted to make a purchase today with a projected $1.5 billion in sales! Almost 15% of sales will be done right from the customers smartphone.

Here is a list of a few Cyber Monday deals we've put together just for you:

Electronics
Amazon
Miscellaneous

Happy Shopping Everyone!! 

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we wanted to share what we are thankful for. We are thankful for our family and friends, our health, the wonderful people we work with, and YOU, our client.

Do something nice for somebody without them knowing. Tell your family you love them just because. It's the season of giving. Give love and thanks.

What are you thankful for?

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany

Confessions of a Courier: Scrubs

Being a courier in Los Angeles, we do a lot of work for the entertainment industry. Our drivers are constantly going onto different studio sets. Sometimes they’re privileged to see some of the productions or shows that haven’t aired on TV yet.  For one driver it was more than what he bargained for.

It was late Thursday night and our driver got a run picking up a package from a residence going to a hospital. He had never been to either location. He picked up the package and was on his way. He arrived at the delivery location around midnight. He walked into the hospital building and started walking down to the main lobby.

The order read “2^nd floor, Room #260.” As he walked down the hall of what he thought was a hospital, he started to notice there were no patients’ or doctors roaming the halls. In fact, there was no one at all. For a second he thought they may be remodeling. He got to the elevator and went down to the 2^nd floor in this empty hospital. He started to remember every horror movie where there was a hospital involved, and he started to feel a little uneasy.

As the elevator doors opened to the second floor he started seeing posters on the walls, like a film studio would look like. He found Room #260 and as he entered he noticed a TV show poster on the door. The girl in the office asked jokingly, “Did you freak out coming into an empty hospital building?” The driver didn’t want to admit that to a young girl. She told him the building is actually the set where they film the show “Scrubs”.  He left the building a lot less tense as when he entered. You never know what you’re going to get as a messenger for the entertainment industry!

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany

IBM Announces their Innovative Traffic Detection System

A new innovative technology may help cut down on all that heavy traffic, which is great news to the transportation industry in Los Angeles. IBM teamed up with Lyon, France and announced today that they are working on a technology that both anticipates and detects traffic jams and decreases the impact they have on drivers.

This new system is called “Decision Support System Optimizer” or DSSO. It detects incidents and provides the best decisions for smooth, continuous traffic flow, like clearing the way for oncoming ambulances using traffic lights. They system can also estimate drive times and allows for continuous improvement. 

“Piloting this analytics technology will help the city anticipate and avoid many traffic jams before they happen, and lessen their impact on citizens," said Gerard Collomb, Lyon’s mayor. “Using the data that we are collecting to make more informed decisions will help us to promote about how to resolve unexpected traffic events, and optimize public transportation.”

TRAFFIC JAM!

Do you think this new traffic system would have a positive impact on our current traffic situation?

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany Michaels

Confessions of a Courier: Deer in the Headlights

The holidays are finally here! This is the busiest time of year in the courier industry. Everyone is in a hurry during the holidays and it gets dark earlier, so drivers have to be especially careful and alert. Last year, one of our drivers had an animal encounter he would never forget.

This time last year, a driver received an order picking up in the Hollywood Hills at 7 P.M. coming back to Santa Monica. By this time, it was dark and cold outside. The driver hurried up to the door to pick up the package and wanted to get back to his car quickly because it was freezing up there in the hills. The client made some small talk but realized the driver was cold and let him go on his way.

On the way back to the car, the driver thought he heard something in the bushes. He assumed it was just a dog or the wind. He got into his car quickly and as he was pulling out he noticed that it was not a house pet, it was a baby deer! He reached for his phone to take a picture, but he was too late, the deer had already scurried away. 

Happy Holidays and Keep on Truckin’.

-Tiffany Michaels

Positive Growth for the Same Day Delivery Industry

Things are looking up for the Same Day Delivery Insdustry, servicing the supply chain. A recent study reported by the Messenger and Courier Association of America (MCAA) stated their is an increased demand by consumers to have their service right away. It also states that small businesses dominate this industry.

Two-thirds of those who participated in the survey work for a company with 100 or less employees. 9 out of 10 respondents said their business models utilizes independent contractors. Almost half of the respondents reported revenues between $1-5 million and reported being in business over 20 years.

The study showed positive growth for both revenue and profitability. “Fifty-eight percent of our members told us that their revenue was either much better or better today than it was a year ago,” said Rob Johnstone, MCAA’s president.

Overall, the outlook is good for both the courier and trucking industry and small businesses.

“This survey paints a picture of an industry that is made up of companies that have strength, flexible and longevity on their side.  It showcases the critical role these small businesses continue to play in the evolution of the supply chain, both locally and globally,” concludes Johnstone.

Read more here:       Press Release      Industry Survey 

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany Michaels

Hurricane Sandy: Helping Those In Need

Please join us in supporting those affected by Hurricane Sandy by donating to the American Red Cross today. The American Red Cross is providing overnight shelter, meals, hygiene kits and more to those in need. Our courier company came together to support those on the East Coast, and we urge you to give back to those in need. 

Click here to donate.

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany Michaels

Go With The Flow of Traffic

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple weeks ago that I found interesting. Street signs are often very confusing and unclear. The article explained some possible innovations for street signs and signals to make delivery driving and sharing the road with bicycles a little easier.






One of the possible innovations it covered was having a separate turning light for bicycles. This would allow cyclists to go in any direction without having to yield to traffic. Another cyclist-centered idea was a small blue light that would let the cyclist know when he had triggered the light censor in the ground that turns the light green.










One of the innovations for drivers include animated timers at crosswalks, where the walking man moves quicker as the time left to cross the street decreases. Another is a new technology still in its developmental stage which would detect cars on a wireless network for real-time traffic alerts such as approaching traffic or the car in front of you braking. This would make driving as a courier in Los Angeles safer and more practical.






These and many more are further explained in this article from the Wall Street Journal, Singals Ahead.

Keep on Truckin'

-Tiffany Michaels