Things Must Be Picking Up?
 

I don't know if one can draw any logical conclusions from any of this, but I had to go to Seattle this morning (a 43 mile trip one way) and saw no fewer than 3 FedEx trucks (the big 18 wheelers) and 1 UPS truck, and several smaller trucks both purple and brown. Each and every single one of them appeared to be loaded down with freight. Some were going north and some were going south. I hope this is an indication that things are turning around for the better. Can you guys tell if the same is true by looking at the manifest?

FDX Ground and Freight.......yes

FDX Express........not so much

Vags,

As you can imagine, ALL the SEA area overnight freight moves through the SEA airport. That might explain all the trucking activity on your journey to SEA, (probably past the airport?). Hope you're right though ... we could use some good news these days :D

It's all LTL and yes that is picking up because it's cheaper to move LTL than in the air.

It is an indication that commerce is picking up, which is better than it dropping off. The premium air product will only recover when the economy approaches a more active phase.

Here is a perspective of the economy from a new small business owner (that would be me). My coffee shop is not open yet, but I have been dealing with vendors of every kind - coffee beans, food, Coke, bulk sugar, toilet paper. The salesmen all start out nice and helpful like, but when we get deeper into the details, the whole transaction is similar to a casino where the odds are stacked against the small business owner. One of them even told me to "go to Costco or Cash and Carry for [my] needs." They don't want my business!!

One specialty bakery in Bellingham wouldn't even return my phone calls. Another bakery said it required me to order each and every single day and the order has to be at least $30. Here's a simple example - let's assume each muffin is $1, so I have to buy 30 muffins from them each and every single day. If I sell only 10 muffins, I'm going to have to eat the other 20 or give it away to the neighbors or the food bank across the street. If this happens each and every single day, even the food bank is going to be sick of muffins!

Gone are the days when a vendor said "whatever you need, we'll FedEx it over to you." What I hear is they will put the stuff in a truck. And I wait an extra day or two.

What does all this mean? Heck if I know. :)

I've got another random thought. When the recession started, traffic on I-5 decreased noticeably. The news even said that a traffic company did some research and the reduction was around 8%. I can tell all gentle readers, right now and right here, that traffic is increasing. I'm leaving for Seattle again in a couple hours and I'll see for myself. News also said that new jobless claims are down from last month.

Depending on your industry or profession, I think this country is slowly climbing out of the abyss. The "New Normal" will be very interesting to observe.

Make sure the food bank gets the whole muffins and not just the stumps!

YouTube - The Muffin Stumps!!!

Call me a pessimist, but I don't think that there will be a "new normal". We as a consumer society have short memories and once the economy picks up heads back to irrational exuberance, people will buy crap they can't afford and/or don't need by extending credit. Financial wizards will think of new loopholes and scams. etc. In other words, it'll be business as usual.

Vagabond - have you ever run a coffee shop?

I would say Costco maybe a good option as a lot of businesses use them for supplies.
Could you bake in-house, not sure of the health regulations but if you had fresh muffins coming out of the oven I think customers would like it. It brings back memories of going to a BB and waking up to fresh warm muffins. Starbucks doesn't even do fresh baking. It could be a differentiating factor.

If you had a couple of PCs with Interenet connections with free use could bring in some traffic. Another idea is to have an artist hang up their art for 3-4 week period and get a commision on it.

The question is, do you want it tomorrow? If you do, they'll overnight it and bill you. You're off the edge of the map up there but most of the business in the US is east of the Mississippi. You can truck stuff in 2 and a half days for one fifth overnight rates.