I am coming up to my one-year anniversary of acquiring United Transportation, and I have learned something new each and every day about the transportation sector. In addition to these learnings, I have had to manage our company through various challenges, including tariffs, fuel price increases, and a pending war in the Middle East.

Over the past few months, the world has reminded me of something I think we all know, but don’t always fully appreciate when things are running smoothly.

STABILITY is TEMPORARY.

One moment, everything feels predictable. The next geopolitical tensions flare up, and global supply chains start shifting in real time. The current situation with Iran is just one example, but it’s enough to ripple across energy markets, aviation, trucking, and ultimately every customer we serve. Yet, through all of it, expectations never change. Freight still has to move. Deadlines still matter, and our clients are still counting on us to meet their customers’ expectations.

What I’ve come to appreciate more deeply is that transportation companies don’t just move cargo. We absorb uncertainty every day and in a real-time manner. Minutes matter, and regardless of the software systems we use, the plans we built the night before, and our capacity plans for tomorrow, issues will arise, and our operational plans will shift. One of my favorite values on our wall is “Customer Obsessed — We don’t just move freight, we move with purpose, and every interaction is a chance to earn trust and exceed expectations.”

The truth is, most customers know that perfection is unrealistic, especially in a world that’s clearly unpredictable. The past year, we’ve been heavily leaning into strengthening how and when we communicate, improving visibility into our underlying operation, and developing innovative products that allow our customers to feel more connected to their shipments … even when the world around them feels uncertain.

This is not about controlling the uncontrollable.

It’s about giving people clarity and confidence that we can deliver.

Onward.