NJ/NY PORT NEWS! GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!

I was driving home the other night stuck in traffic on the NJ Turnpike looking at all the cranes and containers in the Ports of Newark and Elizabeth. The scale of it all is almost overwhelming and mind blowing. How all the pieces work and fit together is amazing to me and why I love this business. I then realized I’ve been in the logistic business almost 35 years and theses piers are in my blood. When I first made my bones in the industry I started out working as messenger for a custom house broker. I ran all the piers and airports in the Port area delivering documents to Customs, delivery orders to truckers, bills of lading and freight checks to the steamship lines. I saw the interworking of everything from all sides of the business and fell in love with it. I remember one day talking to an old-timer in his office at Berth 68 who said to me with a cigar in his hand and a beer in the other. Yes he was smoking and drinking in his office, why wouldn’t he be it was Friday after 12:00 pm. He took a puff of the stogie and said. “Kid get out of this business while you still can!” I said why? He smiled and then took a big swig of his Bud and said “Because this business is like being in the Mob, once you get in it you can never get out!” Well 35 years later in the business I am the old-timer and I realized that truer words have never been spoken to me. This industry has taken me all over the US and World and along the way I’ve been to places, seen things, met people and ate foods that I never would have if it wasn’t for this business. I’m very thankful for all the long term friendships and business contacts that I have. With some of them (You know who you are) we have enjoyed experiences that were right out of the pages of MAD MEN, AKA the good old days. Well the good old days are gone and the new breed is entering into the business and I welcome them into the Family. It’s funny when I talk to the young Turks about the business I always bring up the story of the old-timer and what he said to me. “Kid get out of this business while you still can!” It’s so true about this business being like the Mob because once you get in it you can never get out and you will always be sucked back in. I would enjoy hearing your story on how you made your bones in the business and became a Goodfella. It’s too late for me and I’m a lifer for sure with no regrets.

John D. Costine