One thing I learned early in my freight-forwarding career: there's always a workaround. That's just FR8Life.
We once had a container finish loading after 5 p.m., and the Soo Line cutoff was basically gone. Driver gets to the rail, clerk says, "You're too late."
I walked into my branch manager's office, and he didn't panic for a second. He said, "That train's heading to Canada. Hire a driver and run the box straight to the port. We'll make the cutoff there."
We missed the rail cutoff — but we sure as hell didn't miss the port.
That moment taught me to think differently. In this industry, your best tool is knowing your options and staying calm enough to use them.
I still wonder if that branch manager remembers this story. He's definitely still active in the industry.