Understanding Fuel Surcharges In Freight Shipping

No matter what type of shipping option you use, there’s one fact everyone learns pretty quickly – fuel surcharges can add up in a hurry.

Fuel surcharges are tacked on to shipments by carriers to balance the fluctuating costs of fuel. This can become a concern for shippers, because it takes time and attention to fully understand them.

Recent Impact of Events In Ukraine

In early 2022, supply chain congestion had already led to year-over-year rises in costs at the pump. However, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 led to a significant spike in fuel surcharges across the U.S. and around the globe.

For context, the national average price for diesel was $3.846 on January 31, 2022. By March 7th, that price had risen by more than a dollar to $4.849 per gallon. 

At first, the increase doesn’t make much sense for the American market. At the time of the invasion, the U.S. was a small-time buyer of Russian oil. However, the oil market is, in fact, a global market. And that is where the challenges arise for Americans.

In the grand scheme of things, Russia has been a large player in the global oil and fuel market. Europe, for example, purchased 60% of Russia’s oil exports in 2021. China also purchased 20% of Russia’s oil exports that year.

As a result, fuel surcharges will most likely remain volatile throughout 2022 as shippers and carriers deal with uncertainty abroad.

The Bottom Line.

Fuel surcharges are a valuable tool for carriers to protect themselves against fuel price increases over the life of a contract. At the same time, they’re also a factor that can greatly impact overall shipping costs. Knowing how they work is essential in fully understanding your cost of operations.

Sea Notes Choral Society

“At long last, the Sea Notes Choral Society will present their spring 2022 concert entitled Sing! Sing! Sing! at Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College in Bolivia on Saturday, March 26 at 3:00 pm and Sunday, March 27 at 3:00 pm. Approximately 90 singers will be directed by Dianne Hoffman and accompanied by Lynn McDowell. Sing! Sing! Sing! includes a wonderful mix of spirituals and ballads, Sinatra-era music, as well as stage and screen numbers. Concerts are always free to the public. Tickets are not required. Donations are welcomed as Sea Notes is a non-profit organization. For more information, go to www.sea-notes.com.”

https://www.southport-oakisland.com/event/sea-notes-choral-society-spring-concert.html

One Love Market

As a community-based 501-3C, non-profit organization, ONE LOVE MARKET donates net proceeds from vendor market fees, as well as 100% of fundraising efforts to the greater South Brunswick County community. Their mission is to present community events that provide a gathering place where guests and residents of the area can meet and support local artisans and small businesses, while giving back to our local rescues: human, furry and wild, including select youth leadership and educational programs. 

You can find more information about One Love Market at https://www.onelovemarketnc.com/

How to Buy a House While Selling Your Own: 10 Options to Consider

First: Do your research

Next: Understand the timeline

Buying before selling:

·      Option 1: Buy a new house and cross your fingers

·      Option 2: Buy with a sales contingency

·      Option 3: Buy with a bridge loan

·      Option 4: Use a home equity loan or line of credit to buy

·      Option 5: Borrow from your investment funds

·      Option 6: Consider your alternatives

Selling before buying:

·      Option 7: Sell and cross your fingers

·      Option 8: Stretch out the closing process

·      Option 9: Ask for a rent-back clause

What is Hunger?

“Hunger” is an evocative word. Everyone understands what it feels like to be hungry. Our stomachs start rumbling. We get irritable. It becomes hard to think straight. To make those symptoms go away, we eat something. Our stomachs are full, and we are content.

Defining the problem as “hunger,” as Janet Poppendieck contends, “has directed our attention away from the more fundamental problem.”

“Hunger” is best understood as a symptom of the larger issues of poverty and inequality. It needs to be addressed through a combination of economic and political solutions.

Over 42 million Americans face hunger each and every day including 1 in 6 children. If we think about hunger as most of us experience it, as a temporary sensation, the solution to this problem is straightforward: we just need to get more food to people who don’t have enough.

Food banks, shelters, and soup kitchens may seem like the answer to hunger in America. They are, however, a short-term and inadequate response. There has been a stunning increase in the number of emergency food programs over the last 40 years. In 1980, there were about 2 dozen food banks in the United States.

Today, there are more than 350, which serve 63,000 affiliated pantries and shelters. The growth of the emergency food system, however, has failed to solve “hunger.” Despite a spike during the Great Recession and a recent trend downward as the economy has recovered, the prevalence of food insecurity has remained relatively constant over the past 25 years. 11.1% of households were food insecure in 2018, which is only slightly below the 11.9% rate that was recorded in 1995, the year the federal government started keeping statistics.

If we want to solve hunger once and for all, we need to reduce the need for emergency assistance that food banks provide.

Moving? Set aside your unopened,
non-perishable food items.

Our crew will pack up your food
and deliver it to the local food pantry.

From there, your donations will be sorted and delivered to local families in need.

Sunset @ Sunset event!

Saturday October 2nd 2021!

10am – 5pm

Come and see East Coast Moving at the town of Sunset Beach’s Community Block Party!

The event will the held on October 2nd 2021 at 7625 High Market Street. The property will be located between LA Cucina and Fibbers. Corners of Sunset Blvd. and Park. There will be a lot food, crafts, vendors, bands and non-profits for you to enjoy!

We hope to see y'all there! 

For more information please visit http://www.sunsetatsunset.com !

House Repair Hacks You Should Know

Is your home in need of some serious TLC? When you see a lot of things that need a little fixing up, but have neither the budget or time to go all out, sometimes you go looking for a simpler solution..

Here are some helpful house repair hacks!

North Carolina Seeing High Levels of Hospitalization Due to COVID

Health officials in North Carolina are continuing to see an increase in the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus. The state has reported 3,413new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say more than 94 percent of recent North Carolina COVID-19 cases are in people who were not fully vaccinated.

In the U.S., vaccines have greatly reduced or eliminated many infectious diseases that once killed or harmed infants, children, and adults.

Many people have busy lives and too much responsibility to risk getting sick. Vaccines can help you stay healthy, so you don’t miss work. If you can avoid getting sick, you will have more time for your family, friends, and hobbies.

As we say around the office, Vax up or Mask up!

Summer Moving Tips

After spring cleaning season, summer feels like a great time to take a step toward revitalizing and moving to a new home. If you can plan ahead, you’ll do yourself a favor! To help, we have put together some tips to help you with a smooth move during these summer months.

Try not to book on holidays. More than likely, there will be less movers and truck rentals available to help with your move.

Start your day early. The thought of moving boxes in the peak heat of the day should jolt you right out of bed. Starting early means you and your movers can get the majority of the moving done before the temperatures and humidity are at their peak. You’ll also have the opportunity to avoid traffic jams.

Dress lightly. You hired a moving company, so you might think your job will be minimal, it’s still not a day to dress impractically. Wear light and breathable fabrics. It’s best to be ready for the moments when you’re needed. You don’t want to struggle to keep up with the movers because of inefficient clothing.

Stay hydrated! Be sure to keep water on hand and keep the movers in mind also. They’ll need to drink plenty of water to stay safe and healthy, and it’s great to have some to offer.

Dress lightly. You hired a moving company, so you might think your job will be minimal, it’s still not a day to dress impractically. Wear light and breathable fabrics. It’s best to be ready for the moments when you’re needed. You don’t want to struggle to keep up with the movers because of inefficient clothing. When you’re ready to plan your summer move hiring a professional moving company will save you a lot of sweat! East Coast Moving has an instant quote form that you can fill out here.

Brunswick County single family surge confirms no signs of slowing down

Brunswick County single family surge confirms no signs of slowing down.

There has been an increase of development applications in Brunswick County since May of 2021. The planning board will consider four new planned development applications and one major subdivision next week.  These projects are a group 469 new homes and 123 townhome units, coming into the county over the next few years.

Here are the upcoming planned developments,

Gore Tract (Ocean Isle Beach)

Hickman’s Crossing (Calabash)

Coastal Haven (Leland)

The Courtyards by Carrell (Ocean Isle Beach)

Allston Park (Subdivision) (Calabash)

Have a happy FRIYAY!