RelyEx Solutions

Drayage Brokersin Minneapolis, MN

Contact RelyEx today to quote your next shipment.

Because a drayage load can mean a few different things, confusion among carriers is common. Many carriers link drayage with going into a port, but that isn't always true. While all drayage loads typically originate from a port of entry, there are often several legs of a drayage journey before a container turns up at its final stop. Legs of a drayage load may include:

Why Are Drayage Companies in Minneapolis, MN So Important?

You may be thinking, what's so important about drayage? It's such a small step in the container storage transport process. In reality, it's an integral piece needed in the logistics industry and a crucial part of U.S. supply chain management.

To truly understand the importance of drayage, let's use flowers as an example. Most cut flower shipments enter the market from areas in South America until they end up at Dutch auction houses. Once there, wholesalers purchase flowers in bulk and send those products to retail outlets worldwide. Because flowers are perishable, they typically need to be refrigerated and are often shipped in reefer containers. These refrigerated vessels must maintain a certain temp to prevent loss.

Drayage companies like RelyEx allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services. Drayage companies allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind, because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services.

If port drayage is compromised, it can cause delays and even fines. You know the packages you get delivered to your front door from apps like Amazon? Without drayage and drayage brokers, one or two-day shipping times wouldn't even be possible.

As a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. alone, it seems like drayage shipping issues shouldn't exist. But the fact is inefficiencies and congestion are still major problems at ports. Whether it's a lack of carriers, absent chassis, or overburdened terminals, delays lead to missed deadlines, lost revenue, and worse.

But anytime challenges exist, so too do innovative solutions.

QUOTE REQUEST
Container Services Minneapolis, MN

Port

 Drayage Minneapolis, MN

Yard

 Drayage Services Minneapolis, MN

Warehouse

 Full Truck Load Minneapolis, MN

Rail

 Logistic Services Minneapolis, MN

RelyEx Solves Problems

At RelyEx, we like to consider ourselves problem solvers. The nature of the container drayage industry presents new challenges every day, but we're firm believers that there's a solution to every hurdle we encounter. And while some drayage businesses implement a reactive approach, RelyEx customers choose us for our proactive mindset. We take pride in solving your company's drayage challenges to help you avoid frustrating fees, missed expectations, and delayed shipments. We strive to make every transaction successful and streamlined by partnering with shippers who prioritize transparent, prompt, and accurate communication.

 Ocean Container Drayage Minneapolis, MN

RelyEx Has a Unique Vantage Point

RelyEx approaches your business from the customer's perspective - a unique approach that helps us provide high-quality, effective drayage services. We've been in the customers' shoes, know their pain points, and because of that, provide first-hand solutions to stressful supply chain issues. With over 30 years of collective knowledge, our team excels in:

  • Inventory Management
  • Logistics
  • Purchasing
  • Finance

Our varied, high-level drayage shipping experience helps us achieve our overarching goal: expertly managing your freight movement needs. That way, you can direct your time and focus on growing the core aspects of your business while we handle the heavy lifting. Throw in proactive planning to avoid bottleneck situations and strong communication for transparent customer relations, and you can see why so many companies trust RelyEx.

 Warehousing Minneapolis, MN

RelyEx Nurtures Strong Carrier Relationships

When it comes to shipping logistics, it only takes one mistake by a mediocre worker to disrupt your business. That's why, at RelyEx, we pride ourselves on forming and nurturing relationships with carriers who match our standards of care. Our founding partner started his career transporting freight for companies as an on-demand carrier. He uses that knowledge to maximize the resources of our carriers so that our customer's expectations aren't just met - they're exceeded.

Based in the port city of Minneapolis, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.

 Transloading Minneapolis, MN

Customers choose RelyEx because:

  • We are a reliable drayage logistics partner that manages your freight from beginning to end
  • We have a rare industry vantage point with 30+ years of client-side experience
  • We foster and fortify the strongest vendor relations
  • We take a proactive approach to problem-solving, not a reactive approach
Let us know how we can help.
phone-number843-885-3082
Container Services Minneapolis, MN

Your Drayage Shipments Managed from Start to Finish

Some drayage brokers don't care how customers feel about their service as long as they sign a contract and get paid. As a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx takes the opposite approach. We're motivated by the opportunity to overachieve for our customers and to provide them with the best logistics experience possible. With professional experience as carriers and shippers ourselves, we know the roadblocks and challenges you're facing. We excel at mapping out the best plans of action to solve those problems. But that's just the start.

Our tracking experts monitor and manage every aspect of your drayage shipment from booking to delivery, 24/7. Once booked, we look for the availability of your containers hourly once they're at port. When they arrive, our team acts quickly to access your storage containers when they're available.

Plus, RelyEx ensures your company's requirements are met by the carrier during loading and delivery and provide necessary documentation as fast as possible. With real-time tracking updates and access to our customer service professionals, your team has complete visibility throughout the shipping process.

We Source Top-Notch Operators at the Best Prices

Over the years, RelyEx has built a strong network of drayage carriers, transloading locations, and container storage spaces to provide you with the best possible options to match your drayage service needs. We know that searching for quality service presents an added layer of complexity and stress to our customers. That's why we work hard to take that off your plate by connecting you with our reliable shipping partners.

With a background moving freight as an on-demand carrier, our founding partner understands how to maximize the resources and equipment of our carriers to match your needs.

 Drayage Minneapolis, MN
 Drayage Services Minneapolis, MN

We Make Transparent, Timely Communication a Priority

Like other industries, the global logistics space is complex. Mistakes will be made, and problems will happen. With those truths in mind, RelyEx has built its reputation as problem solvers. Unlike other drayage companies, we don't shy away from this industry's complexities because we take pride in solving problems. Even better, we aim to do what's needed to avoid those problems altogether.

As your logistics partner, we will provide your company with accurate, transparent, and prompt communication. If there are unexpected issues, we'll notify you immediately and will provide several options to remedy the problem. We even offer custom reporting for large clients who need at-the-moment updates and quick access to shipment documentation.

We Have Robust Project Management Experience

Why let the unpredictability of your industry dictate your success? With a background working in manufacturing, our founders are familiar with the demands of managing production schedules and sales orders. That experience makes it abundantly clear to us that every business and industry is different. If you struggle with seasonal surges or other factors, our team supports your business with a mapped-out plan and schedule, so you stay ahead of the game.

QUOTE REQUEST
 Full Truck Load Minneapolis, MN

Paperwork Errors

Typically, shippers need four specific documents to clear shipments through customs: A Bill of Lading (or BOL), a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an arrival notice. Seasoned drayage brokers like RelyEx are used to preparing these documents, but new shippers tend to miss this step due to inexperience.

Payment Delays

If a shipper only pays for part of their shipment, a vessel operator may refuse to release their freight until their bill is fully paid. Payment delays lead to cargo detention at the port of entry, which triggers demurrage charges.

QUOTE REQUEST

Documents Received Too Late

Paperwork is needed when you're shipping goods with a drayage company. When documents like the Certificate of Origin or Bill of Lading arrive at their destination late, you can expect demurrage fees. RelyEx avoids this situation entirely by being proactive when submitting paperwork.

Additional causes for demurrage fees can include:

  • Damaged Container Storage
  • Custom Released Containers
  • Storage Containers Are Too Heavy

Free Consultation

RelyEx:

The Supply Chain Partner You Can Count On

At RelyEx, we know first-hand how stressful supply chain problems can be for business owners. Though drayage shipping might seem minor on the surface, it affects every stage of your shipping process. And when inevitable hurdles manifest, RelyEx propels you over the proverbial roadblocks with a proactive mindset and a passion for challenging projects. We believe that all problems have a solution, and our unique vantage point allows us to provide first-hand solutions to customers in a wide array of industries.

When it comes to your business, don't settle for anything less than RelyEx. Contact our office today to learn more about how we make your shipping experience streamlined and stress-free.

phone-number843-885-3082

Latest News in Minneapolis, MN

UMN St. Paul campus adapts to unusual winter

A winter Minnesota hasn’t seen in over a century has created challenges as well as new opportunities within the UMN College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences.Image by Eleanor KingResearchers at the University of Minnesot...

A winter Minnesota hasn’t seen in over a century has created challenges as well as new opportunities within the UMN College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences.

Image by Eleanor King

Researchers at the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus were caught off guard by the unusual winter, causing them to adapt their outdoor research to accommodate the warmer conditions.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website, the Twin Cities broke its record for the longest January thaw at 24 consecutive days and saw the most 50-degree days recorded in early February. Researchers on the St. Paul campus did not anticipate such extreme weather, which created new opportunities for research but put ongoing research in jeopardy.

Donald Wyse, a professor in the University’s department of agronomy and plant genetics, runs the Forever Green Initiative, which is developing the next generation of crops for the state.

“We have all of these new crops out in the field that were planted in the fall and we get a winter that we haven’t experienced in over 100 years,” Wyse said. “It’s going to be interesting.”

The Forever Green Initiative is currently developing 15 different crops, including Kernza, the first perennial grain crop with a lifespan of more than two years commercially available in the United States. Perennial grain crops live for several years and do not need to be re-planted each season.

Wyse said the crops are currently surviving, but without the snow to cover the plants, they are directly exposed to potentially low temperatures. If it warms up too much, the plants may start to grow, which is dangerous if the temperature dips back down below freezing.

According to Wyse, the department of agronomy and plant genetics developed all of the major crops used in Minnesota, except for sugar beet. Currently, plant breeders within the department have been working with industries to develop crops that can keep up with climate change.

“This is what we’ve always done,” Wyse said. “The landscape is evolving as climate changes, and that drives evolution and all these other insects and diseases, and the crops have to be then bred to meet those conditions as they change.”

Alicia Coleman, an assistant professor of urban and community forestry in the University’s department of forest resources, said she has been engaging with partners in the department of horticultural science and the UMN Extension to see how different tree species that are expected to withstand climate change perform in Minnesota.

According to Coleman, the project is based on the UMN Extension ‘creating climate-ready woodlands’ list of recommended tree species based on Minnesota’s 11 ecological regions.

Coleman said the idea behind the research is not new, but it is the first time it has been applied to Minnesota. The research focuses on forest patches but includes urban areas such as streets, residential yards and parks.

Coleman said in the future, Minnesota forests could resemble their counterparts in the Mid-Atlantic region or states, like Kansas and Missouri, as the climate continues to change.

Marcella Windmuller-Campione, an associate professor of silviculture (silvi) in the University’s department of forest resources, said research within the Silvi Lab Group began in February. Typically it begins in March or early April, when they’re able to observe leaves sprouting from trees.

The University’s Silvi Lab Group is made up of researchers, faculty and students who study biometrics, forest health, forest soils and silviculture. According to Minnesota’s DNR, silviculture is the sustainable control of forests and woodlands, from establishment to composition and health.

“The trees are starting to hit those points where they’re going to have the amount of growing degree days or like the amount of warm days to start triggering, ‘oh, I think I should grow,’” Windmuller-Campione said.

Windmuller-Campione said the past two summer droughts combined with the lack of snow cover and warm temperatures could result in trees dying off.

“What we’re seeing is this warm winter and that cold snap may be that kind of last straw,” said Winmuller-Campione. “So that could be one of the last things that really opens them up to insects or diseases during the growing season.”

Rehearsals Now In Progress For Theater Latté Da Production Of THE COLOR PURPLE Opening In March

Theater Latté Da has announced rehearsals for THE COLOR PURPLE are now in progress and the creative team and cast members.Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Marsha Norman, with music and lyrics by ...

Theater Latté Da has announced rehearsals for THE COLOR PURPLE are now in progress and the creative team and cast members.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Marsha Norman, with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, THE COLOR PURPLE is a stirring family chronicle following the inspirational Celie as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope, to discover her own unique voice and place in the world. Theater Latté Da's production of THE COLOR PURPLE will run March 20, 2024 through May 5, 2024 at the Ritz Theater (345 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis).

The cast of THE COLOR PURPLE features Ronnie Allen, Carnetha Anthony, Zola Dee, Lynnea Doublette, Lamar Jefferson, Dwight Xaveir Leslie, Heather McElrath, Nubia Monks, David L. Murray, Nambi Mwassa, Dennis W. Spears, Angela Stewart, and Angela Wildflower. Understudies include Deidre Cochran, Erin Nicole Farsté, France Roberts, and JoeNathan Thomas.

The creative team and production staff includes Daniel J. Bryant (Director), Heather Beal (Choreographer), Sanford Moore (Music Director), Eli Sherlock (Scenic Designer), Jarrod Barnes (Costume Designer), Jason Hansen (Music Supervisor), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Abbee Warmboe (Properties Designer), Emma Gustafson (Hair & Makeup Designer), C Andrew Mayer (Sound Designer), Alli St. John (Intimacy Coach), Shelby Reddig (Stage Manager), and Austin Schoenfelder (Assistant Stage Manager).

THE COLOR PURPLE is being presented in a co-production with Rochester, NY-based Geva Theatre Center. The production, including the cast, will transfer to Geva following its Twin Cities run, playing in Rochester from May 28 to June 23, 2024. Founded in 1972, Geva serves up to 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. Geva draws upon the talents of the country's top actors, directors, designers and writers who are shaping the American theater landscape.

THE COLOR PURPLE will run from March 20, 2024 through May 5, 2024 at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. Opening Night is Saturday, March 23, 2024. Single tickets start at $35. Group, student and other discounts are available. Tickets are on sale now through the box office at 612.339.3003 or online at www.latteda.org. Post-show discussions and access services (ASL/AD and Open Caption performances) are available on select dates.

Theater Latté Da will present an installment of its popular Pin Spot Series focused on THE COLOR PURPLE on Monday, April 8 at 7:30 PM, hosted and curated by local performer and producer Max Wojtanowicz. Part TED Talk, part cabaret, Pin Spot shines a light on the “story behind the story.” Each hour-long Pin Spot explores the origins, historical context, musical references, theatrical tidbits, and lasting legacy of the musical onstage, with performances by local artists. Tickets are $10 and are on sale now at www.latteda.org.

Theater Latté Da

Celebrating its 26th year in the 2023-2024 season, Theater Latté Da is an award-winning Twin Cities musical theater company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. The company seeks to create new and impactful connections among story, music, artist, and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater. www.latteda.org

Monthly Black history bus tours to begin

Stops include the S. Edward Hall Home in St. Paul and the Associated Negro Credit Union in Minneapolis.More VideosMINNEAPOLIS — The Frances E. Thompson Digital Library for Family Research, and partners Black Arts Network and Minnesota Historical Society, are starting a monthly bus tour to highlight Black history in the Twin Cities."I haven't heard of anything like this before and it's really needed at this time," organizer Ralph Crowder III said.It's called the ...

Stops include the S. Edward Hall Home in St. Paul and the Associated Negro Credit Union in Minneapolis.

More Videos

MINNEAPOLIS — The Frances E. Thompson Digital Library for Family Research, and partners Black Arts Network and Minnesota Historical Society, are starting a monthly bus tour to highlight Black history in the Twin Cities.

"I haven't heard of anything like this before and it's really needed at this time," organizer Ralph Crowder III said.

It's called the Get on the Bus African-American History Bus Tour Experience, and Crowder says this Saturday's inaugural ride in a black luxury bus previews the monthly tours they'll start offering in late April.

"It's going to have multiple sites, multiple locations," he said.

The first tour is set to depart at 12 p.m. from the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and will visit two historical sites, and stop for lunch, before circling back to the museum to conclude the 3-hour educational experience.

The first historical site is located where S. Edward Hall lived in St. Paul's Rondo community. In 2011, the city demolished his house in error when a commission failed to report its historic significance.

"S. Edward Hall is a very prominent African-American male from St. Paul who came in the early 1900s," Crowder said. "He was foundational to the development of the Urban League, foundational to some of the leadership in the NAACP nationally. Just a tremendous man who left a trailblazing legacy. He was also a barber in the Rondo community."

The second stop is in south Minneapolis near Sabathani Community Center. Between the 1930s and 70s, many Black businesses were established in this area, including the Associated Negro Credit Union in1937.

"The legacy of that leadership stemming right here from this neighborhood of south Minneapolis is something we need to affirm, honor and celebrate," Crowder said.

"In Minnesota, only 25% of Black folks own their own home," added Scott Redd, president and CEO of Sabathani Community Center. "This is one of the first areas in Minneapolis that you can own a home in this area, 38th Street, so it was a thriving Black community."

Redd says he plans to get on the bus.

"I love hearing the stories of our elders," he said. "I love hearing the stories about young folks, and I love seeing that lightbulb go off, especially with our young folks."

Twenty-three-year-old Odell Wilson IV interned for Crowder and helped research the sites, and interns Marquise Myles and Tyrone Fisher will be the official tour guides of this first trip back in time.

"What caught my attention was the not knowing, I guess," Wilson said. "Being here, all my life, and not knowing the significance."

"It's very important to preserve history as we keep on creating it as well," Crowder added. "Bring some young people with you."

Tickets cost $15 for youth 16 and under and $25 for adults. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Reservations can be made by emailing blackartsnetwork1@gmail.com.

Related Articles

Watch more local news:

Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:

Savor Asia: Que Viet's Dat and Lauren Le on cherishing tradition and opening a new restaurant

MINNEAPOLIS — Dat Le and his wife Lauren took over ownership of Que Viet in 1997, 17 years after Dat's mother opened up the location in north Minneapolis."I keep the tradition going," Dat said."I think you're just born with it," Lauren agreed.Dat nodded. He started in the restaurant when he was 10. At 12 years old, he was expediting. When he was tall enough, he learned how to cook.Back in the '80s, the Vietnamese community in Minnesota was small. There wa...

MINNEAPOLIS — Dat Le and his wife Lauren took over ownership of Que Viet in 1997, 17 years after Dat's mother opened up the location in north Minneapolis.

"I keep the tradition going," Dat said.

"I think you're just born with it," Lauren agreed.

Dat nodded. He started in the restaurant when he was 10. At 12 years old, he was expediting. When he was tall enough, he learned how to cook.

Back in the '80s, the Vietnamese community in Minnesota was small. There was just one other Vietnamese restaurant in St. Paul.

"My grandpa was riding his bike to work one day and he rode by the restaurant and he saw the for sale sign," explained Dat. "And then he went home and told my mom like there's this restaurant for sale you should go look at it. And then she went in and she found out how much it was which back in 1980 was $5,000. Which was a lot back then! Because she didn't have $5,000."

His mother, My, borrowed small amounts — $50, $20, — from everyone she knew.

"There wasn't very many Vietnamese people here," Lauren said. "To ask somebody to borrow money was like a big deal. So $100 was a huge amount back then."

When Que Viet originally opened, they served the typical breakfast and burgers. Slowly, over time, they started serving more traditional fair.

In 1997, when Dat and Lauren took over, it was hard. He had to earn the respect of the community and the cooks. His mother was still in the kitchen, making sure everything was cooked the way it was supposed to be. The recipes weren't precise — the cooks measured everything by pinches and handfulls — so the dishes were difficult to replicate. For the first two years, Dat spent every waking moment at the restaurant.

Then in 2022, Dat and Lauren decided to open another restaurant — eM Que Viet — on Grand Avenue in St. Paul.

"I was I've been asking him, or actually begging him to open another restaurant forever," Lauren laughed. "And it was just never the right time."

But luck finally fell into place.

"At eM Que Viet, we want to be young and hip," said Lauren. Food is like fashion that comes and goes in waves. And in St. Paul, they've implemented an ever-changing menu with specials.

When they opened the new location, they wanted to make sure they started off on the right foot, and bring in all the luck they could get.

"In our culture, we're very superstitious," Lauren explained. "I think when you're younger you aren't so much, but I think it's grown on me as I got older."

The opening day of the restaurant was on a lucky day. They hosted a dragon dance, and they made sure that the first customer that walked in the door had the perfect zodiac.

Those superstitions carry over into the Lunar New Year.

"Depending on what year it is, we don't change up the decorations so much but we do change up the first person that walks through the door. So the first person is very important to us in our culture," said Lauren. "That person kind of stands for everything that's going to happen the whole year. So then you want to choose somebody who's very lucky, who's happy in their life, successful and then every year that person will change."

That focus on luck worked for them — right off the bat, Lauren said. As for the future, they don't know what it'll bring, but Lauren teased that it could include another location.

Chloe Rosen

Chloe is a journalist at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and has worked in numerous positions at the station, including Assignment Editor, Digital Line Producer and Web Producer. She started her career at WCCO in 2015.

Missing the long cold neighborly winter in the city

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.•••As a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, my experience with winter last year ...

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

As a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, my experience with winter last year was the most brutal of my life. At this point in the season, all I wanted to see was a curb — specifically, the curb on the street next to my neighbor's house where I regularly park my on-its-last-legs car.

It was existential angst, straight up, wherein I convinced my exhausted self that, when the icebergs and mounds of snow that covered the curbs, streets and sidewalks of this frozen tundra I call home were gone, then I would be happy. Because the mere sight of that curb would mean springtime, warmth, renewal and, best of all, no more bleeping snow.

Only now during these snow-free days do I realize what's been lost here. Winter exhaustion comes from both frozen hibernation and shoveling, chipping, scraping and trudging away our days and nights. It gets to you.

But it also inspires you — to help and be helped. A time-honored tradition in this city is pushing friends' and neighbors' and strangers' vehicles out of the snow. Only now, during these balmy, climate-changed days, can I fully appreciate what comes with a winter's tale in the city, the kind you don't get when the livin' is easy.

It happened last year, around this time. I looked out my window to see an older man trying to push his daughter's car out of a snowdrift and on to the unplowed street. I threw on my boots, hat, gloves and left behind my coat, knowing I was about to work up a sweat. As the man's daughter gunned the engine, he and I pushed, pulled, shoveled. Our between-gasps-conversation went like this:

"Ike Reilly? Who's that?" asked the neighbor, checking out my Ike Reilly Assassination hat.

"Great songwriter from Chicago," I said, wheezing.

"Oh, I'll check him out. Chicago? Have you ever heard of John Prine?" he asked, panting.

"Yep. Loved him forever. Amazing." I said.

"Do you know how John Prine was discovered?" he asked.

"Yep, Roger Ebert wrote a rave review about him in the Sun-Times," I responded.

"You're the first person I've ever asked who's known the answer to that question!" he said.

"Right on," I said. More shoveling and gasping ensued. "This is some seriously heavy snow."

"Heart attack snow, be careful," he said. "Don't you just love that duet John Prine did with Iris Dement …"

And snow on and snow on and … we got her out! The three of us said our goodbyes. I got inside, kicked off my boots and thought, "Gotta love Minnesota."

The next day, after another round of the foot-high snow that fell seemingly weekly last year, I got my car stuck on the side street in front of the curb. I'd parked too deep into a street iceberg and was seriously jammed in. I was a beaten man. Nature had won. I sat behind the wheel and considered waiting for spring to thaw out my stupid car, but finally went to grab a shovel and start digging it out.

"Brother?"

It was my neighbor Simo, looking out his kitchen window. "Need help?"

"Thanks, brother, yes!"

Simo and his teenage son Ilyas came out with shovels. We tried to push out my stupid car — a frozen hulk of metal and burning rubber — but it was not happening.

As we panted and pushed, a van came by out of nowhere. Simo flagged them down, and out hopped two older dudes with freshly lit cigarettes dangling from their lips and shovels in their ungloved hands. They went right to work, cigs going hard all the while, shovels pounding expertly, and we blasted my stupid car out of the iceberg ditch using ye olde you-rock-we-push method.

"Victory! Yes!" We all whooped.

As he was heading back to the van the older brother said to Simo, "Are you Muslim?"

"Yes, Morocco!" Simo said.

"Pakistan!" the older dude said, sucking hard on a cig.

We whooped it up again and I fist-bumped the brothers and thanked them profusely. Then, in a flash, they were off in their van, gone and never to be seen again. All four of those guys filled my heart with so much wonder and kindness and gratitude. I still think about them a year later, and probably always will.

Anyone who's ever lived through a hard city winter can tell similar tales, and at this snowless/iceless moment in Minnesota where I can see every curb everywhere in town, I (sorta) miss them.

Jim Walsh is an author, journalist and songwriter from Minneapolis.

Disclaimer:

This website publishes news articles that contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The non-commercial use of these news articles for the purposes of local news reporting constitutes "Fair Use" of the copyrighted materials as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.