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These are times of steady expansion at AES Cargo, into new countries and continents -- and global hot spots. As international troops mass in East Africa to train for the war on terror, AES is on the front lines, helping meet the growing need for military shipments. We recently opened our first office in Djibouti, and are servicing other countries in the region as well. We are also seeing continued growth in other corners of the world. Recently, we celebrated our first anniversary of operations in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Our rugged team in Kabul, Mazar E Sharif, Tashkent, and Karshi has weathered everything from sandstorms to snowstorms, dining on goat to doing business over vodka. To create a means for us to pass on these interesting experiences with you, our partners, clients and friends, we've launched this quarterly newsletter, On the Horizon. It will provide news and insight about life at AES Cargo and in the industry. On the Horizon will also include the unusual and the unexpected. Imagine shipping a 25-meter palm tree into downtown Warsaw. Or putting light bulbs into a truck's gas tank to thaw out the frozen fuel. Read on for more! Feel free to send comments and ideas to us at editor@aescargo.com. 
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"We think it's going to be a strategic gateway to Africa," he said of Djibouti. "We'll use it as a base for household goods moving in Ethiopia and Eritrea."
AES Cargo has provided some service in Africa before. Now Andy Harris, who previously worked in AES's Afghanistan office, is handling operations in Djibouti.
The U.S. State Department describes Djibouti as a developing country with a stable political climate, partly due to a strong French military presence. (Djibouti won its independence from France in 1977.) But internal stability doesn't mean that all dangerous elements can be kept out.
A recent Associated Press report said that "the region is still regarded as a potential haven for terrorists with its porous borders, as well as harsh terrain and lack of resources that make it difficult for even willing governments to tackle a terrorist problem."
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In addition, any visitor to the capital city, also called Djibouti, can see another factor that saps the country of its productivity: a widespread dependency on a stimulating drug called khat. Visitors have described seeing trucks dump sacks of the chewy twigs onto the capital's streets so that crowds of people can get their daily fix.
Clearly, one thing can be expected: Djibouti should bring new challenges and opportunities galore for AES Cargo.
The Djibouti office can be reached at djibouti@moveone.info.
The first AES shipment into Afghanistan: military
escorts, barbed wire, and officers with gold teeth
By Jay Cziraky
Jay, who manages Central Asian operations and development, wrote this for AES's first anniversary in Afghanistan. Email him at jay.cziraky@moveone.info.
On a cold, foggy morning, still dark, as the sun had not yet cleared the mountains to the east, four AES employees (Dilmurod, Natasha, Randy, and I), a rented '92 Mercedes, three nervous truckers and two Uzbek military policemen prepared to make history -- if only AES history.
This was the setting for the first AES shipment into Afghanistan, and the first non-humanitarian aide shipment to cross Friendship Bridge from Termiz, Uzbekistan to Afghanistan in more than six years. The cargo was three 40-foot truckloads of food and water to the coalition-held airport at Mazar E Sharif.
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Under the assumption that the military escort was to ensure the convoy travelled straight to the border without delay, we were surprised at the number of pit stops for breakfast, coffees, apricots, fuel, and negotiations with other police officers -- including one large gold-toothed major who still insists I promised him my baseball cap, and threatens to put me in prison whenever I have passed since.
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After several attempts on the windup field phone and our 1980s-era mobile phone, we confirmed our arrangements for the next day, secured the trucks, and headed for the town of Termiz, where we treated ourselves to a night of luxury at Termiz's finest hotel, The Suxon, running water and heat not included. Randy and I checked into the Luxury Suite for foreigners (40 USD per night), which happened to be the same as Natasha's and Dilmurod's rooms, which were 2 USD per night. After a quick dinner of sheep shashlique and cheap vodka, we settled into sleeping bags.
AES Cargo brings the tropics to wintry Poland
Aruba, Jamaica... Warsaw? Yes, that is indeed a palm tree, 15 meters high, in the middle of bustling traffic in Poland's capital city.
Although it's made of plastic and steel, it looks real enough to make passers-by gape and drivers do double-takes.
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The palm fronds, brought by someone else, unfortunately were real fronds, not plastic -- hardly suited to the harsh Poland winter.
"In our climate they can survive only two weeks," said Marta Wegier from the AES Warsaw office.
So the artist, Joanna Rajkowska, headed back to the States for plastic fronds.
She dreamed up the project, "Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue," after spending time in Israel. The tree will remain in Warsaw at the intersection of Aleje Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Avenue) and Nowy Swiat for one year.
"It's a literal way of bringing to Warsaw an image which in Israel is obvious, on a street that sends one back to Israel again," Rajkowska said. "On a less literal layer, the palm tree is borrowed from an expression used in Polish to describe something irrational, something beyond our understanding, something -- to put it bluntly -- idiotic."
Facing the uncommon cold of Central Asia
IImagine sitting under your truck with a fiery torch to keep your fuel from
freezing. Or using an icy river as a highway. Or trying to change a tire at minus 45 degrees.
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Trucks need reliable heaters and tough drivers. Snow removal services are almost nonexistent, fuel
lines freeze on trucks and at gas stations, and avalanches cascade onto trucks, burying them for days
or weeks.
In the ultimate teeth-chattering conditions, gasoline, the lifeblood of the transport industry,
typically doesn't freeze solid. Instead, it starts to resemble gum or wax as it sluggishly clogs
up engines.
Worse grades of fuel need to be warmer to work well, while higher grades can operate at much lower
temperatures.
Fuels can vary widely. For example, a poor grade of diesel fuel might need to be at 45 degrees
Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) to work well, while a high grade of fuel might be all right at -65
degrees Fahrenheit (-53 Celsius), scientists say.
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On more than one occasion, AES's Jay Cziraky said, "We had to put plugged-in light bulbs into the gas tanks to thaw out the gas."
AES managing director Curt Clements said, "Sometimes people build fires under their gas tanks. I saw a truck blow up once!"
Tires also feel the freeze; when the mercury plummets, the air pressure in tires drops as well, necessitating regular checks. Batteries also lose power in cold weather.
But not to worry; spring does arrive. Then, says Curt, "The winter snows often wash out the few roads in the area, and the threat of mudslides and roads caving away is an everyday occurrence."
New Prague manager plans to keep on giving
There's a new manager in AES Cargo's Prague office, and the match couldn't be more apt. Especially where charity events are concerned.
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During last summer's floods, one AES staffer was evacuated from her home for several weeks, and other employees couldn't cross town to get to the office. And yet the team managed to deliver donated clothing to flood victims.
In December, the Prague team trucked in Christmas trees to local schools and encouraged the students to bring presents for orphans. AES then brought the presents to a Czech orphanage.
The Prague office also cosponsored an American products table at a Christmas bazaar. Sales of Starbucks coffee and other Stateside treats raised thousands of dollars for the homeless, elderly, and disabled.
So it seems that Jason Cahill, the new Prague manager, will fit right in. Jason previously managed the AES offices in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania, where he seemed to be everywhere at once, working hard and organizing benefits.
One of Jason's most memorable projects was an April 2002 affair that combined a cocktail party with an opportunity for Macedonian artists to exhibit and sell their work. A percentage of the sales of golf-leaf icons, painting, photography, needlework, and stained glass went to charity.
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"I know how hard it is for foreigners to find local art and craftsmanship," he said. "Why not bring it to them and give artists a chance to promote themselves while also giving back to the community?"
Later on last year, Jason worked with other members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Skopje to organize a tennis tournament. This time, the proceeds meant new school desks for the orphanage and sports equipment for a home for troubled children.
An American who previously lived in New York and Texas, Jason joined AES in 2000.
Recalling the dogs of war and peace
In the rubble and chaos that follow a war, hordes of creatures run free. These are the wild dogs.
"People discard their pets, and then the animals breed and become mutts, packs of dogs,"
AES managing director Curt Clements said.
Soldiers stationed in unstable regions often befriend the stray canines. Some even bring their new
pals back home when the overseas assignment is finished.
"Everybody knows these dogs. They practically own this base," an American soldier in Afghanistan
recently said of two local puppies, as quoted on
www.dogsinthenews.com.
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There was Boris, a Moscow Newfoundland who liked to sleep outside the office in the snow. And Piva in Uzbekistan, named after a Russian drink of grain alcohol and beer called Piva Baltica 3. ("After a few of those, you probably see dogs like these," Curt said.)
AES' newest mascot is Bakchich in Afghanistan, named after a local word that means "tip" or "bribe." In recent years, packs of dogs swarmed areas of the former Yugoslavia that had been hit by fighting. The World Society for the Protection of Animals came in to set up an emergency shelter in an abandoned cattle farm in Kosovo in 1999.
"WSPA estimates that hundreds of thousands of Kosovo's animals have died as a result of the recent conflict, either from starvation, disease, gunfire or landmines," the organization reported at the time.
During this unsettled period, many dogs took up residence at AES offices.
In Kosovo, Hoppy earned his name after being hit by a truck.
The Sarajevo team adopted a Bosnian military guard dog, who got stolen, and Pisti, who ran away in a snowstorm. A hapless three-legged puppy known as Lego also ran off, after an employee fed him a fast-food burger.
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"There were no beds, so four or five of us slept on the floor," Curt recalled. "The front door didn't close. There was no electricity and no running water, and it was 100 degrees."
What's more, the downstairs neighbor kept goats and was known to hang up goat carcasses, which attracted the dogs. And the goats liked to wander.
"We'd wake up on the floor and all these goats would be in our apartment, eating scraps," Curt said.
The first AES shipment into Afghanistan, continued:
Part Two: Braving barricades to cross the bordern
Early the next morning, we headed for Friendship Bridge, briefed the truckers, handed out maps a
nd waited for the border authority to escort us across the border. The 0800 RV still had not happened
by 1100, so we passed the time by cursing, teaching Natasha how to drive, and anticipating the next
step. After crossing the Uzbek side of the bridge, we were to meet with a Northern Alliance general
to escort the convoy to its final 78 km to the airport at Mazar E Sharif.
Did you know?
"Cows forward, donkeys and camels back."
Our cargo drivers recite this little piece of local advice when they head through remote rural areas. It means that when cows get scared, they usually jump forward, while spooked donkeys and camels leap back. Therefore, drivers should be able to anticipate which way to drive around animal obstacles.
The rule, however, isn't always foolproof. Recently, one of our local drivers hit a donkey in Afghanistan, covering his window with donkey spit.
The driver felt terrible about the accident, but fortunately the donkey lived to bray another day.
At noon our contacts arrived, and all documents were checked and double-checked.
We confirmed the general's presence on the Afghan side and readied the convoy. We
climbed aboard the trucks rolling slowly to the bridge, while an Uzbek government
official walked in front videotaping the event. (I have asked for a copy of the tape,
and he just politely smiles and shakes his head.)
The bridge, still strung with detonation cord, was blocked in the middle by a fence, barricades
and barbed wire. Here we met up with the Afghan general, who had a wide gold-toothed smile and
even more gold on his fingers. Removing the blockades took about 30 minutes, which we spent with
the general discussing the celebrations in Mazar. He offered his future help to escort convoys and
supply transportation.
Once the road was opened, we handed the convoy over to the general and its escort of more than 30
Northern Alliance fighters and said our goodbyes. The convoy reached Mazar two hours later, and we
informed our client of a successful first for their ground transportation to Afghanistan. All was
relatively smooth until a parade of UN officials and journalists arrived unannounced at the bridge
as we were walking back from Afghanistan. The Uzbek security forces "politely" had us lie on the
floor of a guard hut until the spectators were removed.
Jay Cziraky at the Salang tunnel in
Afghanistan.
Cold, wet, yet very content, we made our way back to the rental and made the ride through
the mountains back to where we had started.
In the following days, AES's second convoy crossed Friendship Bridge, a firm relationship with Uzbek
and Afghan authorities was solidified, and a new supply route secured. Over the past year, AES has
sent more than 3,000 trucks over this route to Mazar, Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Heart, and many
other towns in Afghanistan. In January 2002, AES opened its office in Mazar E Sharif, and in April
2002 AES opened an office in Kabul.
At present, AES has its Afghan headquarters in Kabul, with 15 employees, two Canadian managers, a
diverse truck fleet (including fuel carriers), and a secure warehouse facility with a laydown yard. With
more than 3,000 trucks in the region, AES offers international freight services via air into Kabul,
surface via Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and distribution throughout the country.
On the horizont is published monthly by
the AES Cargo for cargo professionals and clients.
.
Send comments, questions, and ideas for this publication to editor@aescargo.com
For other assistance, contact AES Cargo headquarters at:
Millennium Center Building
Pesti Barnabás u. 4, 3rd floor
1052 Budapest
Tel.: +36-1-266-0181
Fax: +36-1-266-3280
info@aescargo.com
www.aescargo.com
Early the next morning, we headed for Friendship Bridge, briefed the truckers, handed out maps a
nd waited for the border authority to escort us across the border. The 0800 RV still had not happened
by 1100, so we passed the time by cursing, teaching Natasha how to drive, and anticipating the next
step. After crossing the Uzbek side of the bridge, we were to meet with a Northern Alliance general
to escort the convoy to its final 78 km to the airport at Mazar E Sharif.
Did you know?
"Cows forward, donkeys and camels back."
|
The bridge, still strung with detonation cord, was blocked in the middle by a fence, barricades and barbed wire. Here we met up with the Afghan general, who had a wide gold-toothed smile and even more gold on his fingers. Removing the blockades took about 30 minutes, which we spent with the general discussing the celebrations in Mazar. He offered his future help to escort convoys and supply transportation.
Once the road was opened, we handed the convoy over to the general and its escort of more than 30 Northern Alliance fighters and said our goodbyes. The convoy reached Mazar two hours later, and we informed our client of a successful first for their ground transportation to Afghanistan. All was relatively smooth until a parade of UN officials and journalists arrived unannounced at the bridge as we were walking back from Afghanistan. The Uzbek security forces "politely" had us lie on the floor of a guard hut until the spectators were removed.
|
|
| |
In the following days, AES's second convoy crossed Friendship Bridge, a firm relationship with Uzbek and Afghan authorities was solidified, and a new supply route secured. Over the past year, AES has sent more than 3,000 trucks over this route to Mazar, Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Heart, and many other towns in Afghanistan. In January 2002, AES opened its office in Mazar E Sharif, and in April 2002 AES opened an office in Kabul.
At present, AES has its Afghan headquarters in Kabul, with 15 employees, two Canadian managers, a
diverse truck fleet (including fuel carriers), and a secure warehouse facility with a laydown yard. With
more than 3,000 trucks in the region, AES offers international freight services via air into Kabul,
surface via Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and distribution throughout the country.
On the horizont is published monthly by
the AES Cargo for cargo professionals and clients.
. Send comments, questions, and ideas for this publication to editor@aescargo.com For other assistance, contact AES Cargo headquarters at: Millennium Center Building Pesti Barnabás u. 4, 3rd floor 1052 Budapest Tel.: +36-1-266-0181 Fax: +36-1-266-3280 info@aescargo.com www.aescargo.com |