A bad joke...

What do you call a man with a spade in his head?

Doug.

I love a good joke - or a bad one too.

Working with people all around the world I get to hear some funny things. One of my favourite topics of light conversation is the weird and wonderful names I've come across after nearly 35 years of international mingling.

Some of my favourites include Melon, Lion, Purple and ET (yep, like the 1980s extra-terrestrial movie) - all genuine names I've come across in China.

Storybook, Typewriter and Trouble - All from Zimbabwe in Africa.

And Lemon, Furious and Moo over in the States.

I could easily take the piss, but we've some crackers here in the UK too.

Cliff (a steep rock face, especially at the edge of the sea).
Jim (pronounced like gym - where you go to exercise).
Bob (like floating up and down on top of water).

And of course, Doug…

Now, the Brits, we just like to pretend these names are perfectly normal and respectable. But then, we're no strangers to words sounding the same but having different meanings.

There, their and they're.
You're and your.
Flower and flour.
Bear and bare (you don't want to get those mixed up!)

We've even got a name for words that sound the same but have different meanings - homophones.

Not to be confused with homophobes…Totally, different thing.

The thing is, our language is super confusing.

From words where we don't pronounce all the letters (like knight, comb or psychology) to words where we just miss some out (I'm - I am, don't - do not).
We've rules to follow and then we've rules to explain when to break the rules.

Yet it seems super simple to me.

A bit like freight.

After 30 plus years in the business, moving goods through multiple ports from one side of the world to the other, clearing customs and completing the paperwork seems simple.

Language like break-bulk, bill of lading and bonded warehouse seem perfectly simple and clear.

But to a layman, it can be incredibly hard to understand.

Here at Millennium Cargo, whether you're a seasoned exporter or an individual who has never imported before, we'll make moving goods simple. From finding the best routes and rates to explaining customs and rules in simple terms that you'll understand.

So, if you're looking for a freight forwarding partner you can trust to keep things simple and deliver on their promise, give us a shout.

Chadd Blunt
Millennium Cargo