The Threaded Rod

The threaded rod next to a 15 cm ruler

Guess what came in the mail today?


Threaded rod, as you could probably tell from the title and the picture. There's a total of 18 pieces, all of various sizes that you will be able to see in the chart below. They're at the very bottom of the new and improved chart of received items.

These rods did come from India, but they're more well traveled than you might think. Take a look at the tracking sheet. Keep in mind that I don't live in India so the chart goes from the bottom up. Inconvenient, I know, but better than turning it all around.

Delivered - Signed for by : DAN	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA
With delivery courier	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Service Area
Delivery attempted; recipient not home	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
With delivery courier	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Service Area
Scheduled for delivery	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
With delivery courier	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Arrived at Delivery Facility in ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Service Area
Departed Facility in ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Processed at ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Clearance processing complete at ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Clearance event	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Processed for clearance at ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Arrived at Sort Facility ONTARIO SERVICE AREA - CANADA	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Customs status updated	ONTARIO SERVICE AREA, ON - CANADA
Departed Facility in CINCINNATI HUB - USA	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Processed at CINCINNATI HUB - USA	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Clearance processing complete at CINCINNATI HUB - USA	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Customs status updated	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Arrived at Sort Facility CINCINNATI HUB - USA	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Service Area
Departed Facility in EAST MIDLANDS - UK	EAST MIDLANDS - UK
Transferred through EAST MIDLANDS - UK	EAST MIDLANDS - UK
Departed Facility in BRUSSELS - BELGIUM	BRUSSELS - BELGIUM
Transferred through BRUSSELS - BELGIUM	BRUSSELS - BELGIUM
Service Area
Departed Facility in LEIPZIG - GERMANY	LEIPZIG - GERMANY
Customs status updated	CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA
Departed Facility in DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA	DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA
Processed at DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA	DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA
Arrived at Sort Facility DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA	DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA
Departed Facility in MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - INDIA	MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - INDIA
Processed at MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - INDIA	MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - INDIA
Service Area
Shipment picked up	MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - INDIA

First Mumbai, India. Then Delhi, India. After that, the rod got it's customs papers for Cincinnati, USA. Then off to Leipzig, Germany. That was Sunday.

On Monday, the package arrived in Brussels, Belgium. Then the East Midlands, UK. And Monday ends.

On Tuesday, the package finally arrives in Cincinnati where it's customs status changes to Ontario, Canada, finally shipping to Canada Post. From there, it's in the care of Canada Post for two days until we finally received it on Thursday. 

That's a pretty well traveled package if I do say so myself. More traveled than me, and I'm a person.

If you take a minute and think how much shipping and transportation that went through, as well as all of the fuel use and staff wages, the amount of resources used to get 18 pieces of rod, that came in a little cardboard box so skinny you could hardly see it, you begin to realize just how much of an impact shipping a box of, say, McDonald's frozen beef patties across Canada has. You can probably tell I'm really hungry right now, but that's besides the point. The point is that this project takes a massive amount of resources not because of the fact that you need a lot of parts. The main resource cost will not come from the metal or the plastic that is used to build said printer, but the transportation costs. All the fuel, all the wages, all the infrastructure. Ports, boats, all built because of demand for trade and transportation. And we're all a big part of that. 

That's a valuable lesson, is it not?