Save the Date – Company Christmas Party – December 12th!
As announced on September 17th, this year’s Company Christmas Party will be held at a new venue – The Marlowe in Richmond Hill – on Friday, December 12th!
Stay tuned for the formal invitations and more details in the next couple of months and plan on attending!
Hockey Helps the Homeless – Employee Fundraiser
Following another fantastic Employee Fundraiser last year – we raised a phenomenal total of $32,038.50 for HHTH, 360Kids and Blue Door – this year Universal will once again support the Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) tournament for the December 12th event.
We will kick off this year’s campaign with a Lunch ‘N Learn event at Head Office on Tuesday, October 28th – mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!
Upcoming Training Opportunities – Stay Informed!
The Education Committee is pleased to announce that several engaging training sessions are planned for the remaining months of this year and into 2026.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be announcing the dates and registration links for a variety of exciting educational opportunities, including sessions on SpeakUP!, Excel training for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced users, Cybersecurity, Incoterms, Email Etiquette and more!
As a reminder, the 3rd and final CCS Quiz for 2025 is available on the CSCB website starting on October 9th with a closing date of October 30th. Be sure to keep an eye out for the announcement about our internal Study Group session, scheduled to take place on October 21st at Head Office. Remote participants are encouraged to attend! For CCS Designates who have not secured the required 20 CCS points for this year, the completion of this quiz represents a great opportunity to secure 10 CCS points. For non-CCS Designates, our study group is a fun opportunity to learn a little bit about those topics and issues that are currently relevant to our industry.
Stay tuned for some more exciting announcements in the coming weeks! We’re looking forward to your participation!
This summer, Universal Logistics once again treated employees across all locations to some well-earned perks, and the results were delicious!
At Head Office, the return of our Food Truck lunches (August 5th and September 16th) was a hit, and we were lucky enough to enjoy beautiful weather both days. Colleagues gathered outdoors to soak up the sunshine, catch up with one another, and enjoy a variety of tasty options straight from the truck. The atmosphere was relaxed, lively, and filled with smiles – the perfect mid-day break.
The Ice Cream Truck made its much-anticipated appearance on September 9th, right on time for a warm late-summer afternoon. Employees lined up for frozen treats, enjoying everything from classic cones to sundaes. Once again, the weather was on our side, making it a sweet escape and the perfect way to cool down.
Of course, our Canadian Branch and US offices weren’t left out. While Head Office enjoyed trucks on-site, teams in other regions had their own locally arranged lunches and frozen desserts delivered right to their offices. Every location had the chance to customize their celebration and enjoy a taste of summer.
Thanks to Universal Logistics, and our Engagement Committee, Summerlicious Days brought everyone a chance to step away from their desks, share some laughs, and enjoy great food together. Here’s to another season of delicious traditions and moments that bring us closer as a team!
Something's Brewing
Contributor: Alice Yan
The Candy Hall of Fame – the Non-Chocolate Legends
Candy isn’t just delicious, it’s full of surprising stories and quirky trivia! From its humble start in ancient civilizations to its marvellous prominence in modern-day society, candy has launched into a fascinating journey through time. Here are some candy facts that just might blow your mind and make your sweet tooth tingle – in this issue, we are focussing on non-chocolate sweets since we have previously covered chocolate on its own in Universal & You.
A Taste of History
Ancient World (2000 BC+) – Ancient Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese combined fruits, nuts, and spices with honey to create the first candies.
Middle Ages (c. 500-1500)
- 6th Century: The process of crystallizing sugar into rock candy was developed. Rock candy was not just a sweet, it was used as medicine for sore throats and digestive issues.
- 12th Century: Sugar was still a luxury, these “medicinal” candies were primarily for the wealthy, blending healthcare with indulgence.
17th Century – As sugar became cheaper, hard candies emerged. They were sold by street vendors and became affordable treats for children for the first time.
19th & 20th Century – Candy Boom!
The Industrial Revolution allowed mass production of sweets. Candy now became a daily indulgence for working-class families. Here are some milestone interventions during that time:
- 1847: The Necco company was founded after pharmacist, Oliver Chase, invented a machine to quickly slice lozenges in the 1830s. Necco is the world’s oldest candy company still in operation today.
- 1880s: Candy corn, originally called Chicken Feed, was made and marketed as a candy that resembled chicken feed.
- 1887: The first candy machine, the Penny Press, was invented. It allowed people to purchase small amounts of candy for a penny.
- Early 1900s: The first jelly beans were made and named Jelly Beans.
- 1908: The first lollipop machine was invented by George Smith, who used a hand-crank to make his Prelo Pop.
- 1922: The first gummy candies were made in Germany, called Gummibärchen.
All-Time Favorite Candies
Here are some of the most popular candies over the past few decades. May you discover new candies to try or rediscover your old favourites!
| Decade | Most Popular Candies |
| 1950s | Candy Cigarettes, Pez, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Charms Blow Pops, Bit-O-Honey, Atomic Fireball, Chuckles, Necco Wafers, Jujubes, Wax Bottles |
| 1960s | Now and Later, Sweet Tarts, Pixy Stix, Fun Dip, Lemonheads, Smarties, Sprees, Marathon Bar (chewy), Zotz, Lik-M-Aid |
| 1970s | Laffy Taffy, Bottle Caps, Ring Pops, Pop Rocks, Big League Chew, Razzles, Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip, Charms Squares, Jolly Ranchers, Tart ‘n Tinys |
| 1980s | Airheads, Nerds, Runts, Push Pops, Skor (toffee-based, borderline chocolate), Gobstoppers, Gummy Worms, Starburst, Pop Rocks (resurgence), Bottle Caps |
| 1990s | Warheads, Push Pops, Baby Bottle Pop, Ring Pops (still huge), Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, Airheads Xtreme, Trolli Gummy Worms, Shock Tarts, Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape |
| 2000s+ | Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Haribo Goldbears, Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers, Starburst, Airheads, Swedish Fish, Jolly Ranchers, Hi-Chew, Nerds Gummy Clusters |
Upcoming Candy Seasons in North America: Halloween & Thanksgiving
Halloween-Only Candies:
- Candy Corn – The most iconic Halloween-only candy
- Mellowcreme Pumpkins – Pumpkin-shaped marshmallow candies
- Pumpkin Gummies – Gummy candies shaped like pumpkins
- Sour Patch Kids Tricksters – Halloween-only version where flavors are mismatched for a trick-or-treat surprise
- Halloween Skittles & Zombies Skittles
Thanksgiving-Only Candies: Thanksgiving isn’t as candy-heavy as Halloween, but there are also some special seasonal candies that appear only around Thanksgiving in North America. Most are tied to autumn flavors.
- Maple Candy & Maple Fudge – Pure maple sugar molded into festive shapes
- Caramel Apple Tootsie Pops – Green apple lollipops coated with caramel
- Pecan Pralines – Sweet, nutty confections popular in Southern U.S.A. during Thanksgiving
- Apple Cider Caramels – Spiced apple-flavored caramels
A. Jelly Beans
B. M&Ms
C. Jolly Ranchers
D. Smarties
Click on the question above, submit your answer to Sharon, and you’re eligible to win!
Submission deadline
Friday, October 3rd (Noon)
Prize
$25 Tim Hortons, Starbucks or Amazon gift card for the 2 winners
(If more than two contestants have the right answer, we will pick the winning names out of a hat)
Kudos (Noun) – Praise & honour received for an achievement
Kudos Corner is a forum where Universal employees can recognize the efforts of their co-workers. Bring forward candidates for Kudos Corner at your next Team Meeting or simply drop your Manager a line whenever you feel someone’s efforts should be recognized in Universal & You.
For this issue we received the following entry from Veena Ramesh of our Airfreight Services team:
“I would like to take a moment to recognize Jikku Viju of our Airfreight Services team at the Toronto Airport Office for his exceptional dedication and focus in handling air shipments, both imports and exports. August, typically a busy period, was made even more demanding with my vacation, yet Jikku expertly managed all shipments with great professionalism.
Handling two desks for an extended period is no small feat, and his ability to do so seamlessly is truly commendable. His attention to detail and focus are invaluable skills that ensure the smooth movement of shipments. Throughout this period, he kept both customers and overseas partners well-informed and updated, which is essential to keep our clients happy.
In addition to his routine duties, Jikku made sure that e-manifests were submitted on time and worked diligently to prevent any shipments from going into storage. Despite being offered help, he chose to handle everything independently, without disturbing anyone, showing his self-sufficiency and strong work ethic. Even when faced with challenging shipments, he maintained a calm demeanor, handling every situation with professionalism and grace.
I am extremely proud of Jikku’s work and would like to acknowledge his outstanding contribution during a particularly challenging time.”
Growing again
In Universal & You, we want to introduce all new employees. We have new additions at the Buffalo office. Please join us in welcoming Steven Rybarczyk and John Wacker to the team!
Name: Steven Rybarczyk
Team: US Customs Operations
Start date: September 2, 2025
Name: John Wacker
Team: US Customs Operations
Start date: September 23, 2025
Book Buzz
Contributor: Barbara Mulatinho
Barbara Reads and Rates: Family Dramas
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
An eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his widow and their grown children a final challenge – an inheritance game designed to humiliate, devastate, and unravel the family in ways both petty and life-altering. The rules of the game are clear: stay on the island for one week, complete the tasks, receive the inheritance.
Barbara’s Rating: 5/5⭐ I started this book thinking it wouldn’t be anything special, but it took just one chapter for me to be completely hooked. It felt like a juicy family drama, with each chapter revealing something new and unexpected. I especially appreciated how grief and loss were handled. Nothing forced or overly dramatic. The family dynamics were equally brutal and hilarious, often in the same breath. I loved the characters, their personal struggles pulled me in and kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. And then another. And another. The romance was wonderful too – it felt real and really touching. Overall, it’s a brilliant story about human nature and family ties.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
When Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn, she’s immediately mistaken for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t there for the big event. Phoebe is at rock bottom and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe, which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
Barbara’s Rating: 5/5⭐ With sharp dialogues, biting humor, and candid reflections on life’s challenges, this book made me laugh out loud and kept me reading way into the night. Blending drama, romance, and moments of raw honesty, the book delivers a moving message about resilience and the power of embracing change. It never feels too heavy, it was one of the most fun reads of the year. I thoroughly recommend this to everyone.
Culture and Entertainment
Contributor: Barbara Mulatinho
Horror Movies
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Barbara’s Rating: 4.5/5⭐ They say the only certainties in life are taxes and death, but I’d add one more: The Final Destination franchise. 14 years later, Final Destination is back and bigger than ever, and honestly with what might be the best of the bunch.
The whole beginning of Final Destination: Bloodlines is incredible. A couple in the 60s go to dinner at a newly opened restaurant called the Sky View (it’s like the CN Tower), but because of a penny and a very naughty boy, everything goes really, really wrong. It’s all so absurd, but also so ingenious, that I laughed out loud during the whole opening sequence.
From there, the story follows a family being haunted by death, and the teenage daughter who is completely discredited by all her relatives. Each death is more horrifying and absurd than the last. My favorites are the garbage truck and the MRI because they’re full of red herrings. The pace is almost impeccable and it was the most fun I had in ages watching a horror movie.
Weapons
Barbara’s Rating: 5/5⭐ On a random Wednesday, Justine, a third-grade teacher, arrives to teach, only to find a single student, Alex, sitting at his desk. All the other 17 children woke up that morning at exactly 2:17 a.m. and ran out the door into the darkness, their destination unknown, and have not been found since. In the statements they gave to the police, both Justine and Alex say they know nothing about what happened – they don’t know why, where or how. But after a month without answers, 17 desperate families are raising the temperature in the town, which is turning against Justine.
I was so tense throughout this movie, which is the best feeling possible when watching a horror. The script is excellent, and I really liked how the director takes his time establishing each of the characters. The entire film exudes a somewhat manic energy, something that intensifies in the final 20 minutes when the film completely shifts gears.
This is the most dangerous moment in a horror film, the moment when an explanation is about to be given, and not only does the director shift gears at this point to a comedy with a perverse sense of humor that never stops being terrifying, but he also does well with his explanation, which is very rare these days. This may be one of the best horror films of the year.
Sinners
Barbara’s Rating: 4.5/5⭐ If I tried to explain what happens in Sinners, I’d be setting myself up for trouble. The director pulls together so many ingredients, and then does something so completely otherworldly with them that it defies any straightforward description.
In racially segregated Mississippi, 1932, a preacher’s young son discovers that, by playing blues music, he can summon sounds that shatter the barriers of time – bringing past and future entities into the present.
That night, he has the chance to display his immense talent publicly: it’s the grand opening of the blues club run by his cousins, Smoke and Stack, who bought an abandoned sawmill and transformed it into a space where the Black community can feel free.
The launch begins promisingly, until an element so unexpected is introduced that it completely transforms the film in ways I never anticipated. The soundtrack is phenomenal, featuring two musical numbers that are outright brilliant. The originality is one of Sinners’ most compelling aspects and will keep you entertained the entire movie.
Health and Lifestyle
Contributor: Veena Ramesh
Combating Stress – Work-Related and Otherwise
Stress is a familiar term we all use, and one that none of us really likes. Yet it seems to creep into our lives no matter what. But what exactly is stress? Does everyone experience it? What happens when we do? Can we avoid it? When are we most stressed? These are questions we ask ourselves often.
So, what is stress? In simple language, stress is the natural reaction of our bodies when change occurs. It can be defined as a state of worry or tension that affects both our physical and mental well-being. There are many different types of stress, but I’d like to focus on time stress, which becomes especially common during the last quarter of the year.
From fall through Christmas, life tends to speed up. At work, stress comes from heavier workloads and the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. On the personal front, the season is full of celebrations – Thanksgiving, Halloween, Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas, and some years even Ramadan. All of these bring joy, family time, good food, and fun memories. But they can also cause stress: hosting, entertaining, shopping, gift-giving, attending gatherings, traveling, and trying to carve out special time with children.
I’ve listed plenty of reasons stress builds up – now let’s look at how to fight back.
Quick Stress Relief
- Deep breathing and meditation – even a few minutes of boxed breathing can calm your system.
- Change your scenery – if an email or phone call sets you off at work, take a short walk and clear your head.
- Listen to music – calming sounds or even running water can be soothing.
- Spend time with pets – in my opinion, this is one of the best instant stress relievers.
Habits That Build Resilience
- Prioritize nutrition and sleep – staying healthy makes you stronger against stress.
- Exercise regularly – even short bursts of movement make a difference.
- Limit caffeine and stay hydrated – water is key.
- Disconnect after work hours – many of us check emails constantly, but true downtime matters.
Working Smarter
- Prioritize tasks – try the ABCD method: tackle urgent tasks first, then delegate or defer the rest.
- Use short work cycles – work 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.
- Communicate openly – let your manager know when you’re feeling close to burnout.
- Keep your space tidy – a clear desk can help clear your mind.
- Let go of perfection – done is often better than perfect.
- Stay connected – reach out to co-workers, friends, or mentors. You’re not alone.
- Seek help when needed – if stress feels constant, consider therapy or coaching.
Handling Holiday Season Stress
- Don’t overschedule – choose the activities that truly bring you joy.
- Travel smart – this season can mean delays, exhaustion, and winter weather. Plan ahead and give yourself breathing room.
- Rethink gift-giving – with big families, the shopping can feel endless and financially draining. Be creative and thoughtful rather than getting stuck in “buying mode.”
- Enjoy responsibly – food and alcohol are everywhere this time of year. Practicing a little self-restraint helps you feel better and enjoy more.
Stress may not be something we can completely avoid, but we can choose how we manage it. Small daily practices, realistic expectations, and a willingness to let go of perfection can help us not just survive the season, but actually enjoy it.
IT Corner
⚠️ A Word of Caution Before Using AI Tools at Work
AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Google, Microsoft Copilot and others can be incredibly helpful, but please remember: DO NOT share any sensitive, confidential, or personal data with any AI tools.
This includes:
- Client information
- Internal strategies
- Passwords or credentials
- Financial data
- Proprietary company materials
- Your own or your co-worker’s personal information, including names, contact details, ID numbers, or any HR-related data
These platforms store and process inputs externally, and we must all do our part to protect our company’s data and reputation.
Security and privacy come first.
🤖 Using AI Tools at Work: Pros, Cons & Guidelines
AI tools can be powerful assistants for a range of tasks, from drafting emails and summarizing reports to brainstorming ideas, or translating text. When used responsibly, they can save time and improve productivity.
✅ Benefits of Using AI
- Speeds up repetitive tasks
- Helps with writing, editing, and formatting
- Supports creative thinking and problem-solving
- Offers instant access to general information
⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind
- AI tools are not always accurate – double-check important information
- They don’t understand company-specific context
- They don’t replace human judgment or experience
📌 Important Licensing Note
At this time, Universal Logistics does not hold any licenses for any AI tools. If you choose to use these tools:
- You must use the free version (if available)
- Or use them through your own personal license
Always follow company policies and guidelines for responsible tool usage.
Calling all Universal Employees!
We are looking for volunteers to contribute short articles for Universal & You. Topics can be team or industry-related or you might want to share a personal experience (e.g. volunteer work or travel) with your fellow employees.
Please forward your ideas to Sharon Fong.
