At first, concentrating on work at all was impossible. Then, in the shadow of the horrors unleashed on New York and Washington, daily tasks seemed almost irrelevant. Yet in the days following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the crash in Pennsylvania last month, the transportation system recovered rapidly. A week after the attacks, many shippers around the nation reported that operations, outside of air freight, were approaching normal. And air operations were recovering quickly.

But it will be a long time before anything regarding the transportation system will really be "normal." It's not simply the effects of new restrictions on air cargo or border crossings. It's at the core of how we think about the way we move goods around the world. The entire transportation system is threatened by an invisible force of soulless men without scruples, without compassion, without decency.

Most consumers never give a second thought to how their goods arrive at stores or on their doorsteps. But readers of this magazine understand that the national and international transportation networks serve as the arteries of commerce, the drivers of economic health. In stark contrast, those who committed the foul acts of Sept. 11 see the transportation system as a means to deliver death, destruction, and mayhem.

Yet some light shines through the shadow cast over the nation and world by the events of Sept. 11. As part of our special report on recovery from the crisis, the magazine's editors called dozens of shippers. I was impressed by how quickly and professionally shippers and carriers recovered. More impressive still was the universal outpouring of heartfelt concern expressed by so many. That outpouring was clear enough on TV—which has become a sort of national hearth in moments of great tragedy. But the chance to talk to so many good people across the nation and hear firsthand how our segment of the business world stepped up to help out was heartening at a time when it was so easy to be disheartened. Many carriers offered logistics services and cash, and many shippers worked overtime to arrange to move critical materials to help those in need. From executive suites to the loading docks to the truckers, all of these people have earned a share of the nation's gratitude.

Finally, on a somber note, our own company suffered directly from the attacks. Jeff Mladenik and Andrew Curry Green, executives in our eLogic Web development business, were traveling on the American Airlines Boston-to-Los Angeles flight that was involved in the tragedy. They were colleagues who were both well respected and well liked. We mourn with their families and are grateful for the many expressions of condolence received from around the world.