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In business or in battle, it is often critical to consider the adage, “he who hesitates is lost,” as the window for taking advantage of an opportunity is often distressingly brief. Spend too much time pondering a situation and the landscape has changed, your chance has vanished.

We’ve all heard the saying, “You have to spend money to make money.” A recent announcement from Amazon.com indicates that it is willing to invest heavily to expand its in-house delivery capabilities and boost its e-commerce business.

While Republican leaders in Congress seem to be in no hurry to address the country’s infrastructure, there’s an entirely different feeling surrounding President Trump’s pick to be transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, who was confirmed easily last week.

President Trump is charting a new course for the nation. We don’t know where it will ultimately lead us, but during his short tenure the business community has been served notice that things are changing.

Please take a moment to note and appreciate something that doesn’t happen nearly often enough. Twenty of our fellow citizens are being lauded with national attention for devotion to their industry, working hard and carefully on a consistent basis over time, in a way that helps to make for a smoothly running society.

Twelve thousand people from around the world are so devoted to transportation, in all of its many forms, that they are traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to participate in the 96th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board.

That’s a wrap for a year that has been very eventful, but probably won’t be remembered fondly by many.

It appears likely the status quo on federal spending will continue through April 28, with the House passing a continuing resolution. If approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama, it keeps familiar budgetary patterns intact until a new Congress and a new president can get to work after Jan. 20.

Daylight hours are dwindling rapidly now, yet this is the time to make hay because, in a sense, the sun is shining on makers of highway and transportation policy.