A Guide to Moving Holiday Freight for Truck Drivers

The holiday season is upon us, and for many, it is a time to spend rewarding time with family. It is exciting that this isn’t the same for truckers and owner-operators, as trucking companies are at their busiest during this season. And you know what that means? A perfect time to do what you love while getting paid for it.  

During holidays, elevated delivery orders keep large or small trucking companies working around the clock to meet deadlines. To you as a trucker, holidays, whether national or seasonal, is the best time to earn more. But, quite often than not, this excitement turns into rage from the burden of work that comes with a spike in delivery orders. The holiday season is a stressor for trucking companies and the transportation industry. Moving freight during the holidays, especially long-distance freight, leaves a tough mark on you and the entire transit system. It is about that time of the year again, and you have the occasional mixed feelings that come with prolonged supply chain congestion.  

In this article, we share holiday freight moving tips to navigate shipping during this hectic period. 

Trucking Industry Trends Before and After Holidays.

The trucking industry experiences a shift in trends in the weeks, and this year months, building up to a holiday. During the holidays, services and businesses close for days to enable these service providers to enjoy the bliss of the rest period. As a result, some truckers, just like any other service provider, would take time off work to enjoy the holidays, causing a drop in the number of truckers available for business. When this happens, the law of supply and demand comes into play, and the price of shipping skyrockets. However, holidays do not mean a stop in freight haulage or decreased need for haulage services. The steady demand for these services influences the trend of the trucking market post-holidays. At this point, the supply chain congestion, which has built up over time, spirals even after the holidays are over. This supply chain congestion will usually take two to ten days to clear up. 

Which Holiday has the Most Impact on Trucking?

While holidays are typically busy, some are more demanding than others. For example, midweek National holidays such as the Fourth of July cause businesses to close for several days, thereby causing a strain on freight moving companies. Despite the impact of these national holidays on the trucking market, none of it can be compared to shipping during the Christmas holidays. Trucking companies shipping during the Christmas season are often battling against time. Moreover, due to the demand-supply gap, the freight quote for shipping increases, especially for long-distance freight. 

How Can You Effectively Move Freight During the Holidays?

One word that clearly describes freight during this period is “difficult.” As part of our effort to help you navigate this busy time successfully, here are our best three holiday freight tips that will make holiday freight haulage less burdensome for you.

  1. Be Flexible

Holiday periods are essential for you to embrace flexibility in all forms – flexibility comes in various forms in the trucking industry. Operating with a rigid schedule will put you under intense pressure. Replicating this during a supply chain congestion will even worsen the situation. Therefore, you need to be lenient with pickup and drop-off schedules. This will enable you to satisfy your customer base while tending to your personal needs, fostering a win-win situation.

  1. Spend Time with Other Truckers

You are not the only trucker on the road during the holidays. You might run into another driver at the truck stop or a rest point from time to time. Get out of your vehicle and spend time with fellow drivers. Extend the holiday cheer their way and talk about trucking trends over a hearty meal. Doing so will refresh you and get you fired up for the rest of your trip.

  1. Plan Ahead

Planning is essential to you as a truck driver. When moving during the holidays, you need to map out potential travel routes for shipping to avoid a route mix-up at the heat of things. More importantly, you should ensure that your shipping schedule syncs with service providers and consignees’ days before the holiday. An independent trucking company will help you maintain a stable timeline in peak periods.

 

In Conclusion…

Trucking during the holiday season can be a daunting task, and we hope that this guide helps you make the most of it. While keeping all the above guides in mind, ensure that you employ a factoring service for unrestricted cash flow.  Choosing the right invoice factoring company is a great way to scale your business and maximize profit as a truck driver. Happy holidays!