Managing the Holiday Surge for Truck Drivers and Fleet Owners

According to statistics, during the holidays, there are about 36% more vehicles on the road.  Most of this traffic is made up of an increase in passenger cars (traveling for the holidays) delivery fleets (delivering for the holidays), and people-carriers, such as buses (transporting people for the holidays).  Adding to that, is the potential for bad weather and decreased daylight hours. Both of which only add to the stress. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the traditionally, the highest volume of vehicles on the road is from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

If you are a truck driver and fleet owner, the holidays can be a blessing and a curse with the added stress of balancing heavy workloads and meeting deadlines making the holiday season feel overwhelming. 

Here’s some food for thought and suggestions for making this holiday season merry and bright.

Inspect Your Truck/Fleet

Preparing your fleet or truck for the busy holiday season is crucial to avoid delays and costly repairs during one of the most demanding times of the year. A thorough truck inspection will help ensure that you’re ready to handle the extra miles and challenging weather conditions often faced in winter.

Assess Your Equipment Needs

Evaluate whether your current fleet can handle the increased demand during the holidays. If you’re managing a small fleet or working as an owner-operator, adding more trucks or hiring extra drivers may be necessary to meet the heightened holiday demand.

Evaluate Your Driver Capacity

Expanding your operations also means ensuring you have enough qualified drivers to keep the wheels moving. Consider hiring seasonal drivers to handle the holiday rush, but make sure they meet all safety and compliance requirements.

Scaling Your Trucking Business

Whether you’re looking to add more trucks, hire additional drivers, or streamline your operations, the holiday season offers unique opportunities for expanding your fleet operations. With the surge in consumer demand and freight volume, it’s a prime time for fleet owners and owner-operators to consider scaling their business. Make sure that any additional costs can be offset by additional volume even when the holidays are over. It can be a costly mistake to try and scale for holidays, to just have to offload assets for a loss afterwards.

Managing You Delivery Schedule

During the holiday season, customers demand faster deliveries, which often translates into tighter delivery schedules for truckers. Meeting these deadlines requires excellent time management and efficient routing.

Plan for Traffic Delays

More people are on the roads during the holidays, especially as families travel to be with loved ones. Increased traffic congestion can result in longer travel times, making it difficult for truckers to stay on schedule. Make sure to keep a close eye on which roads and highways are still under repair from the storms earlier this fall.

Fuel Management

Gas prices at this time of year tend to spike due to the increased demand for fuel. This fluctuation in fuel prices can significantly impact your overall budget, making fuel management more critical than ever. Keeping your truck well-maintained is essential for improving fuel efficiency. Regular maintenance, such as oil changes and tire checks, ensures that your truck runs smoothly and consumes less fuel.

Limited Rest Stops

The holidays also mean that truck stops and rest areas are more crowded. Finding parking and essential services like food, showers, and restrooms at a holiday truck stop can become more challenging, adding to the stress of an already hectic schedule.

Share Joy and Good Tidings with your Drivers

The holiday season should be a time of joy and celebration, yet for the hardworking semi-truck drivers in your fleet, it can be a period of sacrifice and solitude spending much of the holidays on the road, away from their loved ones, making sure that receive their gifts on time.  It’s important to acknowledge the hard work of their drivers and find ways to share your appreciation and holiday cheer for their dedication and hard work. Especially when they are miles away from home.

If you find yourself in need of service whether it is maintenance or you are on the road and need mobile repairs, contact S.E. Smith and Sons and our elves will make sure you are taken care of and that you can celebrate the holidays.