Thanksgiving has just passed and Christmas is just around the corner. The end of the year is a time when everyone is enjoying the holiday season. And the holiday season is an exceptionally busy time for the trucking industry. Because whether people are shopping online, receiving packages in the mail, or picking up Christmas hams at the grocery store, they all need to be transported by truck. So, what factors have affected the trucking industry?
1. Growth of online shopping and retail
With COVID-19 wreaking havoc, more and more people are getting used to shopping online. According to the survey, online shopping grew by 16.9% last year, and the percentage is expected to increase in the coming years, so the demand for drivers will also increase. This phenomenon is particularly evident during the holiday season.
Christmas is the holiday season that has the greatest impact on the trucking industry. It is also the busiest time of the year for truckers when large quantities of gifts and additional retail merchandise need to be transported. Extra cargo means more truckloads, stronger timeliness requirements, and longer transit times. For consumers, it’s a convenient and quick means of delivering gifts and snacks. For drivers in the transportation industry, these will be extra jobs, but bring in more revenue.
2. Immediate Demand
Amazon’s noted two-day shipping prompted everyone to step up their efforts to ship faster. Walmart has joined the bandwagon, delivering tens of thousands of shipments each day.
As the holidays approach, more quantities are needed to meet demand, not only for gifts but also for food. The delicious turkey you purchase doesn’t just appear out of thin air but is delivered to the store by a carrier. Since food needs to be transported on short notice to maintain freshness, there will be a shortage of food delivery drivers during the holiday season.
3. Business hours
With the holiday season approaching and the increased demand for cargo transportation from other companies, many freight companies will change their business hours to a 24-hour schedule to accommodate the large volume of products that need to be transported.
