As the holiday season nears, some of us have started getting out our warmer clothes while enjoying the changes in fall. But are you also preparing for the specific needs of your winter freight? Shipping freight during winter months presents unique challenges not seen at other times of the year. So how can you be best prepared to have a strong end of year while avoiding potential delays and surprise hits to your bottom line? We’ve laid out our best tips below.
How to Beat Winter Freight Shipping Challenges
When it comes to moving freight in winter, a whole host of concerns and possible challenges can arise at any time. Winter weather creates hazardous road conditions across the U.S., long delays at overwhelmed terminals, closures and reroutes, and circumstances that stack on the delays to delivery.
But there are steps to take to protect your freight and your business operations, and it starts with knowing your supply chain and what regions of the country your shipment moves through. Different regions will face different challenges, and each one could have a variety of circumstances as possible issues for your freight movement. Just consider:
- Gulf, Atlantic, and Southeast
Hurricane season in these markets has been extending beyond the regular season for five consecutive years. This means that potential flooding, closures, and power outages – to name a few issues – can span from late summer into December.
- Rocky Mountains and the West
Winter storms are notoriously unpredictable and often feature rapid changes in conditions. Many storms have been known to quickly drop enough snow throughout the mountains to block all passes through to or out from the West coast.
- Northeast and Midwest
Snow, sleet, ice, and hail can completely shut down entire cities, counties, and states in these regions for entire days. Often even once the storm has passed, there are still delays for roads to be plowed and salted before vehicles can move again safely.
One of the best ways to prepare is to know the needs of your shipment as it moves through any of these areas. And most importantly, partner with a trusted freight provider who can access a network of knowledgeable and dependable carriers with the experience to match your needs.
At Pride Logistics, every shipment is treated as a top priority with extra attention. With access to real-time traffic and weather data, we’re able to create plans for the safest and most viable routes every time. This limits any surprises you may be used to getting this time of year.
How to Pack Freight For Winter Weather
The biggest concern for the packing of freight at this time of year is freezing temperatures. The types of freight most susceptible to damage from freezing include:
- Plastics
- Food and Beverage
- Liquid and Aerosol
When temperatures dip below freezing, most packaging cannot withstand the level of expansion happening inside sealed bottles. Glass, plastic, and aluminum containers typically burst in these conditions. Likewise, when certain objects stay frozen for too long, especially foods and chemicals, they can be ruined.
But these issues are easier to address than most businesses expect. Once you have your freight palletized and labeled, simply add insulated pallet covers or cargo blankets. The addition of these layers that completely cover your freight help to lock out extreme cold and maintain temperature consistency.
Also, by working with Pride Logistics and our trusted, professional carrier network, we’ll bring our decades of experience maneuvering the best plans to get your shipments where they need to be, no matter the challenges of the season. Reach out today and subscribe to our newsletter in the sidebar to stay up to date with the most current freight strategy news.
