It is October 26/11 and the snow is falling in Casper, WY, Denver, CO, Canmore, AB and parts of Newfoundland. In either the next few days or weeks Canada and several states in the US will be covered in the white stuff. This time of year can be challenging for drivers until we have a good base of snow. The reason is we see either rain, or light snow fall then it is followed by warming daytime temperatures and night time freezing temperatures. This causing ice on the roads. As the season changes from fall to winter, we must adjust our expectations regarding transit times and over-all driver performance. For certain lanes typical transit times could take and extra half day to full day due to winter road conditions. Recalling what a hard and difficult winter we had in 2010/11 with many mountain passes closed for extended periods due to avalanches. Also, many highways and freeways were closed or compromised due to heavy snowfalls. If you are either buying or shipping out goods, here are a few tips to ensure a successful winter of shipping:
- Plan shipments ahead of time. Contact your suppliers and customers to start planning for the winter.
- When you call to book shipments, provide required delivery date and we will confirm that carrier can meet that time line.
- Keep shipping yards and loading docks clear of snow and ice is helpful to drivers.
- Even rail shipments can be affected by weather, allow extra time if shipping by rail.
- For LTL shipments, whatever you expect for transit time, add 1-2 days in the winter months.
- In the event of last minute orders or "HOT" shipments, we recommend booking team drivers. It will cost more but your chances of on time delivery is better. Again, bad road conditions can slow down team drivers but at least you have two drivers working hard to get your shipment delivered.
Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to discuss how your business can be prepared for the winter shipping season, give us a call or send us an email.
Have a great week!
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