Transportation and weather are two things that don’t mix. Every year transportation companies lose about $3.5 million to severe weather events. These delays not only affect the transportation companies, they affect the drivers, the consumers, the shippers, and the list could go on. Last year closures in March impacted more than 300,000 vehicles a day, leaving many truck drivers stranded in truck stops and off the road. This year it seems will be no different.
With trucking being the most commonly reported mode of transportation that is impacted by weather it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this early winter hit has caused some issues already. Snowfall and ice can cause blocked roadways, traffic accidents, and traffic jams. Severe weather like blizzards, extreme low temperatures, and high winds cause an average of 23 percent of all trucking delays, with more than 50% of these stemming from ice and snow.
The snowfall and low temperatures have already begun to grip most of the nation causing many to worry about what is to come. Snowfall records were shattered across the Northeast and Great Lakes, with nearly nine inches falling in Buffalo, NY just this month. The Midwest has been facing unusually low temperatures with Chicago setting a record low of seven degrees. Even those farther south in Tennessee and Arkansas have seen record low temperatures and even some light snow.
It seems that winter has come early this year and with crews fighting snow into April of last year, many believe that it is here to stay with no near end in sight. Driver safety is a huge concern to many companies with weather causing unsafe temperatures, low visibility, and traffic accidents. Dispatchers, drivers, shippers, and consumers must all work together and be weather aware in order to adapt and adjust. Don’t be surprised to start seeing delays across the US.