Trucking during the holiday season?

Would you fancy taking up a trucking employment opportunity during the holiday season? You might think we’re nuts, and it surely reads so, but frankly the holiday season is one of the year’s greatest earning propositions. It certainly means sacrificing somewhat “the most wonderful time of the year” by being out on the road and taking as much work as possible during the very busy holiday season. Yet it is very lucrative and  rewarding for the truck drivers, especially considering the annual transportation slowdown typically occurs later on in January and February.

As the holiday season sets off with a record-breaking start, from Black Friday, Thanksgiving celebration events, to Cyber Monday and beyond, sales have skyrocketed both in store and online. A record-breaking $6.22 billion in online sales was reported, representing a 24% increase from last year, while the average order value has increased to $146, an 8.5% increase from 2017. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), November and December make up nearly 20% of annual retail sales, and this number continues to rise as we recover from the pandemic induced lockdown.  

This is good news for the trucking industry and truckers themselves. Given around 80% of the U.S. communities rely on truck transportation for all of their goods supply, without truckers’ dedication and effort most Americans would have no food, clothes or supplies all year-round. Naturally during the holiday season the pressure on the trucking industry is exacerbated, as families around the country rely on truckers to deliver their food, decorations, gifts, and other necessary supplies in order to enjoy their family traditions and holiday celebrations. Truck drivers are effectively the loyal Santa helpers ensuring that packages around the country arrive at boys and girls homes in time for Christmas. And they are in short supply, as the trucking industry is experiencing a hiring and retention crisis, which we’ve previously written on. Moreover this year the drivers’ shortage problem is additionally aggravated by the supply chain issues that the United States and the world over is faced with, and which is creating trickle-down effects on the economy and the trucking industry. Truck drivers are highly demanded and need to work harder around the clock to meet the rising customer demands, as we’re running short on everything as our older blog post explains.

Trucking companies are thus preparing themselves for the busiest time the of year, compounded by the strains of the pandemic on top of the holiday season, shippers expect record peak season volumes. The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales will increase by 8% to 10% this year. And that means drivers looking for a good earning prospect have a great earing opportunity as they’re highly sought after. As trucking businesses struggle to meet the heightened holiday freight demand, this entails rates continue to rise across the country, offering attractive pay and benefits to prospective truckers in order to lure them into the industry. 

That is why taking up trucking during the holiday season is less of preposterous undertaking then it might seem at first glance. If you are considering becoming a commercial truck driver yourself, there is no better time to get started. Jumpstart the process and get yourself behind the wheel of a big rig as soon as possible by calling us now at 630-413-1435. And for all other readers out there please consider our truckers’ selfless dedication during the holiday season and be sure to be grateful for their loyal commitment to excellent service!