Every year, in the weeks leading up to Memorial Day, automotive advocacy group American Automobile Association (AAA) releases an annual projection for travel throughout the holiday weekend.
Like clockwork, AAA published a news release on May 14 with this year’s Memorial Day Weekend travel forecast.
For the holiday period in 2024, the group expects that 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from their homes, whether that’s by plane, car, maybe train, and, in a possible case or two, horse-and-buggy.
This year, AAA defines the Memorial Day holiday travel period as the five-day period from Thursday, May 23 to Monday, May 27, 2024.
“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Senior Vice President of AAA Travel Paula Twidale wrote in the release. When compared to numbers in 2019, AAA is anticipating an additional one million travelers—a promising sign that Memorial Day travel may exceed pre-pandemic levels. If that is the case, the revelation also points to an active season of summer travel ahead.
That said, while some travelers will rely on air transport to bridge their trips, the majority of holiday-goers will hit the road. In what would be a record-breaking performance for Memorial Day travel (since AAA began tracking in 2000), 38.4 million Americans are projected to travel by car. The pacesetting number would also mark a 4 percent increase compared to 2023, while up 1.9 percent from 2019.
AAA, which also tracks prices at U.S. gas pumps, added that Memorial Day travelers can expect similar gas prices as last year when the national average was in and around $3.57 per gallon.
Truck drivers prepare for busy travel weekend
Regardless of the year, professional truck drivers are well-aware of the surge in passenger travel through Memorial Day weekend. However, it does not hurt to rehash some important insights as this year’s holiday travel is underway.
Understanding the best and worst times to drive
This tip comes courtesy of AAA in collaboration with transportation analytics provider INRIX. Throughout the five-day period, the worst times to travel by car are between noon and the early evening, with the exception of Saturday (May 25) when the window is only from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
On the other hand, the best travel times throughout the five-day period are before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m. However, on Monday (May 27), a fair portion of return trips will occur in the early and midmorning. According to AAA and INRIX, the best time to travel on the last day of the period is after 7 p.m.
For truck drivers hauling loads between metropolitan areas, they should prepare for inevitable delays during congestion hours. While it can vary depending on the city, transit times across all major U.S. metros are expected to observe a dramatic increase when compared to non-holiday periods.
More drivers, more problems
When navigating around the holiday bustle over Memorial Day Weekend, truck drivers, unfortunately, must accept the travel conditions at hand. That may mean swallowing their pride and yielding to an unruly hatchback that cut in front of their 80,000-pound rig.
With more drivers on the road, instances of reckless driving are more likely. Whether that is distracted driving, impaired driving, or road rage.
Throughout the weekend, there will also be more vulnerable motorists, like motorcyclists or drivers pulled over on the side of the road. As operators of heavy-duty machinery, truck drivers must practice increased caution, ensuring there’s plenty of room between them and the concerned party.
Exercise diligence amid rampant cargo theft
One of the more increasingly talked about concerns within industry circles, cases of cargo theft are continuing to rise throughout the U.S. While the issue has proven to be prevalent year-round, holiday weekends will typically see theft rates emphatically spike. The extra day off for most businesses, including storage yards and warehouses, present thieves with an opportunity to commit their malfeasance.
For drivers hauling loads during the weekend, the cargo typically needs to be staged for an extended period of time while waiting for final weekday delivery. In terms of conventional, hands-on, theft, cargoes are at the highest risk of being stolen whenever the load is at rest and unattended.
Here are some tips on how truck drivers and carriers can mitigate instances of cargo theft.
Final Thoughts
Aside from travelling by car, AAA expects 3.51 million Americans to travel by plane this holiday weekend. If the number holds true, it would be the most crowded Memorial Day Weekend at U.S. airports since 2005, when 3.64 million flew during the holiday period.
The remaining two million people are expected to travel by other transportation modes. While an earlier reference to horse-and-buggy was a joke by Commerce Express Inc., AAA did include other modes, including buses, trains, and even cruises, in its report. The return of demand for travel experiences, like cruises, is indicative of further recovery to the travel and hospitality industry, the likes of which were in shambles during the pandemic.
Contact one of our team members if you have any questions regarding this topic or any others in cross-border logistics.
More blogs similar to this:
Recent Comments