Memorial Day is this coming weekend and the number of people expected be on the highways this weekend will be quite high. Additionally, there are certainly things truckers can look out for this upcoming holiday weekend including tips on dealing with crowded highways, being aware of the potential increase in cargo thefts, and more.
Tips on dealing with crowded highways
The American Automobile Associations, also know as Triple A, anticipates a little over 39 million people will travel up to 50 miles or more from home during Memorial Day weekend, which is an increase of 8.3% over 2021.
Furthermore, here are some tips for truckers when dealing with these crowds on the highway this weekend:
- Vehicle Inspections: making sure you keep the air pressure in your tires up to the standard (for fuel and safety efficiency purposes), and purchase new wiper blades – courtesy of Trucking Info
- Stuck in traffic?: Keeping your radio on is very important, as well as staying cool, calm and collected. Like others, there is only so much you can do when stuck in traffic.
- Be on the lookout for campers, motorcyclists, and vehicles on the side of the road: make sure you give them plenty of room and be aware that not everyone follows the rules of the road
A Senior Vice President at AAA Travel, Paula Twidale, stated that Memorial Day a good indicator of what is to come for summer travel. She continues to say, “based on our projections, summer travel isn’t just heating up, it will be on fire. People are overdue for a vacation, and they are looking to catch up on some much-needed R&R in the coming months.”
Being aware of the potential increase in cargo thefts
Many say organized cargo theft rings can be more active than usual in the coming days, because of the long holiday weekend. The Sensitech Supply Chain Intelligence Center has recorded average Memorial Day theft rates up to 57% higher and average values up to 44% higher than non-holiday weekends, Trucker News reported.
Below are several guidelines that have been endorsed by Sensitech and trucking and security organization:
- Steps should be taken to verify the authenticity of all shipment related activity during these periods – specifically, any entity which has been engaged to either move or store a shipment. Driver and business verification, prior to any shipment, is crucial.
- Communication between drivers and shippers needs to be firmly established and regularly maintained during shipments over these periods. The communication should include driver(s) instruction as to what types of behavior are required and what is not permissible
- Be aware and considerate when selecting a secure area/lot with controlled access, adequate lighting, congestion, any type of either personal or video surveillance, how long the conveyance will be left unattended, as well as any past intelligence of localized cargo theft activity
- If any tracking technology, such as GPS monitoring, that is available for deployment should be used to its fullest extent possible. That would include tracking technology on the conveyance’s power unit, its cargo area (if separate), as well as within the cargo itself.
Looking Ahead
Staying safe and cautious on the road this Memorial Day weekend is important, as well as being aware for the potential higher risk of cargo thefts this weekend.
We will continue to provide updates on the latest in the industry and more throughout the year and beyond. If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact our team today!
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