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The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for supply chains. With surges and setbacks beginning in autumn, fleet professionals must understand potential slowdowns and prepare before the peak hits. Make this time of year successful by forecasting challenges and implementing these tips.
Understanding the Seasonal Surge
Seasonal shoppers, weather delays and increased transportation traffic are the key difficulties that fleets face during the holiday season. Supply chain costs spike to accommodate consumer demand, sometimes leading to increased freight costs, which puts pressure on fleets.
The busy season isn’t limited to winter — many consumers start holiday shopping earlier in the year to beat the influx of seasonal shoppers and to guarantee item availability for gifts before the rush. The cyclical supply and demand dance can strain resources and potentially disrupt supply chains.
Fleet Roadblocks
On the road, changes in weather and traffic patterns greatly affect the efficiency of supply chain delivery. Winter can bring icy roads, snowfall or rain, which are typical weather patterns that you can prepare for. Holiday travel patterns on major roads, too, can be expected and predicted later in the season.
However, crop transportation in autumn can be a major disruption for fleet managers to consider before routing. Peak corn harvesting season can occur between late August and early October across the U.S. Corn Belt, with 13 major highways vital for 80% of agricultural transportation. Because crop season relies heavily on weather conditions, it can be difficult to precisely predict the influx of agricultural traffic. Staying aware of the potential slowdowns and increased demands of the season is a key aspect of planning for success during this busy time.
The busy season isn’t limited to winter — many consumers start holiday shopping earlier in the year to beat the influx of seasonal shoppers and to guarantee item availability for gifts before the rush. The cyclical supply and demand dance can strain resources and potentially disrupt supply chains.
How To Maintain Momentum During Rush Season
With the increased demand and changes in transportation patterns, fleet managers should anticipate planning before August to avoid the sudden influx of challenges. Prepare accordingly to prevent disruptions and ensure the best for clients and customers with the following tips.
Analyze Data Patterns to Optimize Management
Data analytics and forecasting are invaluable for fleets to operate successfully. Telematics devices can optimize efficiency by providing tracking data in real time and monitoring driver behavior. Predictive analytics use this information to forecast what the upcoming season could look like, what to prepare for and what may need more support. Consider the patterns, particularly from autumn and winter years prior, and establish goals for your fleet to reach in the busy season. Having a framework ahead of time can help benchmark and maintain momentum.
Consider incorporating fleet management software (FMS) to gather and track telematics data in a centralized platform. You can customize the software to your fleet’s goals, reducing the high costs of downtime and increasing efficiency. Example platforms include Fleetio and Samsara, which offer GPS tracking, maintenance monitoring and driver analytics. These tools provide an essential link between data and managers and support communication across teams.
A clear communication and organizational framework ensures smooth operations and establishes successful management plans for the more challenging seasons.
Plan Effective Routes
Use data from the FMS and telematics to create route paths for drivers that minimize driving times and avoid heavy traffic, particularly during crop season. Route planning is essential to supporting drivers, cutting costs, maximizing efficiency and supporting eco-friendly missions. Fleet managers should check routes daily to account for weather changes and traffic patterns to identify any congestion and look for other paths. GPS and AI technologies are useful for real-time data and estimating potential slowdown times.
Route tracking while drivers are on the road is essential for guaranteeing drivers remain on the most efficient routes. Communicate with drivers to identify obstacles and opportunities. Encourage fuel-efficient pathing and consider terrain, particularly for drivers and their respective experience levels.
Careful planning and consideration for the pathing can save time and money while supporting drivers and maximizing efficiency.
Increase Driver Safety and Availability
Driver safety should always be a top priority, and during the autumn and winter months, especially, keeping drivers safe and available will help maintain the supply chain’s efficiency. Tools like dashcams have become increasingly popular for ensuring driver safety while supporting peace of mind. Dashcams act as a guaranteed objective witness, especially useful for insurance claims, and 48% of drivers feel less stressed driving with a dashcam.
For many, the holiday season is an important time to be with family. This likely means that fewer drivers may be available. In addition to prioritizing safety measures like dashcams, fleets can support drivers by strengthening recruiting efforts. Competitive pay, particularly during the autumn and winter months, may support motivation.
Benefits like mental and physical health resources and realistic scheduling practices for work-life balance will foster a supportive environment to encourage workers during the most stressful time of the year.
Diversify Suppliers
Supplier diversification can greatly benefit supply chains, particularly during the holiday rush. Companies can diversify by outsourcing to different suppliers, manufacturers or transportation providers instead of relying on one group or location. A greater network can reduce issues like bottlenecking, where one part of the chain may slow down progress for the rest of the chain.
Fleets need flexibility and adaptability. With all the potential challenges and slowdowns during the holiday season, diversification can mitigate the impacts of any disruptions across the supply chain. Organizations with higher diversification are more prepared to handle these risks and recover faster from disruptions than those that are unprepared.
Diversification acts as a fail-safe and can prevent significant loss from interruptions like inclement weather, traffic delays or supply and demand issues.
Proactive Planning for a Smoother Peak Season
Peak season for supply chains starts early, and fleet managers should prepare immediately. Planning ahead ensures the supply chain runs smoothly and quickly to avoid setbacks. Use tools like data analytics, support your workers and drivers, and expand your network to ensure your team is maximizing its efficiency. By preparing now, your fleet can be prepared for the rest of the season and beyond.
