How to Minimize Winter Weather Delays When Shipping LTL (Less-than-Truckload)
As winter weather continues, we want to ensure your shipments arrive on-time and damage free. Cold weather can present unique challenges, so taking a few precautions can make a difference. Every decision we make at Roadrunner has safety as the top priority.
Here are some tips to prepare your shipment for winter weather:
- Proper Packaging: Ensure your cargo is securely packaged and protected from the elements. Consider using weather-resistant materials to safeguard against moisture.
- Labeling and Documentation: Clearly label packages with waterproof ink to prevent smudging due to snow or rain. Make sure all documentation is securely enclosed in weather-resistant pouches.
- Communication Is Key: Keep your carriers informed of any specific concerns or requirements related to your shipments during winter. Open communication helps ensure the services provided meet your needs.
- Utilize Track and Trace Capabilities: Sign up for automated shipment tracking messages to stay up-to-date on the whereabouts of your shipment.
We recently asked our Roadrunner Detroit service center manager, Brent Johnson –who has 23 years of experience working in supply chain, how his location copes with extreme temperatures and this is what he had to say:
1. How do you keep things moving in cold temperatures or during snowstorms?
The most important thing is preparation. It is critical to have a plan to deal with snow and ice at the facility as well as make sure supplies are readily available before the bad weather arrives. A good winter action plan is going to include salt spreaders, a supply of salt or ice melt, and a strong relationship with your snow removal service!
2. What is the most challenging thing about moving freight in winter weather?
The most challenging thing about moving freight in winter weather is simple – hazardous conditions for our drivers, the general public, and customers. It is critical that safety is our number one priority, followed by the effort to move every available shipment.
3. What is something shippers can do to ensure that their freight gets picked up and can deliver during the winter?
Shippers can help by clearing their roadways and drives in advance of our drivers’ arrival. Our drivers always appreciate a customer that prepares safe access to their facility.
4. Are there any items that need extra attention if shipped during cold weather?
All shipments deserve extra attention to ensure they’re delivered on time and exception free. The cold weather can make transit time a challenge, but at the end of the day service expectations remain the same for all shipments in all seasons!
5. Do your service centers do anything different during cold weather?
We try not to! The goal is to keep everything moving as planned. We do spend a lot more time reviewing weather forecasts, communicating with drivers about road conditions, and ensuring our drivers let dispatch know if weather conditions in a particular area are becoming hazardous.
6. How do people stay warm on the docks?
Cold weather gear is super important – often times the dock can actually be colder than the ambient outside temperature! This is because the concrete soaks up and holds on to the cold, becoming something of an ice cube! Dock workers dress as if they’re going to be outside for the whole day. Hats, gloves, jackets, insulated coveralls, boots, and hand-warmers are very common. It is also important to provide the team with optional warm-up breaks when needed. A few minutes in a heated breakroom goes a long way toward having a safe and efficient shift in a cold environment. Also – some terminals have semi-heated docks, which certainly help!
7. Do you have any interesting stories of working in winter weather?
I remember working a voluntary Saturday dock shift during a polar vortex a few years ago. We all volunteered to work the shift and found ourselves in chilly conditions. Obviously safety is always our number one concern, so we had unlimited access to heated breaks. It became a competition to see who had the best winter gear! We worked quickly to complete our workload and each of us went through an entire box of hand warmers! I think we all second-guessed our decision to be there that day – ‘what were we thinking!?,’but we worked together and got everything moved. At the end of the day it was a great exercise in team building!
8. How can everyone help to make sure our supply chain remains uninterrupted during inclement weather?
Preparation, communication, teamwork, and good common sense safety-based decisions are essential during inclement weather. Customers can build some lead-time into their supply chain to get critical shipments moved before a cold weather system moves in. Also, our drivers may experience delays in their routes – in those instances we are communicating with customers and their patience is beyond appreciated! Good communication is critical.
9. What Winterization Measures Are in Place for Vehicles?
Drivers have an emergency kit in their vehicle with basic gear to help keep them safe and warm in the event of a breakdown. Also, traction mats are available that slide under a tire and provide traction on ice in the event a vehicle is stuck – some drivers opt to carry these in their cabs. The most important winterization measure is the proper use of anti-gel diesel additive. The wax in fuel starts to change from a liquid to a solid when it gets below 15 degrees, and if anti-gel additive isn’t in the tank then that fuel can ‘gel’ and start to solidify. It is tough to keep a truck moving if the fuel is solid!
10. How Is Route Planning Adjusted for Winter Weather?
Route planning is adjusted by looking closely at the weather map and maintaining good communication with customers. Often when a delivery area is questionable, customers are scaling back their local operations. The more effort we can put into communicating with customers before we plan the route, the better!
11. What Communication Protocols Are in Place During Inclement Weather?
We give our drivers and customers as much advance notice as possible when making weather-related decisions. In LTL we try to control everything, and unfortunately weather is not something we’ve figured out how to steer! The protocol is to make a solid plan, communicate it to those involved, and adjust as needed.
Roadrunner’s Smart Team is committed to ensuring the safe and timely delivery of your shipments throughout the winter season.
Orange + Black Has Your Back.