Slow freight in winter?

flatbedders can often see a slow-down. Being a meat-hauler out to either coast and mostly Dollar General back to OK/TX there is no discernible slowdown for us. But slow-downs do occur for some, some more then others, and when one carrier is slowing down another may be picking up so it's hard to say it's across the board.

 

When I pulled refrigerated, we never slowed down because food loads go year round. Even when other freight slows during Nov-Jan it's very busy for refrigerated companies due to Christmas & New Years, foodstuffs, ice cream, candy, meats & truck loads of hams, truck loads of frozen turkeys, ducks, geese, etc.

 

it is really no season that freight slow down it just depend on what state u are in. I pulled dry van I delivered a load 2 mami gardens, fl and my dm found me a load over 300mi away in palatka,fl and when I delivered 2 simsboro, nc I stayed there long enough 2 get a 34hr restart waiting on a load so it don't matter what time of year it is it depends on how many loads coming out of the state or where u are. As long as u deliver yo loads on time yo dm will make sure u keep on moving yea there will be slow weeks and there will be good weeks that's just how it roll

 

I run LTL freight. We definitively see a slow down this time of the year. Constructions/home improvement/agriculture slows down... and so do we. This is also the peak season for worst time to turn in a job application with us. Usually we are fighting for work starting next week.

Come spring when the ground starts thawing up, the demand for freight and drivers goes up again. Hellish cycle

 

Some of the better paying reefer jobs for company drivers are dedicated accounts where there's no hit and miss with loads. Companies such as Lily or Greatwide food accounts. Some of those dedicated food accounts you go to the head of the line at grocery warehouses or refrigerated storage lockers, they unload you and you leave; no counting breaking the stuff down or anything. I was on a few of those accounts with YRC Logistics and another company delivering frozen cakes & pasteries to Publix & Winn Dixie and to Kroger accounts from the East Coast to the West Coast. Easy money and very little waiting; lots of drop & hook. Every now & then you might have to take a layer off each pallet of butter or pails of cream, then pocket $100.00 or so lumper money. Might have a East Coast to California run with 10 stops getting paid for each stop and either a load waiting at the other end or a drop & hook and head back East bound. You have to search for those jobs and the two key words are "logistics" and "dedicated." I can't give you any good leads because I left that and went to tanker/hazmat which was like jumping from a hurricane to a lounge chair under a palm tree.

 

Tankers see a slowdown in asphalt, for obvious reasons, but chemicals are pretty steady.

 

Yes, winter is rough for asphalt plants. I hauled acid to those plants all over the USA. Sometimes the company could make up for some loads with dry bulk down to Houston/Galveston/Freeport area. I usually just took vacation for a month, paid & unpaid, and kicked back in the Orient during that time. Could still make between $60K & $65K per year doing that.

 

if you work hard you wont get slowed down. I never waited a day without a load. I was flatbed, and there are less overall loads, but many suppliers are stocking up for spring while stuff is cheap. I had no problem finding work any time of year.