Burgers and hotdogs ✔️
Drinks ✔️
Sunscreen ✔️
Mosquito repellent ✔️
The American flag ✔️
Your best buds ✔️
You’re all set to have the best Fourth of July!
…That is, if you took home time.
But if you’re going to be driving over the holiday, your list probably looks a lot different. Sure, you can still have a grill out at the truck stop, but you certainly won’t be shooting fireworks off your boat long into the night.
The Fourth of July might be a well-loved holiday, but it's also one of the most dangerous — not just because of the fireworks but because of the increased traffic on the roads. As a driver, you have to worry even more about road safety as well as closed shippers and receivers and holiday driving restrictions.
As a driver manager in the specialized division at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), I’ll be keeping my drivers prepared and informed with the following tips to keep them successful:
- Watch out for extra traffic
- Avoid distractions
- Know where you can and can’t drive
- Pre-plan your loads
- Call your customers
Use this list to help yourself have a great (and safe) holiday.
Watch Out for Extra Traffic
You should always be well-rested and focused when you’re driving, but it’s especially important to make sure you’re well-rested and focused during the holiday. There will be a lot of additional traffic on the roads as people travel to their vacation homes and head to fireworks displays or parties.
Estimates point to more than 40 million people flooding roadways for the holiday. You may need to switch up your driving habits to avoid traffic delays. Maybe you drive later at night or start earlier in the morning.
A lot of people traveling may be hauling boats, campers, and trailers they aren’t used to hauling; they might be traversing roads they're unaccustomed to. Keep this in mind when you’re driving near them; they may be distracted and not paying attention to safe driving best practices. You also need to watch out for motorcyclists on the roads.
Avoid Distractions
This isn’t the time to be talking on the phone with your loved ones or listening to an intense, distracting book or podcast. Save eating for when you’re on a break. All of this can distract you from the task at hand: driving.
There’s an increase in drunk driving accidents over the Fourth of July holiday. All it takes is one reckless driver on the road to cause an accident, so stay vigilant. Remember your safety training; keep a safe distance between other drivers and drive under the speed limit. If you’re feeling drowsy, pull over and take a break.
Know Where You Can and Can’t Drive
There are a lot of travel restrictions in place across the country because it’s such a big holiday and it leads to an influx of drivers on the roads. Traffic is especially heavy over the Fourth of July, so for safety reasons, oversized vehicles can’t travel in certain areas. In fact, it’s one of the most-trafficked holidays of the year.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) places restrictions on oversize freight travel in the days prior to and during the Fourth of July. There are certain periods in which you can’t travel over a two- to three-day stretch. Keep in mind, this is for oversized freight. If you’re hauling a legal load, the regulations don’t apply to you.
Every state is different. Some states don’t have any restrictions but some states restrict all movement of oversized freight. For instance, states like Massachusetts and Maryland have travel restrictions the day before the Fourth, the holiday, and the day after the holiday. Other states only restrict movement from sunrise to sunset.
When you’re doing your trip plan, research the travel restrictions for each state you’ll be driving through. Make sure you know whether you can even drive through those states or you know what time you can and can’t be on the roads. You may just need to change the times you’re driving or you may have to stop moving entirely.
Check out this list of Fourth of July Travel restrictions state-by-state.
Pre-Plan Your Loads
If you can pre-plan your loads just before and after the Fourth of July, do it.
Consider that a lot of travel is restricted a day or two before and during the holiday, so it may not be worth it to take certain over-dimensional (OD) loads. You don’t want to take a load and end up sitting for days holding onto it due to travel restrictions.
It’s often slow just before the holiday leading up until right after the holiday because shippers/receivers are shut down. If you can pick up a load that delivers just after the holiday, that’s ideal. You should also try to pre-plan and have a load booked and accepted to pick up on July 5 or July 6.
Going home for the holiday? Try to pick up a load and take it through the house rather than going home empty. Taking a load through the house is always ideal, especially with the shortened holiday week. If you can come off home time and drop off a load right away, it'll help make the week a little more profitable.
If you do take a load over the holiday, make sure you trip plan and know where you’re stopping — especially when it comes to parking at truck stops. Remember to make checking the weather part of your trip plan. No driver wants to get caught in a severe summer storm or tornado.
Call Your Customers
Leading up to the weekend of the Fourth of July, call your customers to find out if they’re going to be open and when they’re closing. A shipper/receiver may normally be open on the weekends, but holiday hours can change that. Maybe they’re closed entirely or they’re going to close early.
The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year, so some shippers/receivers may close on Wednesday and not open up shop again until Monday.
Make calls ahead of time — like as soon as you’re dispatched on the load — so you can deliver your freight on time. The last thing you want is to sit around for days waiting to deliver because the receiver is closed. You’ll be losing time and money.
That being said, make sure you also plan for additional traffic on the road. Additional traffic means you may encounter traffic jams, which can delay you. Factor extra time for this when you’re trip planning.
Stay Safe this Fourth of July
As you prepare for the Fourth of July, you have to think about additional traffic, avoiding distractions, pre-planning loads, contacting customers for operating hours, and understanding travel restrictions.
Pre-planning loads helps avoid delays caused by travel restrictions and limited availability. Communication with customers ensures smooth deliveries amidst holiday hours. Knowing state-specific travel restrictions helps you comply with regulations. Increased traffic requires heightened vigilance, adhering to safety measures and adjusting driving habits.
By following these tips, you can navigate challenges and have a successful Fourth of July celebration on the road.
Remember to bookmark this page of travel restrictions to keep track of the regulations you must follow over the holiday.