The freight shipping and logistics industry typically follow the ebb and flow of four main seasons. Now with the unprecedented events that happened in the past year, there have definitely been some curve balls thrown in the mix. However, the specifics surrounding each season still serve as a good baseline of what to expect and how to plan one’s shipping needs. Let’s dive into the details of the four truckload shipping seasons.

There are different factors that affect freight and shipping including market conditions and external conditions like supply and demand, weather, and global events (pandemic, Suez Canal blockage, etc.). In addition to staying vigilant on the changes in the industry, freight brokers, shippers, trucking companies, and industry workers plan for their upcoming months based on the characteristics of the four shipping seasons.

Q1: The Quiet Months (January – March)

The intense holiday shipping season has just passed and everyone has just rang in the new year. The transportation industry is relatively quiet during this time. Businesses are finalizing sales and planning for the rest of the new year. Carriers are slowly starting to get back on the road and searching for work.

Truckload rates tend to favour shippers during this time as the volume of cargo has decreased a lot compared to the peak shipping season that has just passed. This is a great time to actively ship your goods and to pre-plan your bookings for the year as competition is low. However, shipping volume will start to increase again by March. So taking advantage of the first two months will surely pay off.

Q2: Produce Shipping and Truck Finding Season (April – June)

The arrival of Spring also means that trucking volume begins to pick up. Businesses begin to increase their transportational needs and the truck market starts to tighten as carrier availability decreases.

These three months also coincide with the arrival of produce season from our southern neighbours where lots of fresh produce is grown and harvested. High paying produce loads take up the demand for trucks and it may be harder source capacity.

Q3: The Peak Shipping Season (July – September)

This is one of the busiest seasons for the trucking and shipping industry. The demand for goods and raw materials continues to build up as businesses begin to prepare for the upcoming holiday sales season. From back to school sales to the holiday season, everyone is trying to gear up and focus on keeping their shelves stocked from the beginning of this quarter into the next. Orders and shipping volume begin to increase rapidly and demand for trucks is high again.

Q4: The Holiday Shipping Season (October – December) 

The holiday craze kicks into high gear and businesses focus on getting their products onto shelves to meet consumer demands from November to mid-December. The final high-paying loads typically kick off during this time too. As shoppers check off the last few gifts on their list and the shopping frenzy dies down, so does the shipping season. Volume tends to reduce during the last bit of December.

Having a thorough understanding of the truckload shipping season along with trusted industry partners working closely with you will help immensely with planning and making necessary pivots when needed. As one of the leading trucking companies in Vancouver, BC with decades of experience, we are able to provide all our customers with seamless, easy, and efficient solutions to all their transporting and warehousing needs.

Contact us today at (604)-276-9044 or info@sandhartrucking.com to learn about how we can help you grow your business in the new year.