Snow Melt Causing Flooding in Minnesota: How Weather Impacts Truck Drivers

How Weather Impacts Truck Drivers

It’s obvious that the weather affects roads and driving in all kinds of way. You may not think of it until it’s pointed out, but it also affects truckers and deliveries. Recently there’s been record snow melt causing flooding in Minnesota that’s been affecting trucking companies across the state. These sorts of events can cause problems for truckers and slow down their deliveries. You’ll want to work around it and be aware that even trucking companies in Minnesota are affected by bad weather:

•Snow and ice: The most obvious issue is snow and ice. Large amounts of snow can impact large areas of road. Portions of highways can be closed, leaving truckers stranded. Trucking companies in Minnesota do their best to account for and deal with these situations, but sometimes mother nature doesn’t cooperate. Severe weather can cause an average of 23 percent of all trucking delays and cost about $3.5 billion. This also affects retailers and eventually consumers.

•Flooding: The recent snow melt in Minnesota is a great example of severe weather you may not be expecting. All of that melting snow has to go somewhere. Most at risk are low-lying roads, including some important interstate highways. These can cause massive delays and detours for truckers.

•Mud: Going along with the flooding, the extra precipitation creates a lot of mud. While not usually a problem on roads, mudslides can create issues. Truckers are especially at risk of getting stuck if mud is washed onto the roads. Trucking companies in Minnesota and other areas that see a lot of precipitation work hard to prepare for these sorts of situations.

•Power outages: This is much less obvious, but power outages resulting from weather have a major impact on trucking and delivery. A power outage for businesses means closing unexpectedly. While shipments might still get through, some trucking companies in Minnesota aren’t notified early enough and the truckers lose time and profits if their delivery sites aren’t operating as normal.

•Temperatures: Temperatures can also create issues. Extreme cold impacts delivery schedules. The freezing cold weather can create trouble for starting and running trucks and other vehicles. Trucking companies in Minnesota do the best they can to avoid any issues, but they still pop up from time to time. That’s not even mentioning the ice that develops on the roads when the temperatures drop.

Every year, trucking companies lose about 32.6 billion vehicle hours to weather-related incidents. Providing exceptional transportation services to the greater Minnesota area, K-Way Express, Inc. is a second-generation business that works hard to get your cargo delivered on time. We create customized transportation solutions for companies of all types and sizes. We are a fully licensed transportation brokerage company, with over 700 carriers at our fingertips that mirror our customer service standards.

If you’re looking for reliable trucking companies in Minnesota, we’re the best around. We do everything in our power to meet your needs, even during snow melt causing flooding in Minnesota. Call us today to learn more!