Dive Brief:
- Carriers closed trucking terminals from Kansas to Delaware on Monday following a snowstorm that buried a large swath of the U.S., with a foot or more accumulating in some areas.
- ABF Freight, Estes Express Lines, Old Dominion Freight Line, R+L Carriers, Saia and XPO were among the trucking companies reporting terminal closures across more than half a dozen states.
- Winter Storm Blair halted or disrupted operations in Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, according to carriers’ service advisories.
The snowfall reports are rolling in this morning. We see some 18 inch reports near I-70 in Kansas and FEET of snow in upstate New York!
— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 6, 2025
How much snow did your location get? Explore the data here: https://t.co/01Q0KzzGTR pic.twitter.com/BRVSEKk7r1
Dive Insight:
Winter storms are nothing new for the trucking industry, but they can take a toll on fleet operations and carriers’ quarterly earnings, which is one reason extreme weather has emerged as a top threat to supply chains.
This year is starting off similarly to 2024, weather-wise. The trucking industry started last year with a January snowstorm, then weathered a pair of hurricanes that pounded the Southeast later in the year.
The effects can linger for months or longer. Estes lost its Asheville, North Carolina, terminal in one of the hurricanes and is still operating out of a nearby facility it leased in the aftermath, according to its service advisories page.
The storm could have an outsized effect on spot rates, with reefer demand rising in particular as shippers seek temperature-controlled trailers for their freight, according to DAT.
Carrier executives should monitor weather daily in their areas and prepare drivers with snow cleats, alerts, safe park assist and other safety resources, experts said during an American Trucking Associations panel last year.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the storm's anticipated effect on the spot market.
