Our Best Peak Season Planning Advice for Today and Next Year

With peak season upon us, there’s no better time to look back on some of the peak holiday shipping advice we’ve given over the years. Specifically, we wanted to review advice that stacks up in today’s COVID-19 impacted industry and holiday season, as well as take a closer look at which strategies may be immediately beneficial in today’s vs. next year’s peak season. Let’s dig in!

At the heart of the advice and strategies above is a message about more than peak season capacity constraints, but one about better understanding the industry you operate within to optimize your own operations. Start by staying on top of peak surcharges and carrier news, using that information to update your TMS and drive cost-effective decision making. Consider your partners as strategic arms (not just external necessities), as these partners are important components to your brand, and vice versa. Finally, tap into the parcel Big Data available to you to lead your decisions regarding the strategies above. Even at normal times, flexibility and adaptability are required to succeed in any industry, but more so during times of great difficulty. Our best advice is to seek out the Big Picture and apply that information in both your brand and transportation strategies.