Check Call: It’s time for the coolest tree in town to make a scene

Wednesday is the renowned Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting. The annual production is an entire night of festive celebrations and holiday cheer for all. The tradition goes all the way back to the Great Depression in 1931. Construction workers building Rockefeller Center set up a tree at the site and adorned it with homemade decorations to boost morale and provide hope during dark times.

Fast forward to the tree-lighting ceremony of 2024 and it’s a slightly less modest affair, with a TV special and musical guests.

While everyone is focused on the celebration, getting the tree to Rockefeller Center is a feat of logistics. As far as two to three years out, the process begins. The head gardener at Rockefeller Center scouts Norway spruces in the Northeast that are at least 75 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter. This year the spruce comes from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, lovingly donated by the Albert family.

After the spruce is selected, head gardener Erik Pauze checks in on the tree, helps care for it and ensures it’s perfect before the move to Rockefeller Center.

The same company moves the tree every year. Torsilieri Inc., a landscaping company, has been transporting the tree for years. The company has made a special lowboy flatbed trailer that hauls the 70-plus-foot tree and is responsible for delivering it into Manhattan.

The tree traditionally arrives around 2 or 3 in the morning, and with the help of the New York Police Department various streets are closed to help the extra-long trailer navigate the tight streets of the city.

Once the tree arrives, the work begins to unwrap it and begin decorating – including about 5 miles of lights and the all-important star that’s a casual 900 pounds covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.

As for the tree’s future after Christmas? Once it’s stripped of all the decorations, it’s milled down and donated to Habitat for Humanity, where it’s used to build houses or other things the organization needs.

Some annual traditions are impressive in scope and stature, but the logistical feats behind them are almost more impressive than the events themselves. Here’s to another year of the tree bringing hope and joy to everyone.

TRAC Tuesday. The lane this week follows in the steps of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, from Springfield, Massachusetts, to the Big Apple. This 138-mile trip averages about $542 all in or $3.93 per mile, before margin gets added in. While the distance is short and short lanes are a favorite among carriers, it’s still averaging $1.50 per mile higher than the National Truckload Index.

That is a little surprising given that the Outbound Tender Reject Index is 5.24% in Springfield and 4.67% in New York. Both are lower than the national average of 6.61%. However, given that Springfield is a small market and there isn’t exactly a plethora of drivers looking to drive into Manhattan, it’s understandable that spot rates would be higher than average.

Who’s with whom. It’s officially peak retail season and with it come holiday shoppers looking for deals to stuff stockings. This year shoppers are expected to start earlier as there is a short three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

International shipping giant DHL conducted a survey of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Of those polled, “48% expect an increase in year-over-year holiday sales, with 14% anticipating significant growth and 34% expecting a slight uptick. Another 44% predict sales will remain steady compared to 2023, while only 8% foresee a decline. Many SMEs began their holiday preparations earlier this year, with 45% starting by Q2, compared to 39% last year.”

This season brings the challenges of managing costs and supply chain issues while still giving personalized customer service. Shippers are improving their online shopping experiences and adopting more sustainable practices as consumers become a little pickier and more conscious of what they’re purchasing.

That would probably be why the survey also found that 43% of respondents would wear a Santa suit on video calls if it means meeting sales targets.