This is the latter part of the summer and it so happens to be among the busiest times for truck drivers. The vacation season is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the fun is over, for some, it’s just getting started. Over the next three months, customer sales explode. Orders are set to increase and that means shipping will also increase. Everyone prepares for “back to school” season and then it’s time to get ready for the holidays.
The demand for trucking is up again this season.
The back-to-school shopping season usually lasts from mid-July through early/mid-September. By now, carriers have been busy moving goods related to back-to-school sales to stores and warehouses. The transportation industry is busy and that’s a good thing.
Why trucks are so busy during this season.
Recent statistics have shown that about 70% of all freight moved in the U.S. is delivered by trucks and one of the most active times is the back-to-school period. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend $83.6 billion on back-to-school supplies this year. The average household will spend $668 for school and $970 for college. Nearly 70% say they plan to buy a new backpack and almost half plan to or have already purchased supplies online.
School products aren’t the only reason why back to school period is so busy for truck drivers. Office supplies have also become an important part of back-to-school sales, with many companies taking advantage of sales offered during this period. With the rise in prominence of personal computers and related equipment in education; traditional supplies such as paper, pens, pencils, and binders will often be marked at steep discounts, often as loss leaders to entice shoppers to buy other items in the store.
Sales and deals are always important for shoppers but can be particularly influential during the back-to-school season when cash is tight and consumers are looking to cut corners.
What are the products that are sold the most?
School supplies and office supplies are the products that are sold the most during this period. School bags and shoes top the list of items bought by school children and their parents. The next items that follow on the list are writing materials. Many states also offer tax-free periods (usually about a week) at which time any school supplies and children’s clothing purchased does not have sales tax added.
Though school supplies and office supplies account for the large chunk of transported items during this period, it has been shown that about 40% of the items bought are clothes.