As the economy has been improving and vehicle sales have been increasing, transportation companies have been getting more requests to coordinate cross-country shipments. More fleet procurers are finding good deals at auctions outside their usual purchasing region.

When shipping cross-country, factors like distance and weather definitely impact delivery dates. Alisha Bray, MetroGistics’ West Coast/Midwest dispatch coordinator, offers the following considerations to keep in mind when shipping cross-country.

Distance

Normal transit times for cross-country moves (coast-to-coast) are usually 7-10 days from pickup during normal conditions.The average transit for north-south shipments is usually 5-7 days once haulers are loaded.

Longer distances also increase the possibility of delays due to mechanical failure or more pickups and drop-offs along the route.

Any delay or cancellation can affect turnaround time of the load, as drivers take time to deal with customers and help resolve issues.

Other than that, just following normal Department of Transportation regulations for driving hours and conducting mandatory restarts will affect transit times.

Weather

Travel times can be affected greatly by inclement weather that occurs throughout the year. Winter is definitely the hardest time for haulers since they have to account for highway closures and dangerous driving conditions.

Transport through mountainous regions can cause significant delays, especially when the DOT mandates tire-chain requirements during snowy conditions.

Drivers can usually only run about 20-30 miles per hour when the chain rule is in effect. Drivers caught operating without chains when the rule is in place can be hit with steep fines.

Depending on how bad conditions are, an additional two to three days may be required for transport.

Breaking News

The recent omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government into 2015, approved by Congress and sent to the president, includes a rider that would suspend a portion of the 2013 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hours of service (HOS) rule. 

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, introduced an amendment that suspends a once-in-seven-days limit on the use of the restart, which was introduced in 2004 to allow drivers to begin a new 70-hour work week more quickly. Previously, truckers were required to be off-duty 48 hours between work weeks.

With the suspension of these rules, truck drivers will be able to spend a maximum of 82 hours a week on the road, as opposed to 70. This development is expected to shorten delivery times of cross-country vehicle shipments.

Martha Garcia-Perry is director, account management with MetroGistics.