No single day in a normal calendar year seems to strike controversy like the day after Thanksgiving. As large chain stores follow each other into earlier and earlier sale start times, headlines echo of family time for the holiday and corporate greed. For the trucking industry, this holiday means a lot more than a lot of people realize.
As consumers gear up for the start of the holiday season, many are anxious to get the best deal for items on their wish list that they can. From the corporate side of sales, operating in the "red" for the majority of the year, a tactic was needed to induce shopping on a large scale in order to push towards a profit in the bottom line of their ledgers. When the needs of both the consumers and corporate sales came together, Black Friday was born. A day of deep discounts and limited supply became a tradition for many as a way to start holiday shopping immediately after waking up from a turkey induced sleep session! Pushing the major retailers into the "black" for the year, they were more than happy to accommodate the addiction for shopping that quickly became tradition for many.
The surge of freight that this single “kick-off” to the holiday shopping season produces can mean a lot to a driver that carries general dry and refrigerated goods. As the onset of winter is already upon us, if it were not for this surge of holiday freight, many of us would run slim on good freight to go around. I know in my line of work (general dry goods), the surge from October to mid-December is usually enough to allow me to plan some time off for the holidays, work a few extra weekends for extra money, and prepare for the typical slowdown that happens in January and February.
With many different views on “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of Black Friday, it is important to put things into perspective and remember that along the middle of the supply chain lies the all-important truckers that get it there! This Thanksgiving I had many things to be thankful for, such as my health, family, friends, new daughter and another baby on the way, my position as a Team Run Smart Pro, and having a lot of people who believe in me. Amongst all of these things there was yet another important part for me to be thankful for; the fact that I have an ample supply of freight and am able to even be working is still a lot more than a lot of people can say, even as the economy is showing signs of recovering. I am glad for Black Friday and the work it provides for me to earn a living for my family and me. Just in case you might be wondering…yes, I will be out there in all the chaos after I have succumbed to my turkey coma trying to snatch up some of those doorbusters and getting all of our holiday shopping done in the course of one crazy shopping extravaganza! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and made it through the Black Friday chaos safely!