ISSUE
The truck that has your shipment on-board is operating in unexpectedly slow traffic (not just garden-variety rush hour congestion) that is expected to continue for some time, or it is waiting for a closed road to re-open.
ACTION
- The carrier has advised us of the situation, and we will advise you.
- We will monitor the situation, and we will let you know when conditions improve significantly.
- Based on input from the carrier, we will confirm a new delivery ETA with you.
EXPLANATION
Severe unexpected congestion, or road closures can result from:
- Serious accidents
- Road blockages
- Road construction
- Special events
- Extreme or localized weather
Each of these events happens from time to time. From a carrier’s or driver’s perspective, they happen, they are very localized, they cannot be predicted or planned for, and they are just a part of the business.
There is rarely the opportunity to use an alternate route to avoid the congestion or closure. Drivers usually have information concerning the road conditions ahead available to them in the cab, so if an alternate route had been available, the driver would have taken it, and this Operational Headache would not be happening.
IMPACT & TYPICAL RESOLUTION
While unexpected severe congestion may cause a noticeable delivery delay, depending on location and time of day, road closures will certainly be more problematic, particularly if the driver is stuck in stopped traffic on the highway (and is therefore consuming legal driving hours) behind the closure.
Typically, the congestion or closure is unavoidable, and truck waits until the problem is cleared and then resumes normal operation. Delivery delays of up to 1 day are common.