Why Do We Love Summer Deliveries?
As the weather gets hotter and the spring rain on the grounds get drier, it signifies the start of the busy season for the shipping industry. It is no surprise that summer deliveries are often preferred though not necessary as various factors other than general weather conditions, such as specific location and logistics, should be considered.
Buyers knowing such considerations should help to address any potential challenges that may arise.
Common Delivery Issues Outside of Summer
First, let’s go through the common issues that drivers face throughout the year, that is not limited to summer.
1. Weather Conditions
Probably one of the most obvious things to consider for deliveries would be weather conditions for the location specific to the delivery. The weather conditions to look out for would be heavy rain, snowstorms, extreme winds, or even fog. As anyone can imagine, winter especially can be a nightmare for drivers. The conditions can easily affect the driver’s safety through poor visibility and roads that have delays, accidents, or even full closures.
2. Ground Conditions
An extension to the consideration of weather conditions, the next thing to consider would be the ground conditions of the drop-site. If there was snow or heavy rain, then depending on the foundation of the grounds, there is a good chance of there being slush or mud.
Due to the weight of the trucks that can weigh tonnes, especially with the added weight of the container, the delivery would need to be on solid ground as chances are that if the truck does get stuck, the buyer might have to help deal with the extra costs of towing the truck back out.
3. Shortened Days
During fall and winter, the daylight hours are significantly shorter. What does this mean for our drivers and deliveries? The limited daylight hours would correlate with the hours of visibility that the driver would have to navigate and find delivery locations. This could cause delays in outside hours such as the early morning or evenings, but also it would ultimately mean that drivers on longer distance runs could easily run into reduced visibility.
4. Safety and Equipment Maintenance
First and foremost, Sigma Container Corporation makes an effort to ensure all our workers are safe. If you have noticed, all the issues listed above have been related to the driver’s safety. Winter conditions pose risks to not only the drivers but the workers at the depots as well. Cold temperatures, slippery roads and grounds from rain or snow also increase the chances of accidents happening. With workers tending to be more careful, the work process would also slow down.
The cold temperatures would also affect the performance of the trucks and the equipment at the depots. Though not often, it is not rare for a crane or truck to go down in need of maintenance year round, though more so outside of summer.
Advantages to Summer Deliveries
Now comes the list of reasons why summer is the busiest time for shipping industries and why it is the best time to deliver!
1. Best Weather Conditions
In most of Ontario, summer offers the best weather conditions. Not mentioning how Alberta recently had snowfall in June, Southern Ontario’s last days of snow are usually around March and on a few rare instances, early April. Summer months should have no snow on their forecasts and would just need to be wary of bouts of summer rain.
2. Better Ground Conditions
Having overall better weather conditions mean that there would also be better ground conditions. With the sun being out longer and the weather getting hotter, the grounds at the drop site should also dry quicker. Typically even after it rains in the summer, it would be good to have at least three days of dry weather in order to ensure that the grounds at the drop site, if not paved, are fully dry.
3. Longer Daylight Hours
As mentioned in the “Shortened Days” section above, how less daylight hours would reduce visibility, the direct opposite would be true for summer. Summer days can have as long as 14-16 daylight hours on average in Ontario. Longer days would lead to more time for delivering shipping containers safely for our drivers and can also help to increase worker productivity during the entire process.
Disadvantages to Summer Deliveries
Though summer can be arguably the best time for deliveries, like most things in life can have its drawbacks to consider.
1. Road Constructions and Maintenance
With good weather comes the time for cities and construction companies to start on large outdoor projects. Whether it is an increase in construction projects for city developments and renovations, the increase in construction sites can often lead to an increase in traffic which might mean delays in the timing of deliveries.
2. High Demand
With summer being a busy time for the shipping industry and with the influx of summer projects, the high demand for containers could possibly lead to higher costs or delays on the containers to meet demands if there is limited availability of resources.
For more information on why shipping container prices may change please refer to one of our other blogs reviewing this topic.
3. Heat Challenges
Although having warmer temperatures in the summer is seen as an overall positive for not only the site conditions and driver, getting too hot can also pose an issue. Some Ontario regions, especially in the South, have regular heat warnings that can go up to feeling like 40+ degrees Celsius. The high heat temperatures would be a potential risk to drivers as well as any goods you may have inside the shipping containers.
Conclusion
No matter the decision on the time of year, deliveries should be based on careful considerations of various factors. The listed common considerations and the advantages vs disadvantages of summer deliveries can help to act as a base guide towards making an informed decision.
For any inquiries or specific questions regarding shipping containers and their deliveries, feel free to contact Sigma anytime! Our associates can help to inform and guide a smooth process of purchasing or renting a shipping container from start to finish.
Call Sigma Container Corporation at 1-877-225-7765 or contact us online to get started.