How has this traditionally affected the expedite market? I haven't been around long enough to ever witness a natural disaster.
It depends on the size of the disaster. The tornadoes this spring were terrible but tornado damage tends to be limited to small areas compared to a major hurricane.
Damage from Katrina and Rita was widespread and numerous expediter trucks were called upon to provide disaster relief. Even if you are not in a truck so deployed, that leaves other freight to haul that the deployed trucks are unavailable for.
If you get called upon to do disaster relief work, it is important to go into the area fully prepared.
- Fill your fuel tanks before entering the area. Power outages shut down fuel points.
- Be prepared to do without cell phone service which may be down for a while; so too with Wi-Fi and air card internet access.
- Bring plenty of food and water in with you. Grocery stores may be closed and convenience store shelves may be empty. Fast food stores may be destroyed, closed or without food to serve. Walmart and stores like them may be open but their shelves may be picked clean.
- A GPS device may be especially useful if you go to places where road signs have been blown down. Many roads may be blocked making detours necessary.
- Note that a load with a delivery location that would normally be easy to reach may require a half-day of detours and needle threading to reach in a devastated area.
- In devastated areas, bathrooms are not as available as usual. Rest areas fill to overflowing with all sorts of people in all sorts of circumstances. Showers may also be difficult to obtain. Hotels that survived the event will be filled.
- Bring extra cash. Credit and debit card processing may not be available.
- Beware of tire hazards and debris on the road (debris everywhere for that matter), especially at night. Street lights may be down or without power. It can get very dark in a town or city when nothing is lit anywhere, more so in rain or fog. As shown in the photo below, road signs can be twisted and extend into the roadway.
- A powerful flashlight (flood light) and extra betteries or the means to recharge it are good to have. You may need it to find your way safely to a delivery door in the dark.
Photo from one post-Katrina stop Diane and I made in 2005.
..with almost 40 foot waves...! Manhattan could be under 5 ft of water or better.....subway system will be toast all electrical infrastructure..
