Weather Impacts Freight In CA and TX

Weather plays a critical role in the domestic movement of freight across the United States. Severe weather events like blizzards, hurricanes, and thunderstorms can disrupt transportation networks, causing road closures, port shutdowns, and flight cancellations.

Recent events on I-80 along Donner Pass left hundreds of trucks stranded. Driver lives were in danger and millions of dollars worth of goods are stuck/spoiled.

Semi-trucks carry roughly $4.7M in goods over Donner Summit hourly, meaning this 3-day closure will likely cost well over $300M.

Recently, I had the pleasure of talking about his very subject with Scott Pecoriello, Founder and CEO of WeatherOptics, which helps logistics companies plan for weather just like this through intelligence. Scott mentioned on LinkedIn that this was "avoidable."

A massive blizzard, described by a meteorologist as "the worst we've seen," slammed into the Sierra Nevadas. This brutal storm shut down a major stretch of Interstate 80 in Northern California, forced ski resorts to close their doors, and plunged thousands of homes into darkness.

Texas Wildfires

Wildfires in Texas have resulted in a devastating toll, claiming two lives, destroying 500 structures, and scorching over 1 million acres since February 26, according to NBC News. The state declared an emergency late last week due to the widespread and severe damage caused by these raging fires.

In response to this emergency situation, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has taken measures to facilitate disaster assistance efforts. Vehicle registration requirements, as well as size and weight restrictions for commercial motor vehicle operators providing aid in Texas, have been temporarily suspended.