Trucking in the Chinese New Year can have various challenges that shippers should know when starting. The Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival) celebrates a new year on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. In 2025, this festival will start on January 29th and end on February 12th. During the holiday, ports, factories, and shipping companies in China suspend and halt operations. Due to the shutdowns, supply chains for companies exporting and importing to the U.S. feel the impact. While it impacts international shipping, the Chinese New Year also directly affects domestic shipping. This article will explain what to expect when trucking during the holiday and give steps to mitigate potential disruptions.
What Should You Know When Trucking In The Chinese New Year?
China is the biggest exporter of goods globally, making up nearly 14% of the world’s exports, totaling 3.38 trillion yearly. In 2024, China imported approximately $448.02 into the U.S., making it the country’s third-largest trading partner. With the amount of cargo that comes into the U.S., trucking is directly affected by the Chinese New Year. Most supply chains that ship internationally require trucks for first and last-mile logistics. A common occurrence during the holiday is that ports in China shut down or operate at limited capacity. As limited shipments come into the U.S., truckers that pick up containers at ports face declining business.
Picking up containers from ports and moving them short distances is called drayage, which declines during the Chinese New Year. For supply chains that rely on importation, limited drayage capabilities directly hurt the businesses and fall to the customer. As a result, there is typically a pre-holiday rush where importers bring in higher volumes weeks before the holiday. For truckers, the greater volume can result in capacity constraints where the carriers cannot meet the demand. Truckers may add extra surcharges to compensate, leading to higher transport costs for the shipper and customer. Drivers also take time off during the Chinese New Year to celebrate the holiday and visit their families, leading to driver shortages.
How Can You Prepare?
With the significant impact that the Chinese New Year has on shipping, a shipper must take steps to prevent disruptions. It is vital to plan before the holiday to avoid delays. This can include importing your cargo from China and shipping domestically earlier to avoid potential driver shortages. Even after the celebrations finish, it can take a while before trucking is at full capacity. Having contingency plans and working closely with trucking companies can be essential in preventing delays. Rerouting to different ports can benefit drayage services to ports typically congested during the holiday.
Another way to prepare for domestic shipping during the Chinese New Year is by speaking to a freight broker. Freight brokers connect shippers to truckers that can transport their goods. They do this by having a network of carriers ready to move your goods anywhere in the U.S. Brokers negotiate rates, coordinate pickup and drop off, update clients on shipments, and educate shippers on what to expect. Reach A1 Freight Solutions at 786-375-9420 or info@a1fsinc.inc to talk to a broker regarding your transporting your cargo. We provide services like drayage, expedited, temperature-controlled, heavy haul, and more to ensure your shipment’s success.