No avoiding this years Christmas rush

Understanding Peak Season Pressures

The peak shipping season, typically running from August through January, represents the ultimate stress test for global supply chains. What starts as back-to-school shipments flows into Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, and January sales—creating months of elevated volumes that strain every link in the logistics chain.

Port congestion at facilities like Felixstowe and Southampton doesn’t happen in isolation. These bottlenecks create cascading effects:

• Vessels wait longer for berths, disrupting schedules globally
• Containers stack up at terminals, reducing operational efficiency
• Empty containers become scarce where they’re needed most
• Inland transport becomes overwhelmed with surge volumes
• Warehouses reach capacity, slowing the entire system

The Perfect Storm of Challenges

Multiple factors converge during peak season to create particularly challenging conditions:

Volume Surge Retail inventory for the holiday season can represent 30-40% of annual sales, compressed into a few months of shipping. This surge overwhelms infrastructure designed for average volumes.

Labour Constraints The logistics sector faces ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining workers, from port operators to HGV drivers. Peak season exacerbates these shortages when demand is highest.

Equipment Imbalances Containers, chassis, and other equipment become imbalanced as the system struggles to reposition assets where needed. Empty containers stack up in consumption markets whilst manufacturing regions face shortages.

Weather Vulnerabilities Winter weather adds another variable, potentially disrupting already strained operations at ports, airports, and on roads.

Planning Strategies for Peak Season Success

Successful navigation of peak season requires proactive planning and flexible execution:

Early Planning

• Forecast requirements as early as possible
• Book capacity well in advance
• Build buffer time into shipping schedules
• Consider alternative routing options

Inventory Strategy

• Forward-position inventory where possible
• Split shipments to reduce single-point risks
• Maintain safety stock for critical items
• Consider air freight for time-critical goods

Communication Protocols

• Establish clear communication channels with suppliers
• Set realistic expectations with customers
• Monitor shipment progress actively
• Prepare contingency plans for delays

Flexibility and Alternatives

• Consider alternative ports and routes
• Evaluate different transport modes
• Build relationships with multiple carriers
• Maintain operational flexibility

The Role of Freight Forwarders During Peak Season

During peak season disruptions, experienced freight forwarders become invaluable:

Market Intelligence Understanding which ports face congestion, which carriers have capacity, and which routes remain viable requires constant market monitoring and industry relationships.

Alternative Solutions When standard routes fail, forwarders leverage their networks to find alternatives—whether that’s routing through different ports, using rail connections, or combining transport modes.

Consolidated Buying Power Individual shippers struggle to secure space during peak season. Forwarders’ volume commitments and carrier relationships provide access to capacity when it’s scarcest.

Documentation Expertise Peak season often requires creative routing that involves multiple countries and modes. Managing the associated documentation requires expertise to avoid customs delays.

Regional Considerations

Asia-Europe Trade The massive volume of goods flowing from Asian manufacturing to European consumers makes this trade lane particularly vulnerable to peak season congestion. Alternative routings through Middle Eastern or Mediterranean ports sometimes provide relief.

Transatlantic Trade US East Coast ports often experience severe congestion during peak season. Routing through Canadian ports or using West Coast ports with rail connections can provide alternatives.

Intra-European Movement Even within Europe, peak season creates challenges. The combination of increased e-commerce volumes and traditional retail peaks strains road networks and distribution centres.

Learning from Peak Season Challenges

Each peak season provides lessons for improving future performance:

Infrastructure Investment Ports and terminals gradually expand capacity, though rarely keeping pace with volume growth.

Technology Adoption Digital tools for visibility, planning, and coordination become more sophisticated and widely adopted.

Supply Chain Redesign Companies reconsider their supply chain designs, potentially near-shoring or diversifying supplier bases.

Collaborative Approaches Increased collaboration between shippers, forwarders, and carriers helps optimise scarce resources.

Beyond Christmas: Year-Round Preparation

Whilst Christmas drives the highest peaks, modern e-commerce creates mini-peaks throughout the year—Valentine’s Day, Easter, Prime Day, Black Friday. Success requires year-round preparation rather than seasonal panic.