From delays to traffic snarls and parking shortages, professional truck drivers deal with plenty of challenges on any given day. Holidays — like the upcoming Labor Day weekend — bring a handful of new hazards along for the ride.
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer for many people, which means the roads are usually packed with passenger vehicles. On top of that, some of those vehicles will be towing boats or campers, putting more unfamiliar combinations of vehicles and trailers into the traffic mix. Speeding and distracted driving may abound as families navigate traffic while attempting to corral young passengers.
As they used to say on TV, “But wait, there’s more!”
Many warehouses and receiving facilities will have altered hours or be shut down altogether. That means freight will be sitting longer than usual — whether in a truck stop parking lot or at the facilities themselves — creating additional opportunities for cargo theft.
In other words, drivers will need to keep a close eye on both the traffic around them and the load behind them.
Risky driving increases on Labor Day.
According to an analysis from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), motorists tend to take more risks on Labor Day than on comparable Mondays surrounding the holiday. CMT analyzed more than 32 million trips taken from 2023-2025 and found increases in distracted driving, speeding and distraction at highway speeds.
According to Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2020-2024, Labor Day averaged 116 fatal crashes — 12% more than on a typical Monday surrounding the holiday weekend. Fatal crashes involving speeding were 36% higher.
CMT analysis shows that drivers spend 8.5% more time on their cellphones on Labor Day than on a typical Monday, increasing from 1 minute and 43 seconds to 1 minute and 52 seconds per driving hour.
That distraction builds as the day goes on.
From 7-9 a.m., CMT research shows, distraction levels are 6.1% higher than normal. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., it climbs to 9.2% above typical levels. The most significant increase is from 3-5 p.m., when drivers spend 11.1% more time interacting with their phones than during the same period on a typical Monday.
The early-morning and late-afternoon windows could be particularly important for professional truck drivers to keep in mind, because motorists are not just more distracted than usual.
They are also speeding more on Labor Day — 34% more overall.
That average fluctuates quite a bit during different times of the day. CMT found that speeding nearly doubled from 7-9 a.m., increasing 90%. From 3- 5 p.m., it’s 78% higher than normal.
Distraction at highway speeds also increases.
CMT defines high-speed distraction as phone movement with the screen on while a vehicle is traveling above 50 mph. That behavior increases 12.7% overall on Labor Day, with an 18.8% increase between 3 and 5 p.m.
For truck drivers, these stats are a reminder that staying focused behind the wheel is only part of the equation. Professional drivers also have to anticipate the actions of motorists around them — including drivers who may be looking at a phone, speeding or doing both.
Federal crash data also suggests Labor Day carries increased roadway risk.
According to Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2020-2024, Labor Day averaged 116 fatal crashes — 12% more than on a typical Monday surrounding the holiday weekend. Fatal crashes involving speeding were 36% higher.
The risk doesn’t end when the truck stops.
Traffic won’t be the only concern for truckers this weekend. Cargo security company Overhaul is warning members of the freight industry to prepare for heightened cargo theft risks surrounding Labor Day.
Because Labor Day falls on Monday, some shippers and receivers may fail to account for the holiday when scheduling pickups and deliveries. Overhaul advises shippers and carriers to carefully review delivery schedules and confirm operating hours at receiving facilities for loads moving between Friday, Sept. 4, and Monday, Sept. 7.
This matters to drivers because a receiver operating on reduced hours — or closed entirely — can result in a loaded trailer sitting much longer than expected.
Cargo thieves know that.
According to Overhaul, holiday weekends can create opportunities for both pilferage and full-load theft as trailers sit unattended, warehouses operate with reduced staffing, and security is scaled back.
Those conditions can also delay the discovery of a theft until well after it occurs.
Truck drivers need to know the plan before pulling away from the shipper: Confirm delivery information and holiday operating hours whenever possible. If a load is likely to arrive when a receiver is closed, drivers should communicate with their carrier or dispatcher rather than assume there will be a secure place to stage the trailer.
Cargo theft isn’t always a cut lock.
Drivers should also remember that today’s cargo theft schemes may not look like traditional theft. Deception continues to play a major role in cargo crime, including double brokering, fraudulent carrier identities, spoofed communications and falsified paperwork.
Holiday weekends can make those schemes harder to detect because the gap between a theft and its discovery may stretch across several days.
This makes unexpected changes worth a second look.
Unusual delivery instructions, last-minute location changes, questionable paperwork or communications that don’t match information provided by the carrier should be verified before a driver acts on them.
Choose your stops carefully.
When stopping over the holiday period, Overhaul recommends using well-lit, secure parking areas whenever possible.
If circumstances allow, drivers can also make a trailer less accessible by backing the trailer doors toward a solid surface.
Drivers should follow their carrier’s cargo-security procedures, avoid leaving loaded equipment unattended unnecessarily, and report suspicious activity or evidence of tampering as quickly as possible.
If a theft is suspected, drivers should contact their carrier and follow company procedures for notifying law enforcement rather than attempting to confront suspected thieves themselves.
Stay alert from start to finish.
Labor Day weekend can put professional drivers in a difficult position, whether they’re rolling down the highway or parked.
A little extra planning can help reduce both risks. A few commonsense tips:
- Know where you’re going;
- Know when the receiver will be open;
- Give yourself extra room around unpredictable motorists;
- Choose parking carefully; and
- Keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t seem right.
This Labor Day weekend, protect yourself — and protect your cargo.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
