AAA predicts traffic will “be a doozy!”
The American Automobile Association (AAA) – long known for its accuracy in predicting holiday traffic volumes – has projected a 7% increase in travel volumes for the upcoming holiday weekend compared to last year. The majority of Americans traveling over Memorial Day weekend will drive. Just think of it: 37.1 million holiday drivers on the road, competing with ICSA members and other truckers and clogging up traffic everywhere, but most definitely in major metro areas like Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Tampa and other large cities.
AAA also projects that travel times will double in those areas compared to normal traffic flows. Even worse, experience shows that far too many of these drivers will have been drinking, making for even more dangerous driving conditions. So when should you plan to be on the road to avoid traffic jams?
Traffic planners say the heaviest holiday-weekend road traffic is expected on Friday, May 26 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. But the afternoons of Thursday, May 25; Monday, May 29; and Tuesday, May 30 are also going to be high volume, with plenty of potential for congestion and traffic snarls. The best days to travel – whether in a car or driving a truck with a delivery deadline – are Saturday and Sunday.
Lastly, National Safety Council statistics show that the average number of highway deaths over the past six Memorial Day weekends was 398 – a number that would likely have been higher had it not been for reduced travel during the pandemic years. Predictions are running as high as 450 deaths this holiday. Make sure you and/or your drivers aren’t among them. Stay safe out there.
For truckers, testing for marijuana continues. Just as with testing for cocaine, amphetamines, PCP, and opioids, testing for marijuana will continue to be conducted on a pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-duty basis.
As temperatures rise, so do the risks associated with tires, brakes, and overall vehicle condition. Summer heat doesn’t just stress drivers, it amplifies mechanical weaknesses, making maintenance and inspections more important than ever.
The 2026 road construction season is going to be one of the largest in U.S. history and anyone using the roads should be prepared for what’s coming.