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CUSTOMER ALERT: Hurricane Florence

Published Date


According to news reports, Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville, North Carolina, at 7:15 a.m. EDT with maximum sustained winds around 90 mph. 

Preparing for the Aftermath

If last year’s hurricanes have taught us anything, it’s that while we pray for the best, we also need to prepare for the worst. Although the storm is directly impacting the East Coast (see weather map below), we anticipate that nationwide supply chains could feel disruptions, both immediately and in the days, weeks or even months following the storm. 

Source: Weather.com

What could this mean for you?

If you live or work in one of the states that has already declared an emergency, please carefully monitor weather and news updates. Detailed updates from the National Weather Service can be found by clicking here.

Across all modes, Coyote will strive to meet your emergency needs. If you have questions about a critical supply load, please contact your rep or call 877-6-COYOTE.

Even if you’re not shipping or carrying along the East Coast, you may still feel the effects in your supply chain. Why is that?

Following extreme weather events such as these, it’s not uncommon for inbound and outbound capacity to be limited or disrupted, and for costs to be inflated. As of now, companies are only taking proactive measures that make it difficult to quantify what the true impact will be. As the storm makes landfall, damage from the storm will need to be assessed before actions are taken that will largely impact supply chains. However, potential complications of a severe storm include:

  • Facilities in NC, SC and VA may experience a backlog of freight on their docks from being closed. Shippers may source from somewhere else if they can, otherwise they will have to wait until things are back in motion.
  • Shippers that need to get the product into the facilities in NC, SC and VA may be backlogged because there likely won’t be anyone available to receive them. This could disrupt sales and supply chain movement if shippers outside the impacted areas have excess product with nowhere to send it.
  • Transportation providers may struggle to meet supply demand due to unavailable equipment, drivers and/or lanes.
  • If the affected area gets hit badly, demand for disaster relief freight may spike. If that does happen, the relief efforts will likely come from PA & NJ, which in the short-term could impact outbound rate.

No matter what happens, you can rely on Coyote to provide you with up-to-date information about potential impacts to your supply chains in the days and weeks to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who may be affected by the incoming storm. Please be safe and contact us for immediate assistance: 877-6-COYOTE