The holiday season is the busiest and riskiest time of year for truckers. Freight rates climb, delivery windows tighten, and more cars flood the highways as families hit the road for travel. For many drivers and small trucking businesses, December is their highest-earning month.
And that’s exactly why an accident right now hurts more than usual.
Whether you’re an owner-operator or run a small expedited operation, a crash during the holidays can take your truck off the road longer, cost more to repair, and result in significantly higher downtime losses. Understanding these seasonal challenges and preparing for them can help protect your business and keep your revenue from slipping away.
Why Holiday Accidents Are More Expensive
- Higher-Value Loads Mean Bigger Downtime Losses
During November and December, many carriers and owner-operators haul peak-season freight:
- retail goods
- expedited shipments
- high-demand, high-paying lanes
The per-day earnings are higher, which means each day your truck sits in a body shop equals greater revenue lost.
- Body Shops Slow Down — or Shut Down
Many shops operate with:
- limited holiday staffing
- planned closures
- backlog from pre-holiday crashes
This means a repair that normally takes 10 days might take 20–30 days in December.
Longer repair time = more downtime = bigger losses.
- Insurance Adjusters Are Out of Office
Carriers handle a flood of holiday claims, and many adjusters are away for vacation.
Less staff = slower approvals for:
- inspections
- repair authorizations
- rental or replacement requests
- settlement discussions
A delay of even one week during peak season can cost a trucker thousands of dollars.
- More Passenger Vehicles = More Crashes
Holiday travel surges dramatically — especially around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
More cars + more distracted drivers + bad weather = more collisions.
With heightened risk, truckers must be prepared for the possibility that an accident will disrupt their busiest weeks.
What You Should Do If You’re in an Accident This Holiday Season
- Report the Accident and Start the Claim Immediately
Time is your biggest advantage.
The earlier you initiate a claim, the sooner:
- adjusters are assigned
- inspections are scheduled
- repair timelines begin
- downtime documentation starts
Even submitting the basic claim notice immediately can save days.
- Document Everything From Day One
Keep organized records of:
- load confirmations
- settlement sheets
- pre-accident revenue
- repair estimates
- communications with insurers
- shop delays or holiday closures
Better documentation = stronger downtime recovery.
- Track Your Actual Lost Revenue
You can’t recover downtime without proving it.
Make sure you track:
- daily gross revenue before the crash
- missed loads
- canceled routes
- overhead expenses paid during downtime
Holiday income is higher; make sure you capture its full value.
- Don’t Let the Insurance Company Treat It Like a Car Claim
You are not a typical passenger-vehicle claimant.
Your truck is your business.
If the insurance company undervalues your downtime, delays the process, or ignores your evidence, seek help immediately. The longer your truck sits, the more money you lose.
Protect Your Holiday Income — Even After an Accident
Accidents in December can have a disproportionate impact on truckers and owner-operators. Slower repairs, higher freight income, and delayed adjuster responses can all combine to create major financial losses.
You deserve to be compensated fairly, not just for the damage to your equipment, but for the income you lost while sidelined.
Need Help Recovering Holiday Downtime Losses?
If an accident takes your truck off the road this season, Eckert & Associates, P.A. is here to protect your income and help you recover every dollar.
Call 1-800-DOWNTIME
or visit DowntimeClaims.com
for a free consultation.
Let our team help keep your business moving through the holidays and into the new year.