Every year, Black Friday brings record-breaking sales and record-breaking shipping stress. For retailers, manufacturers, and distributors, the weeks around Thanksgiving can either be a huge opportunity or a logistical nightmare. While most teams focus on marketing and promotions, the companies that win Black Friday are the ones that start preparing their logistics strategy 4-6 weeks in advance.
If you wait until orders start flooding in, it’s already too late. Here are three essential strategies, with real tactics, to get ahead of the chaos and ensure your shipments arrive on time.
1. Secure your freight capacity before everyone else does (and know when to do it)
The biggest challenge of Black Friday isn’t finding customers. It’s finding trucks. From mid-October through December, carrier capacity can drop by 20-30%, while freight rates spike by 15-40% depending on the lane. “Available truck” becomes a rare phrase fast.
What to do instead:
- Book freight 3-4 weeks out, especially for high-demand lanes like the Midwest to East Coast or West Coast to Texas.
- Use digital freight platforms like GoShip to compare multiple carriers and lock in rates before demand peaks. Think of it like booking flights early to avoid price surges.
- Negotiate long-term contracts with preferred carriers before October. Many 3PLs offer volume discounts or dedicated capacity for customers who commit early.
Pro tip: If you shipped 10 FTL loads last Black Friday, plan for 12-15 this year and book them now. Overestimating capacity is cheaper than scrambling for last-minute trucks at premium rates.
2. Spread your shipments. Don’t send everything at once
It’s tempting to push all your shipments right before Black Friday, but November 18-22 is when the system gets overwhelmed. Warehouses, ports, and distribution centers hit maximum capacity, and delays compound fast.
Smarter approach:
- Start moving inventory in early November (or even late October). Stagger shipments across 2-3 weeks instead of cramming them into one.
- Use a multi-modal strategy: LTL for smaller, frequent replenishments; FTL for bulk inventory moves; and expedited options only when truly necessary.
- If you manage multiple warehouses, pre-position stock in regional DCs closer to your end customers. This reduces last-mile delivery time and cuts costs during peak demand.
Example: Instead of shipping 5 FTL loads the week of November 18, send 2 loads the first week of November, 2 more the second week, and 1 the week before Thanksgiving. Your warehouses will thank you, and you’ll avoid the rush.
3. Build a backup plan (and track everything in real time)
Even the best logistics plan faces surprises: weather delays, carrier cancellations, highway closures. Peak season doesn’t forgive slow reactions. That’s why flexibility and visibility are non-negotiable.
How to stay ahead:
- Line up 2-3 backup carriers for your most critical lanes. If your primary carrier falls through, you can pivot in hours, not days.
- Use real-time tracking for every shipment. Platforms like GoShip give you live updates from pickup to delivery, so you catch problems before they snowball.
- Set up delivery alerts for your customers. Proactive communication (even about delays) builds trust and reduces inbound support tickets.
Pro tip: Create a “crisis contact list” with your top 5 carriers, your 3PL account manager, and your warehouse managers. When something goes wrong at 7 PM on a Friday, you’ll know exactly who to call.
Bonus: Know your peak shipping dates (and avoid them)
Here are the busiest shipping days around Black Friday according to freight industry reports and carrier data:
- November 18-22: Highest demand, tightest capacity, most expensive rates.
- December 2-6: Second wave as Cyber Monday orders convert to shipments.
- December 16-20: Last-minute holiday panic mode.
Your advantage? Ship around these dates. Early November and the first week of December offer better rates and more reliable service.
You can’t control the chaos of Black Friday, but you can control how prepared you are for it. By securing freight early, spreading shipments strategically, and building flexibility into your supply chain, you’ll protect your profits, your customer relationships, and your sanity.
At GoShip, we help businesses do exactly that: compare rates, find reliable carriers, and book shipments with confidence before the rush begins.
Because when everyone else is scrambling for trucks, you’ll already be on the road.