What are Truckers Hauling for Thanksgiving This Year?

What are Truckers Hauling for Thanksgiving This Year?

During this time of blessings and gratitude, it's easy for us to forget one fact - the holidays don't happen without truckers. Period. From the plates we're eating off to the delicious bounty on the table, truckers brought it all to make sure you're able to get all the trimmings you need for your holiday season.

Thanksgiving and the December holidays are going to look a little different this year due to the continuing pandemic and the bottlenecked supply chain, but America's backbone – the trucking industry – is still going to be rumbling along cross-country to bring joy to America's tables. So, how are all the Thanksgiving staples faring during this chaotic time?

Turkeys

Although many people prefer ham on Thanksgiving, turkey still reigns supreme. According to the National Turkey Federation (yes, that's a thing), 88 percent of Americans report that they'll be eating turkey for the holiday. While a whopping 292 million Americans enjoyed turkey last year, that number is expected to rise by over 700,000 million this year.

With the average turkey weighing about 16 pounds, projections show Americans spending $927 million on Thanksgiving this year – an increase in almost $150 million from last year.

While these numbers are impressive and Butterball, a top U.S. turkey seller, does not expect a turkey shortage, the company reports that those who go to the store in search of a smaller turkey may be disappointed.

"Typically, a 10 to 12 pound [turkey] up to 14 pounds is going to be more difficult. Anything over 16 pounds -- they'll certainly be more readily available," Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain told "Good Morning America" in a previous interview.

But the reason for the small turkey shortage may not be what you think. Jandrain clarified that without as many people to process turkeys during the pandemic, the turkeys remained on the Butterball farms for a longer period, causing them to grow larger.

Despite the chokehold on the supply chain and the overabundance of large turkeys, truckers can expect to haul about 46 million turkeys for Thanksgiving this year. With turkeys currently 60 percent out of stock across the country, go big or go ham.

Cranberries

Turkey is a big deal, but what's a heaping plate of hot turkey without a sweet side of cranberries? Whether you're Team Canned or Team Fresh, 400 million pounds of cranberries are eaten every year – with only 20 percent eaten during Thanksgiving week.

According to cranberry company Ocean Spray, about 80 million pounds of cranberries will be trucked all over the country by the transportation industry and enjoyed in the U.S. this Thanksgiving. But while cranberry production has stayed afloat during the pandemic by Ocean Spray's 700 family farms, the company reported that other supply chain challenges, including aluminum can and transportation shortages, may cause North Americans to have to be flexible with their cranberry side dishes this year.

"My advice is to be absolutely flexible. Whether it's jellied, whole or fresh cranberries," he added. "Plan early and make sure you get to the grocery store. It will be a happy Thanksgiving, but you have to demonstrate more flexibility than you have in the past," said Ocean Spray CEO and President Tom Hayes in a previous interview with Good Morning America.

Cranberries are currently 20 percent out of stock across the country, supporting Hayes' advice to plan early and be flexible with what stores have to offer.

Sweet Potatoes

America also loves its sweet potatoes, with sweet potato mashes, casseroles, and pies making especially prominent appearances on holiday tables in the South. Whether you like them with butter, topped with melted marshmallows, or with just a pinch of brown sugar, don't worry – the dedicated men and women in truckers haul between 2.4 and 3 billion pounds of sweet potatoes each year to make sure that hundred-year-old sweet potato pie recipe carries on its tradition at your family table.

But with each good put into the supply chain right now, you get a caveat in return. Currently, both yams and sweet potatoes are reported to be 25 percent out of stock. Maybe it's time to fall in love with a new vegetable?

Pumpkin and Pies

Multiple surveys have found that the most popular Thanksgiving dessert is pie, with about 50 million pies of all varieties eaten each year. And a big part of those 50 million pies are pumpkin, with truckers hauling about 25 million pounds of pumpkin this year.

For those of you doing the math, that's about 500 big rigs of pumpkin trucking across the United States to be delivered to your local grocery store when you need it. But go early – refrigerated pie inventories are currently down 5 percent.

Green Beans and Stuffing

Other popular Thanksgiving sides are green bean casserole and boxed stuffing, with the U.S. serving about 40 million green bean casseroles and 60 million boxes of stuffing each year. That many sides mean a lot of heavy hauls – about 80 million pounds of green beans and 22,500,000 pounds of stuffing.

Using an average of 50,000 pounds hauled per truck, it's going to take a little over 65,000 big rigs to get all the green beans, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and other sides where they need to go.

Although there's no evidence of a green bean shortage this year, you may find yourself limited if you're using canned green beans. People overbuying canned goods during the pandemic and current aluminum can shortages may account for emptier shelves, but if you can find fresh at local markets, you're golden.

With stuffing, as with all other Thanksgiving sides – the options may be fewer and with prices the highest they've been in 30 years, they'll also likely be more expensive than you remember.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Retail Goods

The food is the major player on Thanksgiving but with all the flash sales and Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals coming up, truckers and vocational drivers are going to stay busy hauling the hottest merchandise to fulfillment centers, warehouses, and then to the customer.

With nearly 72.4 million people expected to shop Black Friday sales this year and many of those sales happening online due to the pandemic, plus the nearly $2 billion in online sales that typically happen the week after Black Friday, the ecommerce supply chain is going to be busier than ever.

Whether all the electronics, furniture, and gadgets that people go gaga for will actually be in stock and in large quantities by then is anyone's guess.

Thank a Trucker This Holiday Season

Between keeping our shelves stocked with medical, grocery, and paper products during this pandemic and making sure the holidays still happen, we've got a lot to thank truckers for. Whether you know a trucker personally or just see one driving during the holidays, a little wave or acknowledgment goes a long way in making sure these dedicated men and women and feel seen and appreciated.