Planning a cross-country trip this Thanksgiving holiday? Make sure to pack an extra helping of patience for the road.
AAA expects more than 55 million holiday travelers – the highest amount since 2005 – to travel from Wednesday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 1, by train, plane and automobile to holiday destinations.
"Millions of thankful Americans are starting the holiday season off right with a Thanksgiving getaway," said Paula Twidale, vice president, AAA Travel.
AAA expects more than 49 million Americans to travel by automobile over the river and through the woods to their holiday destinations, stuffing already-congested roadways with even more motorists.
Wednesday afternoon is expected to be the worst travel period, with trips taking up to four times longer in metro areas, according to AAA and INRIX, a global transportation analytics company.
Preparation is a key ingredient to any successful move, but especially during the holidays, according to Penske Truck Rental's helpful moving experts.
AAA's 2019 Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Forecast estimates 55.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more to holiday destinations, representing a 2.9 percent increase over last year. Overall, AAA expects 1.6 million more travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday period when compared to 2018 figures.
What is driving the increase?
"Strong economic fundamentals are motivating Americans to venture out this holiday in near-record numbers. Consumer spending remains strong, thanks to increasing wages, disposable income and household wealth, and travel remains one of their top priorities for the holiday season," Twidale said.
Of those travelers, the majority – 89.3 percent are planning to travel to their holiday destination by roadway. Another eight percent are expected to travel by airplane, with the rest taking another mode of transportation such as trains and buses, according to AAA.
Here are our tips for moving or driving over the holiday.
Moving Prep:
Before you get behind the wheel:
Remember, busy roadways will be filled with more than just cars over the extended holiday travel period, with commercial trucks, vans and buses sharing the road.
Penske's 24/7 Roadside Assistance will be available throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to provide assistance for consumer renters and professional truck drivers as needed.
Are you planning an end-of-the-year move? Penske Truck Rental offers free unlimited miles on all one-way truck rentals, discounts for AAA members, college students and members of the military, as well as packing supplies. Are you ready to make a reservation? Visit the Penske Truck Rental website for more information.
By Bernie Mixon
Are you moving to college for the first time? Our Penske summer interns and moving experts share their tips on how to survive college move-in day.
Advice From Our Interns
Penske corporate intern Gabrielle Fulop, a junior at La Salle University, Philadelphia, offers this packing advice: “Do not pack your whole closet, because you will wear the same few outfits every week. Keep everything organized – it will make unpacking easier.”
Intern Fatima Odebisi, a senior at Penn State, State College, Pennsylvania, and a resident assistant on campus, says her biggest advice to a new student is knowing the type of dorm you have.
“For example, a traditional dorm does not have air conditioning, so a fan will be a necessity – whereas a renovated dorm most likely will have air conditioning, so a fan might not be needed,” Odebisi said.
Tips From Our Moving Experts
Penske moving experts offer these Top 10 tips for your move-in day:
Final Moving Thoughts
Penske intern Bobby Kemp, a junior at Penn State, shares an important point about move-in day and leaving for college.
“This moving experience taught me to embrace change rather than run from it, because whether you like the change or not, it is always an experience that you can use to become a better version of yourself,” Kemp said.
Need a truck to move to college? Let Penske Truck Rental assist in making your move stress-free.
By Emma Creamer, Communications and PR Intern
With warm-weather holidays and school vacations as the backdrop, summer has long been a traditional busy moving season for families.
It can be a stress-filled time for parents charged with managing the logistics of a do-it-yourself household move and finding ways to keep their little movers occupied.
The Penske Truck Rental Activity BookPenske-Truck-Rental-Activity-Book.pdf offers a way for young children to participate in the move without lifting a box.
The 10-page book is filled with activities such as:
The book also contains a two-page pullout section with landmarks commonly found in new hometowns, including a school, library, playground and market.
When complete, it can serve as your child’s first piece of refrigerator art or a display to hang on the wall in their new bedroom.
On the back, kids can color their own Penske moving truck. Parents: Follow Penske Truck Rental on social media and share your child’s truck. Remember to use the hashtag #PenskeMovingKids.
The books will be available at rental counters at Penske Truck Rental locations when picking up your truck or for convenient download by clicking the below link.
Penske Truck Rental Activity BookPenske-Truck-Rental-Activity-Book.pdf
Do you have tips on how to keep young minds busy? Or, your favorite memory of your family’s cross-country move? Share them with us in the comment section below.
By Bernie Mixon
As the Memorial Day holiday is set to shift into high gear, drivers – including do-it-yourself movers – are encouraged to pack a little patience for the road.
More than 37 million drivers are expected during the long holiday weekend, which starts today and continues through Monday – an increase of 3.5% over last year and the most on record for the Memorial Day holiday.
Penske and AAA have assembled tips for drivers – a Memorial Day travel survival guide – on how to navigate during the busy holiday.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer,” said Julie Hall, AAA spokesperson. “Many Americans will kick off the summer travel season by taking advantage of the long weekend to travel to favorite destinations with friends and family.”
Trains, Planes and Automobiles
AAA expects an increase in Americans traveling by train, plane and automobiles this Memorial Day weekend.
“This Memorial Day will be a busy one. Nearly 43 million Americans will start their summers on a high note with a Memorial Day weekend getaway. This long holiday weekend will see the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel volumes dating back to 2000, trailing only the bar set in 2005,” Hall said.
Overall, an additional 1.5 million more people will take to the nation’s roads, rails and runways compared with last year, a 3.6% increase
With drivers making up the overwhelming majority of travelers, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predicts travel delays on major roads could be more than three times longer than normal evening commutes.
The greatest amount of congestion is expected on Thursday and Friday in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early to get a jump on holiday traffic.
Recognizing this, preparation will be key. Hall has these tips for drivers:
Joining motorists and do-it-yourself movers on crowded roadways will be professional truck drivers and their commercial vehicles.
Sharing the road takes on special significance during busy times like holiday travel seasons, so the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed the “Our Roads, Our Responsibility” program featuring road sharing tips for passenger and commercial vehicle drivers.
Special emphasis is paid to improving driving behavior, learning to coexist on the same roadways, and working together to reduce crashes.
Summer Moving Season
Memorial Day also signals the start to the busy summer moving season, as do-it-yourself movers pack up for moves across town and across the country.
Penske’s helpful moving advisors are ready to help at each stage of the move from selecting the right truck, planning routes, and how to prepare for moving day.
Our moving experts offer these tips for Memorial Day do-it-yourself movers:
Ready to get started planning your summer do-it-yourself move?
Penske Truck Rental offers free unlimited miles on all one-way truck rentals, discounts for AAA members, college students and members of the military as well as packing supplies and 24/7 roadside assistance. Are you ready to make a reservation? Visit the Penske Truck Rental website for more information.
By Bernie Mixon
Are you planning a do-it-yourself move over the Thanksgiving holiday? Penske Truck Rental is encouraging consumers to pack a heaping helping of patience.
Travel experts expect more Americans to head to holiday destinations this year, an increase that is sure to produce delays and test the patience of drivers.
AAA expects more than 54 million holiday travelers – the highest amount since 2005 – to travel from Wednesday to Sunday by train, plane and automobile to holiday destinations. More than 48.5 million of them will drive, which is a nearly five percent increase over last year.
Source: AAA
For consumer renters, as well as professional truck drivers, that means sharing already-congested roadways with more motorists than usual.
“A strong economy and labor market are generating higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth, enabling more confident consumers to spend on travel this holiday season,” said Julie Hall, AAA spokesperson.
To help holiday movers, Penske’s moving experts offered these tips:
Hall also provided some tips of her own.
“Pack your patience. Also, get plenty of rest before setting out on a road trip, and schedule breaks every two hours or 100 miles to remain alert and avoid driving drowsy,” she said.
The roadways will be filled with more than just cars over the extended holiday travel period, with commercial vehicles, vans and buses sharing the road.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed the “Our Roads, Our Responsibility” program featuring road sharing tips for passenger and commercial vehicle drivers.
Penske’s 24/7 Roadside Assistance will be here throughout the Thanksgiving holiday travel period to provide assistance for consumer renters and our professional truck drivers in the unlikely event your Penske truck experiences mechanical difficulties.
Are you planning an end-of-the-year move? Penske Truck Rental offers free unlimited miles on all one-way truck rentals, discounts for AAA members, college students and members of the military as well as packing supplies and 24/7 roadside assistance. Are you ready to make a reservation? Visit the Penske Truck Rental website for more information.
By Bernie Mixon