In addition to the lives lost and the massive inconvenience to many drivers, Friday morning’s plane crash threatened to throttle commerce around metro Atlanta.
Among the thousands of vehicles grinding to a halt – then crawling slowly off the closed I-285 – were some of the trucks that carry more than two-thirds of the nation’s freight.
Atlanta has long been a hub for rail, air and highways. And with more than 5.5 million residents, the region depends on trucks for its food and goods.
Companies that depend on trucking scrambled to adjust.
“We are making pickups and deliveries - just not as quickly as we typically do,” Paul Peck, vice president of operations at Saia Inc., a 9,000-employee trucking firm based in Johns Creek, said during the I-285 shutdown.
Local customers knew about the crash and the tie-ups and understood delays, he said. “However, it is more difficult to effectively communicate to our customers across the country why their shipment(s) might be delayed.”
Saia drivers did what they could to find alternate paths to their customers, Peck said.
“We do have the ability to re-route our drivers but in instances like this, secondary roads are just as congested - especially given Atlanta’s lack of highway infrastructure.”
By afternoon, the Georgia Department of Transportation had waived the ban on big rigs using the Connector to pass through Atlanta.
Technology, from smart phones to more sophisticated devices, helped spread the word and enable some drivers to avoid trouble.
Sandy Springs-based UPS said messages were sent to drivers’ hand held devices after the crash, advising them to stay off I-285 until further notice.
Memphis-based FedEx took a similar tack. “We are rerouting vehicles as a contingency to help lessen the effect on service, as well as adjusting some local pick-up and delivery times,” a spokeswoman said.
Undoubtedly, many of those stuck in traffic were late for work, sales calls, meetings or flights from Hartsfield-Jackson International. The logjam was “certainly something on our radar, not only from a customer perspective but an employee perspective to be able to get around,” Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said.
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