Logistics of 4th of July

Fourth of July, also called Independence Day, marks the historic date in 1776 when Congress and the 13 colonies declared independence from Great Brittan.

The first-year fireworks were used to celebrate was in 1777, one year after the Declaration of Independence was issued. Congress authorized fireworks to mark the first anniversary. To this day, the tradition of firework shows continues.

Based on Marketplace, firework consumption has been increasing since the beginning of the 2000s. In 2022, the firework consumption was over 460 million pounds, with 430 million pounds of consumer fireworks and the rest is commercial fireworks. Meanwhile, it was only over 150 million pounds in 2000. The biggest jump was between 2019 and 2020, going from 270 million to 404 million pounds.

Fireworks are not the only significant activity on Independence Day. To most Americans, beautiful summer weather means it is a good day for barbecue. Hot dogs are the most popular choice among Americans on this day. Between Memorial Day and July 4, hot dog producers sell more than a third of all the hot dogs they sell the rest of the year. Over 150 million hot dogs will be consumed on July 4th. If the hot dogs were put next to each other, the line they create would be 14,000 miles long, which can stretch across the 10 largest cities in the United States.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council —and yes, there is a National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, and yes, we also didn’t know about them until we were doing our research for this article—says that in 2023, Americans spent more than $8 billion just on hot dogs and sausages for the fourth of July. Along with individual consumption, there are competitions for eating hot dogs at certain times on this day. Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating competition is one of them, and the record belongs to Joey Chestnut of Indianapolis with 75 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

During a period when consumption is high, the supply chain industry is busy. Since the demand for freight is high, supply chain businesses face a capacity crisis on containers, resulting in higher freight prices and higher prices for the products they carry.

Based on All Getaways, the fourth of July, the United States’ summer holiday, is one of the busiest travel times of the year. In 2012, 42 million people traveled during this holiday. The concentration of vehicles on the road affects supply chain business with restrictions on freight travel for the day. Most states have prohibitions and restrictions on certain freight travel types, such as oversize and overweight. In order to learn more about regulations, please check out the Department of Transportation website for your state.