Nearly 50 million Americans expected to travel on July 4th; almost 44 million to hit the highway

There will be 47.7 million people travelling across the country during the upcoming Fourth of July holidays. This is the AAA's forecast, and it seems to be a record, as it will be the second-highest Independence Day travel volume, trailing only 2019, with a 5% increase this year. 

Road trips will remain the favourite ones - chosen by more than 91% of travellers - despite the highest gas prices in seven years. That's why truckers should prepare to share the roads with many more motorists than usual. 

"Travel is in full swing this summer, as Americans eagerly pursue travel opportunities they've deferred for the last year-and-a-half," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel. "We saw strong demand for travel around Memorial Day and the kick-off of summer, and all indications now point to a busy Independence Day to follow."

It is for sure good news for the economy and the travel industry in the post-pandemic era. Still, everybody hitting the roads will have to be careful as traffic and congestion are expected to be massive. 

INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the worst congestion heading into the holiday weekend as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travellers, along with the return trip on Monday mid-day. 

Major metro areas across the U.S. could see nearly double the delays versus typical drive times, with drivers in Boston and San Francisco likely to experience almost three times the delays.

"With travellers eager to hit the road this summer, we're expecting nationwide traffic volumes to increase about 15% over normal this holiday weekend. Drivers around major metro areas must be prepared for significantly more delays," says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst, INRIX. "Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. Our advice is to avoid travelling on Thursday and Friday afternoon, along with Monday mid-day."

There's nothing you can do to avoid the high traffic at all if you're working as a trucker in those days, but you can always get prepared at its best to face it. For sure, one of the most effective ways to get ready is to rest properly. Have a look at Kogler's mattresses for trucks and discover how they will be your best companion for a good night's sleep.