How the Super Bowl Could Create Load Opportunities for Specialty Carriers
For most Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is an event we only experience from our living rooms. But for the lucky 72,220 people who have a ticket to Super Bowl LI (aka "51") at NRG Stadium in Houston, the event experience will be filled with food, merchandise, entertainment and, of course, football. Pulling off an event the size of the Super Bowl is no easy task. Coordinators will be organizing every moment, down to the second. That includes the behind-the-scenes deliveries of goods, materials and merchandise that make the Super Bowl experience what we all imagine it to be. While most viewers won't have tickets to the big game, carriers who can manage expedited and specialty freight could end up being the big winners of the night. Here are five things that support the Super Bowl experience that may create load opportunities for carriers with the qualifications to move them.
Food and beverage deliveries
The Super Bowl and food go hand in hand. In 2016, average spending per person on food and beverage at the Super Bowl was $87.57. It's safe to assume that billions more were spent by fans who watched from restaurants, bars or ordered pizza. Whether you are delivering directly to the game site, or to any of the numerous restaurants or bars across the country that do big business on Super Bowl Sunday, demand for food and beverage supplies will be high. Food vendors may double, or triple, supply orders as ticket holders, tailgaters and Super Bowl party-goers order up their favorite snacks and drinks.Merchandise
Of course, merchandise for both teams is being mass produced and fans are already gearing up with their team's shirts, caps, and foam fingers before the game. On top of that, "Super Bowl Champion" merchandise printed for both teams will be delivered to the stadium and official merchandising outlets – though only the winning team's wares will be available for purchase. And while the home cities of the two teams competing will see the biggest concentrations of merchandise in stores, online retailers will have merchandise stockpiles waiting in distribution centers for online order fulfillment after the final play of the game.Gear and rigging
We all know that the Super Bowl is not JUST a football game. It's a production. The world-wide broadcast and concert-quality halftime show requires the use of cameras, lighting, rigging, sound and production equipment that rival anything found at a movie studio. All of that equipment requires extra power in the form of auxiliary power units (APUs) and generators. Delivery of these items is time-sensitive and critical to the successful broadcast of the event.Construction materials
If you are watching the game from home, it may seem as if all the preparations come together seamlessly in a matter of weeks. But cities that host a Super Bowl know years in advance that the big game is coming to their town. Often they'll try to fast-track large infrastructure improvements in order to ease movement into and out of the city and game venue for visitors. Road and airport construction projects are sometimes as much a part of game preparation as team warm-ups. These projects require massive amounts of construction materials. And though they may not be as visible as other aspects of game-day logistics, on-time deliveries for these construction projects – even years ahead of kick-off – helps the game go off without a hitch.Outbound shipments after the game
Of course, anything not consumed during the course of the game itself must go somewhere afterward. Load opportunities for outbound shipments may be available for carriers who can haul expedited shipments and meet special handling requirements.
Special event shipments can potentially create new and profitable opportunities for carriers willing to invest in the additional equipment and resources required for this niche market. If you are looking for expedited, high-value or specialty loads for your fleet, or want to find out the requirements for contracting with J.B. Hunt as an expedited carrier, email our expedited team at expedited@jbhunt.com.