AAA predicts that at least 73 million people in the United States will hit the road this week, traveling at least 50 miles to be with loved ones for the Thanksgiving holiday. Depending on the region and the weather, the flurry of travel could mean more job opportunities for shops.
Aaron Bradford of Driftwood Auto Glass has already seen a significant uptick in business.
“I’ve gotten at least five calls already this morning,” said the Brunswick, Georgia-based shop this morning.
Bradford says he does up to twice as much work the week of major holidays, like Thanksgiving. Sometimes, that’s more work than he can reasonably do.
“I end up having to turn jobs away,” Bradford says. “People don’t always plan as they should and wait until the last minute to try and get things fixed before traveling. No shop in this area can accommodate all of that at the last minute.”
Still, he appreciates all the work he can pick up, noting that the boom typically lasts for a few weeks after Thanksgiving as well.
“It’s kind of a breath of fresh air in an otherwise slow time of year,” says Bradford.
Patricia Smiley, president of Columbia, South Carolina-based Quackt Glass, also sees a spike in replacements every Thanksgiving.
“Typically, people all of a sudden decide that they need their windshield replaced last minute, the day before Thanksgiving,” she says. “That means a lot more replacements and same-day add-ons.”
Smiley anticipates an uptick in calls the Saturday after Black Friday as well. Vandals and burglars smash car windows while people are shopping, she says.
Things are a little different up north, according to Minneapolis-based Jeremy Bergum. His company, Clear Vision Auto Glass, has already entered its winter slow season. Thanksgiving doesn’t historically bring him any additional work.
“I think [whether you get more work or not] is regional,” he says. “Once we hit a good cold snap here, there isn’t much to do.”
AAA predicts about 1.6 million more travelers this year versus last Thanksgiving. About 1.3 million of those will be driving.
“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” says Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”
