5 Costly Mistakes Warehouses Make During Peak Season
Every year, the warehouse peak season arrives with a surge of inbound freight, outbound orders, and round-the-clock activity. For many operations, this period makes or breaks profitability. But under pressure, even the best teams make avoidable mistakes. Here are five costly errors to watch for — and how to avoid them this holiday season.
1. Ignoring Inbound Congestion
Dock doors quickly become chokepoints during peak. If inbound scheduling isn’t managed tightly, trailers pile up, inventory sits in staging, and putaway slows down.
Fix: Use a dock scheduling tool or enforce strict appointment windows. Prioritize high-turn SKUs for immediate putaway.
2. Overworking Core Staff
It’s tempting to lean heavily on your most reliable associates. However, burnout can lead to absenteeism, injuries, and increased error rates.
Fix: Spread overtime across the team, rotate tasks, and provide incentives for seasonal staff to take on a greater workload.
3. Skipping Preventive Maintenance
Peak exposes weaknesses in equipment. A single forklift or conveyor failure during Black Friday week can bring operations to a halt.
Fix: Run quick maintenance checks before volumes spike. Stock common spare parts and assign backup equipment.
4. Poor Communication With Carriers
Outbound carriers are stretched thin. Without constant updates, missed pickups and late trailers can cause backlogs and missed delivery windows.
Solution: Establish daily cutoffs, maintain open communication, and confirm carrier commitments in advance.
5. Treating All Orders the Same
Not all orders have equal value. Failing to prioritize high-margin or time-sensitive orders creates revenue and service losses.
Fix: Work with sales/finance teams to identify priority accounts and flag them in your WMS.
Conclusion
The warehouse peak season doesn’t forgive mistakes. By tightening inbound scheduling, protecting your staff, maintaining equipment, improving carrier communication, and prioritizing wisely, you can avoid costly errors and maximize holiday profitability. Small adjustments now will prevent big headaches later.
FAQ Section
Q1: What’s the biggest mistake warehouses make during peak?
Failing to manage labor and dock congestion together creates bottlenecks across the entire operation.
Q2: How can I reduce peak equipment downtime?
Schedule preventive checks before peak, keep backup parts on hand, and assign secondary equipment to critical functions.
Q3: Should warehouses prioritize orders differently during peak?
Yes. High-margin or VIP accounts should be flagged and processed first to protect revenue and service levels.
