Delivering Safety in a Season of Demand

By Paige DeBaylo, director of the MSD Solutions Lab, and Julia Kite-Laidlaw, senior program manager of Road to Zero

For many households, the holiday season starts long before decorations go up. It begins in delivery vans navigating packed highways, warehouse teams moving record volumes of packages, and drivers who keep essential goods flowing across the country.  

This surge in activity brings convenience to consumers but also creates risks for the workers who make it possible. Delivery personnel, warehouse employees and transportation workers face mounting pressure at this time of year: tighter timelines, longer hours and more stops — all while navigating hazardous winter roads and holiday traffic.

At NSC, we want this season to be “the most wonderful time of year” for everyone, including the workers delivering holiday cheer. That starts with understanding the risks they face and advancing proven prevention strategies that protect both their safety and health.

Where Roadway Safety and MSD Risk Meet

Roadway hazards and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as sprains and strains, may seem like separate issues, but for delivery workers, they often happen at the same time. Their job requires them to drive in potentially challenging conditions and constantly move between the vehicle and the doorstep — lifting, carrying, bending, twisting and climbing in and out of trucks, often hundreds of times per shift.

The seasonal spike in demand increases these risks: 

• More deliveries mean more vehicles on the road and more repetitive motions that strain muscles, tendons and joints
• Overloaded vehicles and rushed schedules can increase the likelihood of improper lifting and reaching
• Fatigue from long hours can impair both roadway awareness and physical form during material handling tasks

Driving cautiously during winter weather is important for the safety of workers on the road and anyone who commutes. Wet or icy conditions reduce tire traction and require longer stopping distances, and snowfall can drastically reduce visibility. These factors can increase the probability of a collision.

MSDs are the most common workplace injury, and the transportation and warehousing industry consistently has some of the highest rates. As workloads climb in November and December, those injury risks increase too.

The Business Impact of Seasonal Strain

MSDs weaken workforce capacity, threaten retention and can significantly increase costs associated with lost time, workers’ compensation and temporary staffing. Over $4.8 billion in direct workers’ compensation costs came from injuries in the warehousing and transportation industry, according to the 2025 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index .

Similarly, roadway incidents involving commercial drivers are not only tragic, but expensive and disruptive. Preventing injuries helps support productivity, reliability and morale during the busiest time of year.

How the MSD Solutions Lab and NSC Roadway Safety Efforts Are Driving Change

At NSC, our MSD Solutions Lab is focused on reducing workplace MSDs through innovation, research and collaboration. We work with employers across all industries, including warehousing, delivery and transportation, to identify risks and implement practical, evidence-based solutions.

Here are some ways to help protect workers:

• Design workflows that reduce physical effort: Engineering and administrative controls, such as adjustable shelves, use of carts and lift-assist tools, can significantly decrease physical strain.
• Address fatigue: Fatigue impacts reaction time, decision-making and physical performance. Employers can monitor overtime and scheduling, encourage realistic delivery quotas, implement breaks and promote hydration and stretching.
• Listen to the frontline: Workers know where risks exist, especially during seasonal surges. Employers are encouraged to collect and respond to worker feedback, test new equipment with frontline teams, measure both leading and lagging indicators of MSD risk, and build a culture that rewards reporting and continuous improvement.

Because so many delivery and transportation workers spend much of their day on the road, roadway safety is just as critical as reducing physical strain. The NSC Road to Zero Coalition is working to eliminate U.S. traffic deaths by promoting proven safety strategies and supporting a roadway system that protects everyone. 

Here are ways employers can support safer driving habits: 

• Lead by example: When roadway risks increase, remind workers never to rush, encourage safe parking and delivery practices, and offer winter-weather driving courses. Set clear policies so workers know they’re never expected to answer calls or texts while driving. 
• Consider safer vehicles and technology: Many newer vehicles include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems that help prevent crashes and support safer driving. Make sure workers understand how these features work and what different alerts mean. Employers can also consider technologies like Intelligent Speed Assistance since speed plays a major role in crash severity.

A Safer Season for All

The holidays should never come at the expense of workers’ health. By integrating MSD prevention with roadway safety strategies, employers can protect the people who keep our world moving — not just in November and December, but year-round.

At NSC, we’re committed to partnering with employers to make that vision a reality. Learn more at nsc.org/msd and nsc.org/road.