BNSF safely delivered perfection for parcel partners during holiday season
By JASON LAMERS & MIKE PAGEL
Staff writers
One package, one unit and one train at a time, BNSF and its customers work together to safely bring parcels where they’re needed on time. This process happens year-round but is especially important during our Peak Season, the pre-holiday surge when families count on us for the packages and supplies needed to celebrate the holidays.
It’s a demanding time. There’s a lot of freight to move in a short period, and our customers expect 100 percent on-time deliveries.
Despite the challenges, during the 2025 holiday season, our teams turned in another “Perfect Peak.” They safely delivered more than 80 million parcels on time. That’s about a 9-percent increase over 2024.
“Every year at BNSF, we come together to deliver holiday parcels to loved ones all across the country,” said Jon Gabriel, group vice president of consumer products. “Our parcel customers put tremendous trust in us during this critical time of year because of the confidence we’ve built over the years.”
Long before parcels are placed on our intermodal trains, a tremendous amount of time goes into preparation involving many different departments.
“Peak Season never truly ends for us — it’s a year-round commitment,” said Missy Flanery, director of sales. “We take what we’ve learned and immediately start planning for the next, because success is built on preparation and partnership.”
Collaboration is at the heart of this process. Over a six-week period, BNSF hosts over a dozen on-site field planning meetings, including our parcel customers, various BNSF departments and key BNSF partners. The meetings are designed to cover every detail, from train schedules to contingency strategies – ensuring that together, we’re ready to safely deliver exceptional service when demand peaks.
With the weather and other issues of the season, Peak is not without its challenges.
“We preemptively guard against all possible service interruptions, especially during Peak Season,” Gabriel said. “But we know that things sometimes happen that are beyond our control. How we respond to those challenges is what’s important. Time and time again, I’m continuously impressed with how we recover.”
Those strong responses are exemplified through our Good Saves campaign. Each year, we recognize team members who go above and beyond to save parcel shipments from potential service failures.
“When issues surfaced, the teams escalated and resolved without compromising Peak performance,” said Craig Morehouse, senior vice president of network operations and service design, of this year’s Peak Season. “This was an outstanding achievement by everyone involved.”
In a word, it was perfect.
