How to Deal with Delays in Auto Transport Services
We’re getting into the lean season for car shipping services, which means big changes compared to summer shipping prices and routes. Winter months cause route changes, notably toward the southern United States. As the snows pile up in the north, carriers get out of the way, often running routes through the southern states, or snowbird routes from the north to the south.
But with winter often comes delays in auto transport services. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, and we’re going to outline some of them below.
Article Overview
Delays in auto transport services – what can cause them
Delays in auto transport services can come from literally anywhere. They can be weather related, mechanical issues, booking issues, ease of access issues – the list goes on. Most of the time, delays aren’t all that detrimental, though. For instance, weather related delays will usually delay pickup by a day or two.
Mechanical issues can cause longer delays especially if the truck is no longer able to function. But these are rare. Auto shippers, like most long haul companies, are required to do regular maintenance on their trucks. This is mandated by law for safety and security purposes. But truck breakdowns do happen.
Sometimes delays are caused by unexpected difficulties in accessing pickup or delivery locations. This mostly happens when construction zones pop up and carriers are not ready for them. These tend to result in reroutes and diversions in order to circumvent the construction – or they simply wait for the route to open again.
Delays in auto transport services – how to combat them
Most of the time you can’t really combat delays, at least the unexpected ones. When it comes to weather delays, you can bypass them somewhat by keeping an eye on the weather reports. This only helps so much, of course; you can’t forecast weeks in advance, no one can. But you can take into consideration your area and how the weather usually goes and talk to an agent.
A good way to combat weather and ease of access delays is to get close to a major interstate highway if you aren’t already. Rural areas, or areas that are away from major cities or interstates, tend to be harder for carriers to access. This results in delays in dispatch and pickup, and also increased prices. Getting close to a big city or heavily-traveled interstate can lead to lower wait times and can also help combat the elements, as major highways tend to be plowed first in the event of heavy snows.
Get free quotes for auto transport services today
If you’re interested in shipping a vehicle make sure to fill out our free auto transport quote request form. It’s free and easy to fill out and submit and will get you a free quote to ship your vehicle right away. You can also contact one of our own agents any time, toll-free, at 800-930-7417. They can give you a free quote, answer questions, and much more. So go ahead, let us help you and find out what we can do to make your moving experience easier.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
