Across the Map: Montana Car Transport Services
Known as “Big Sky Country,” the state of Montana offers people who visit or live there the opportunity to really get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Home to just over one million residents, the state of Montana ranks 4th in total area, yet 44th in total population numbers – and 48th in terms of population density (how many people live in the state per square mile). Montana was originally part of several different territories before becoming its own (the Montana Territory) in 1864. Montana achieved statehood in 1889, though growth, population-wise, has been slow. The state is known for its great farmland, with many crops thriving in the grasslands of eastern Montana. Ranching and agriculture have played major roles in the city’s growth (or relative lack thereof) as well as its history, and even today Montana produces some of the most foodstuffs of any state in the Union. You can learn more about the state of Montana here.
Montana’s sparse population and no major metropolitan areas (it’s largest, the Billings metropolitan area, is home to just 162,000) make it much more difficult for auto transporters to get into and out of the state itself and actually make a profit. Carriers prefer running routes through major metro areas and large population centers because it’s where the customers are. People are shipping to the big cities, not the podunk towns, and auto transporters get this. Unfortunately (and with no disrespect to the state of Montana), Montana is full of small towns. Billings proper only has a population of 150,000 residents, and because of this auto shippers tend to avoid it. It’s not surprising that Montana is sparsely populated given its history, but it does make shipping vehicles to and from the state a bit more difficult. You should expect higher prices and longer wait times when shipping to or from Montana as a result.
During the winter transportation services may be even more difficult to find. Montana is known for its severe winters, particularly in the eastern parts of the state. As Montana is effectively split by the Continental Divide, it experiences quite a variation in weather patterns from one side to the other, and these variations can have a major impact on transportation services to and from the state. The major metro areas of Montana are spread out among the state, though there are none in the eastern reaches. Surprisingly, Missoula, Helena, Butte and Bozeman are all located in the mountainous areas of Montana. Snowfall is incredibly common in the winter months, and as Montana only has two major interstates, I-15 that goes north-south and I-90 that runs east-west, it’s not easy getting around. The fact that both interstates run through mountainous terrain means they are prone to heavy snows and treacherous conditions during the winter months, which cause delays and are quite dangerous for auto transporters – which is why they avoid those areas, on the whole. To learn more about Montana car transport services, we recommend reading our auto transport to and from Montana article.
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.
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