Auto Transport is Heading out of the Busy Season
The summer months are some of the most hectic and busiest months of the year in the auto shipping industry for several key reasons. For starters, the summer season is when a lot of people finally have the time to get things done: kids are out of school so moving is infinitely easier and the weather is a lot nicer across the country, which makes it easier for shippers to get into and out of many areas.
Between June and September is the busy season in the auto shipping industry, and if you’ve seen a calendar you’d know that we’re almost at the end of September; this is the time when customers stop coming out of the woodwork, things get a bit less hectic for shippers and some companies are even getting ready to close up shop for the fall and winter, when the loads are more scarce.
During the fall months, shipping down to Florida and other southern states is generally cheaper, because that’s where the majority of customers after the summer shipping season are going to go. Many routes are either cheaper than during the summer months or they’re more expensive, with the routes going up in price being those that are more difficult to run during the winter (mainly northern routes).
With the summer season drawing to a close, pickup windows may end up being lengthened a bit, because there tend to be less trucks on the road. Additionally, prices into and out of some areas that may be popular during the summer will likely rise as the weather starts getting colder, snowier and more difficult to manage for auto shippers.
With more restrictive routes and fewer customers, it’s not all that surprising that some companies would raise prices in an effort to make enough money to keep driving through the slow season, and this is something that you will need to keep in mind when shipping your vehicle.
Some areas, particularly Miami, Arizona, southern California, and Texas are generally cheap year-round; their climate, lack of snow, and highly populated areas – and, such as with Arizona and Florida, the fact that they’re popular snowbird destinations – make them popular with customers regardless of the time of year. However, during the winter months the people moving south definitely help to keep the industry rolling along during the slowdown, and they’ll be able to help you too.
With the busy season behind us, now is the time to look toward the fall and winter shipping seasons, which is where you tend to see some of the lower prices depending on the route. Expect delays and higher prices for snowier areas, but they should stay relatively low until the snows start really coming.
This includes areas such as the Great Lakes region as well as New England. With less shippers on the road, cross-country routes may cost a bit more, and north-south routes on the west coast will likely see a slight rise as well.
If you’re interested in getting quotes to ship a vehicle, you should really take advantage of our services and fill out our free online quote form. It’s free, takes only a minute and will get you a free quote to ship your vehicle right away. You can also call us any time at 800-930-7417 to speak to a representative. They can give you a quote, answer questions, and even help you book your shipment right away.
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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