Auto Transport Tips: Planning for the Holidays
The holiday season is a time of year where people spend money, are more generous (on the whole), and it’s the last chance for some people to get important things done before the end of the year. Something that quite a few people do – though not near as much as during the spring and summer, due to the weather – is ship a car. Transporting vehicles to children, spouses and parents as holiday gifts is nothing new – ever since the automobile was invented people have been giving them as gifts. But if you’re trying to ship a vehicle to someone around Thanksgiving or Christmas (or any other winter holiday, for that matter), there are a few things that you should be aware of.
The industry is a lot slower during the winter months thanks to the weather. A lot of routes, particularly those in the northern parts of the country, see a lot more snow and ice, which means that carriers have to travel in more dangerous conditions if they want to run those routes, which usually makes holiday auto transport services more expensive. Since customer demand has a big impact on the routes that they run, they have to take loads as they come if they want to keep their trucks full, so if they have to run on wintry routes they’re likely going to charge more for the inconvenience. But it’s worth it if you’re trying to get that perfect car to your son or daughter or whoever else is on your “nice list” this holiday season.
Another thing you’ll want to do is prepare properly. Many auto shippers want to spend time with their families during the holidays, and many carriers try to schedule their loads so they have a clear truck when they go home for a few days. The life of a car transport carrier is rather lonely, and any chance they get to spend time with the people they love and are working hard to support is a chance they’re going to take. Because of this, the week of Christmas usually sees a real slowdown in the industry that lasts pretty much until the new year, so make sure that you jump on things pretty much immediately – long distance routes may see delays because of the holidays as well, considering Christmas is in four days.
If you’re interested in getting a quote to ship a car and need holiday auto transport services ASAP, take a minute to fill out our free auto transport quote request form. It should only take you a minute or two, and once you fill out the form and submit it you’ll get free quotes emailed to you from some of the best car shippers in the industry today. We clear each and every shipping company you get a quote from for both dependability and reliability, and once you get your quotes you can compare prices and discuss your holiday auto transport needs with one of their agents. We make sure each company you get a quote from is fully licensed, bonded and insured. You can also contact one of our own agents any time by calling us toll-free at 800-930-7417.
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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