The auto shipping industry is a busy industry providing its service all year round. As the season changes from winter to summer, the shipping industry services are affected according to it. While the summer season is best for vacation and traveling, bringing more customers, winter season, on the other hand, is opposite to it.
Both weather and the time of the year can play a role in how much your car shipping cost. Knowing beforehand how the season will impact your shipment will help you plan and budget your shipment. Furthermore, familiarizing yourself with the industry trends helps you in the long run.
What Makes Summer Car Shipping Expensive?
In general, you might argue that winter months are more expensive as compare to summer in the shipping industry, due to bad weather conditions and road blockages. However, according to the research conducted by Consumer Affairs, shipping prices in summer can increase by $200 to $300. There are major reasons for the influx of prices.
Most people prefer to travel during the summer, this period is ideal for traveling with children. Naturally, there's demand for shipping, and as a result, loads are picked up faster, so you may get your vehicle shipped earlier than anticipated. Since the demand is soaring than supply, prices increase.
Fewer people ship in during winter as compared to the summer season. Although the temperature is high during summer, the vehicles are still able to be shipped without disturbance. Due to elevated demand during the summer season, some people are willing to pay a premium price to get their vehicles to ship swiftly. Consequently, many auto transport companies make capital out of this fact to recompense for the slower winter season.
So Winter Car Shipping is Economical?
As mentioned above, vehicle shipping in the winter season can be less expensive due to low demand. Many factors put it at a disadvantage, the services might be cheap compared to the summer season, but there are other aspects to look for.
During the cold months, the roads are snowy and dangerous to operate. Also, road visibility is penurious. These conditions require trailer drivers to slow down as a safety precaution. The adverse road conditions are hazardous for unstable vehicles and inexperienced drivers. This lack of transporters makes the industry slow. This causes shipping, in general, to take longer because loads are picked up at a slower pace, and some carriers won't service on specific routes in frigid temperatures.
To protect your vehicle from snow, enclosed transport is the best option to choose, but enclosed carriers are premium service costing you way more. Most people wait till summer seasons when the weather has cleared up to ship their vehicles. This leaves a few people who want to ship in the winter season. On the bright side, due to low business, the companies are forced to lower their prices.
Don't let these facts fool you into choosing to transport vehicle by yourself. Transporting your car with a shipping company is the best option to opt for. Truckers are trained to deal with rough winter road conditions and alternative routes, so you get the assurance that your vehicle would be delivered regardless of the weather.
What Can You Do
Now that you have absolute knowledge of how your shipment will be affected by the weather. The next question is how to ensure that you get the best auto transport experience.
Time Is Money
Standard shipping takes 1 to 5 days from your first available pickup date. If you have more time possible to have your car picked up, you save a lot of money when shipping.
Research The Climate
Before moving to a new place, do research about what the weather in that region is. Research about the best time to move there would be. If you can wait until then, that would be economical.
Choose Between Open and Enclosed Trailer
Open and enclosed are two primary shipping method. Open vehicle transport would suffice in mostly all cases. During the summer season, opting open trailer would be cost-effective and easily available, providing fast service. Enclosed is not the best type if you are using a domestic car, but in the context of luxury and antique vehicles, they are your best option. In winter seasons, shipping services are not widely available due to extreme weather, so choosing enclosed trailers for your vehicle is the best option. This option would protect your vehicle from haze, snow, and rain.
Major weather events can also have an effect on shipping costs. If your shipment happens to co-occur with a prime event like a hurricane or a blizzard, you may pay more for the service. Always make sure that you still do research before deciding to go anywhere, this little practice would save you time and money.
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