The automotive transportation industry, like many others, is greatly affected by seasonal changes, which means the time of year has a significant impact on the activities of car shipping operations and their cost. Low and high shipping seasons are influenced by several factors, including demand, weather, road conditions, and traffic fluctuations.
Although it’s hard for some people to change auto shipping dates according to weather conditions or seasons, others don’t mind waiting if that would save some transportation costs.
The following are some essential tips about shipping cars in different seasons.
Find a Trustworthy Auto Transport Company
The golden rule to ensure successful and safe vehicle shipping all the time is to choose a reliable, legitimate, and qualified carrier to handle the shipping process regardless of the season.
Shipping cars is complicated; each part of the process requires careful planning, suitable equipment, and extensive experience to accomplish efficiently.
Researching companies online might be helpful and time-saving. Even though Google will provide an extensive list of options, a client shouldn’t go for any company without thorough searching. Instead, they must read previous clients’ reviews, use the MC number to verify the company’s credibility, and contact customer service.
Use a Suitable Transport Method
Choosing the best transportation type depends significantly on the weather conditions. Open trailers are a great choice to ship vehicles in summer or spring; however, it is probably not a good option in winter.
Winter weather fluctuations pose a great threat to the shipped cars. Rain, snow, and small rocks that may be formed from the sand used in ice-melting will add more risks of harming the vehicle shipped with open car transport method. Therefore, enclosed car transport is preferred in this situation since it provides complete protection against all external elements.
Book the Service Early in High-Demand Seasons
- January: There is a noticeable discrepancy in demand starting from January when many people return home after a holiday. That’s why the year’s first two weeks are hectic for auto transport service providers. Scheduling the shipment a few weeks earlier is recommended when deciding to ship a vehicle during the first half of the month. Waiting for the second half of January is also an option to avoid the high-demand restrictions.
- Spring and summer: there will be a slight decrease in demand during February, which will start rising gradually in the following three months until the end of May. When June begins, the demand for shipping cars will increase significantly because college students must transport their vehicles home early in June and ship them back to campus in August.
- The fall season: the best time to ship a car is during the fall, with nice weather, moderate temperature, and stable shipping rate resulting in quicker service and economical cost.
- December: since people celebrate Thanksgiving in December; it’s one of the busiest months to ship a car. Many people travel back home to stay with their families, and the same goes for trailer drivers. This factor makes December one of the ill-advised seasons to transport a car.
Learn More About How the Season Can Affect the Shipping Cost
The transporting season influences the cost in various ways, including:
- General weather conditions: bad weather can prompt car owners to choose enclosed auto transport over open auto transport to guarantee high protection rates against outdoor elements, which increases the cost. Moreover, during winter, snow storms will cause some roads to be closed, preventing access to some parts of the country. As a result, the shipping processes slow down, resulting in high fees.
- Demand rates: busy shipping seasons are characterized by high demand rates, with a decrease in daily shipments on certain occasions, driving the transportation cost up.
Shipping Car Preparations Regardless of the Seasons
- Remove all personal belongings: valuable items left inside the shipped vehicle will be subjected to considerable shaking while in transit for several days. Consequently, not only the items will be damaged, but the car’s interior as well.
- Document the pre-shipping status: inspecting the car carefully by looking for any existing damage or scratches is a crucial step. A car’s owner must document its state and take pictures if necessary. This process will help car owners notice new damage during shipping and prove it wasn’t there before.
- Fill the car’s radiator fluid to prevent the cooling system from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer.
- Check the battery, especially in winter. A car’s owner should fully charge the battery, and the terminals must be tight without any corrosion.
Conclusion
The preparations for shipping a car aren’t the same all year long. Therefore, car owners must know all differences and how the chosen auto transport company usually deals with these circumstances. Tempus Logix is ready to handle all auto transport requests across the US. No matter what season or time of the year, the company has a team of agents ready to take orders and organize the full process using appropriate trailers, equipment, and experienced drivers. Moreover, you can try the online cost calculator on the company’s website to estimate the shipping cost during a specific time of the year.