Seasonal Pressures Can Limit Your Vehicle Transportation Options
The months of December and January are what the car shipping industry refers to as “seasonal fluctuation.” The rest of the year may have some ups and downs for car carrier requests: the beginning of spring and the end of summer see vehicle transports increase due to snowbirds and college students needing to get cars shipped. And the winter, outside of December and January, see tougher carrier route scheduling due to bad road conditions in many parts of the country.
But December and January is considered the toughest time to ship cars, whether an entire fleet or even a single personal car. Why?
- The busy end-of-the-year/holiday season
- Fewer car carriers on the road
- Winter weather
It’s like a perfect storm.
Orders for new vehicles pile up, purchases of used online vehicles increase, and restocking dealership inventory for the end of year sales events ramps up. Some is due to end-of-year deals and financial planning. Add in that a car is on many lists for a great holiday present and the orders for vehicle shipping increases substantially.
So, there’s more cars to ship. But with the holidays, there are fewer open spots on available car carriers. Why? Because vehicle transport drivers like their holidays too. It’s as simple as that. There are just fewer car carriers on fewer routes due to the multitude of holiday vacations.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is even referred to as a dead week because there are so few car carriers on the road. And this situation extends almost two weeks into January!
Now throw in some traditional bad winter weather, closed roads and hazardous conditions, and the perfect vehicle transport storm is complete: Lots of cars to move + fewer available carrier spots + inaccessible routes and you may have a tough time getting that dream car to its destination when you want it.
The simple solution is to plan ahead and schedule your vehicle transport as far ahead as possible. Confirm your pickup and delivery dates, sign your car shipping agreement and hope for good weather.
But we know this isn’t not always possible.
If you’ve waited, or if you’ve unexpectedly found the car of your dreams, it may still be possible to arrange for your desired delivery date. But don’t be surprised if you have to pay more you’re in competition with many others with the same goal. And a bigger payout just may lure a few vacationing carrier drivers back onto the road!
Our final advice is to enjoy the holidays. With a bit of planning and a little luck, you’ll get your vehicle delivered when and where you want it.
Give us a call today. We can talk you through the challenges and possibilities of a December or January car shipment. We would love to help you whether it’s one car or a fleet.
