Seasonal Fluctuations In Auto Transport
January's Biggest Auto Transport Problem
What exactly is the meaning of "seasonal fluctuations within auto transport"? It is something that everyone talks about, but very few people explain. Auto-shipping businesses assume that this phrase is obvious. The car transport industry changes with the seasons. What does this really mean for customers? What does this mean in real life? Why should customers be concerned? We will try to answer these questions here.
Let's begin at the beginning. January. It's a brand new year. It's the new year. The first week of January in the auto transport industry is fraught with anxiety. Truck drivers and carriers want to return home for the holidays, just like everyone else. This means that while they were away from the road for more than a week, fewer cars were shipped but more shipment orders were still being booked.
There is a backlog of vehicles that are not yet shipped, which results in a shortage of trucks and a lack of trucks to transport them. Snowbirds, retired people who are able to transport their cars to warmer climate states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona, are available by the thousands. Loads, which are the most expensive freight, are shipped first. Smarter auto transport brokers will steer customers towards a higher price. They explain that it is in their best interests, which most rational people can understand. Auto transport companies that are inexperienced or rookies book more orders at lower prices, often weeks later than they were available.
Cheap brokers will listen to customers screaming for answers. Many people waste time dealing with these cheap brokers. They should cancel their order and go with a more reliable firm, like us. Everyone's plans may be disrupted by the cold and snowstorms that can occur in some parts of the country. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to clear the backlog and get back to equilibrium.
February and March's Lull in Car Shipping
February is perhaps the slowest month in the car shipping business. Grandma and Grandpa are already on their way south. It is too cold to order a car online and have it shipped home. College students are at school. Employers are not allowed to relocate during the school year. Yes, February is slow. And it gets slower every year after that. This month is also when rookie auto transport brokers or the ignorant fall for outdated pricing. In January, the difference between heading to Florida and returning home might be anywhere from $2-300 more than the reverse. If a broker does not adjust his pricing in February then people will place orders for March and April shipping dates. This is because the broker has fabricated pricing that doesn't have any chance of shipping. In the auto transport industry, experience and good business ethics are crucial.
The weather starts to improve towards the end of March and snowbirds begin to migrate north. In March, the pricing should change in warm states. There are lower auto shipping rates to Florida and other areas. Shipping from these states will result in higher shipping costs. Online car purchases increase and so does the business activity. It is possible that the cost of shipping your car to Florida in March is too high. There is no good deal for the next three months. We recommend that you don't try to save $100. It can end up costing you more.
Transports in Cars pick up again in April and May
Spring is here. The baseball season has begun. Snowbirds return home in their thousands. It is now very affordable and quick to ship to Florida, Texas, and Arizona. It is however much more expensive to ship out from there. It is also slower, as there are more vehicles than available space. It's the opposite of January. This is what we mean when we refer to "seasonal fluctuations" in auto transport. You can get shipping to Florida at a low price in May. It's likely that you will have to wait for a while. It's not worth it. It is not. You can speed up the process by adding $100 more (or more).
The Peak Season Summer Months are June, July, and August.
Auto-shipping companies are at their peak during the summer heat months. Because the children are not in school, companies are moving employees to make the transition for families easier. These people can drive one car and then ship the other. Students who went to college in May or June sent their cars home, while they did the opposite in August and September. Summer is a better time to buy cars online. Shipping costs for vehicles are slightly higher in summer due to increased demand but they are not excessively high. There is rarely a difference in pricing depending on direction.
is very profitable. One hiccup. Fourth of July! Truck drivers and carriers long to be at home, just like Christmas. They want to sip a cold beer and make hamburgers. It's American to do. But that also means there is a backlog and cars take longer to ship. Adam Smith predicted that higher-priced freight would be first. It will take approximately 2 to 3 weeks for equilibrium return, just as in January. That's what "seasonal fluctuations" in auto transport means.
The Autumn months of September and October, and November slow down
It is a good time to ship your vehicle in the fall months of October, September, and November. It is still warm and there are fewer car transport shipments than in the summer. This means that you will get your car shipped faster and at slightly lower rates. Customers can sometimes benefit from seasonal fluctuations. Although there is a rush of college students shipping in September, there isn’t as much in the fall as there was in the summer. The pace picks up again the week following Thanksgiving, although things slow down for a few weeks. Autumn should bring you lower prices and better service.
December is a difficult month for auto shipping
In December, our so-called "seasonal fluctuations" kick in. After Thanksgiving, auto shipments are stable and steady until mid-December. Vehicle shipments slow down once the auto transport industry hits Christmas week and New Year's Eve. But the orders continue to mount. The snowbirds are getting ready for the south. This is the most miserable time of the year. People can get very emotional during the holidays. People are not happy to hear excuses and can be upset if grand Christmas presents don't arrive on time. It's impossible for an auto transport broker to do anything about it. They can't drive trucks, and they don't have the ability to get a carrier to skip mom's apple pie and turkey dinner to be able to travel to the customer's house to deliver the car. It's frustrating for everyone. Sometimes, even more, money won't work to attract drivers. After all, if there is nobody on the road... then nobody is on it. We are most concerned about the "seasonal fluctuations" in auto transport. These are the last ten and first ten-day of December. These are the most stressful weeks of the year for auto transportation workers. Expect to pay more, but get less. It doesn't make sense, does it? It is a good idea to plan ahead and have a backup plan in place if your shipment doesn't go as planned. You can ship in December, before the rush, pay more during the rush, or wait until mid-January when things are quiet.
Move Car Auto Transport Quotes Calculator
This is it. Auto transport seasonal fluctuations There are many other scenarios that can occur throughout the year, but these are the most common. The auto transport quote calculator takes into account seasonal fluctuations. We have ten years of experience in car shipping. This gives us an advantage over the rest. This page is designed to assist customers in avoiding seasonal fluctuations and possibly even taking advantage of them. We hope that you enjoyed this blog post. Please like our Google + Plus, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages. For more information about the auto shipping industry, please visit.