When you book with an auto transport company, they give you a price point which becomes part of the reason in which you decided to go with that specific company. Later, the auto transport company calls you back and tells you that they will have to raise the price up to get your vehicle on a carrier. Why does this happen? There are many factors to why a company will change the price on you, some of which are basically scams or simply an underestimate of what drivers would be willing to take.
Scams
Some unprofessional auto transport companies will intentionally give you a low price point to get you to book with them and they will gladly go pick-up your vehicle. However, once your vehicle is on the carrier, they say that the driver will not take it until you give them more money, and they will hold your vehicle until you do. These have become common in the auto transport industry, but it can be easily avoided if you can indicate these red flags. If a company has a poor website compared to the others you have researched, that is the first indication. If a company gives you a low price point or is less resistant to giving you the price you were hoping for, then that is the 2nd indication. Make sure to read your contract and reviews on the company beforehand so that you are not caught in one of these scams.
Underestimates
Sometimes an auto transport company will feel confident in the quote they give you, but then a driver says they cannot take the vehicle because it is not giving enough to transport over other people’s vehicles. So to get your vehicle on a carrier on time to accommodate your pick-up and delivery time, an auto transport company will call you back and give you a notice as soon as they know this information. A professional auto transport company does experience this rarely, but when it does happen it is because other people were quoted for more. Driver want to take the more expensive loads because they make more money from them, obviously.
The Seasons
The winter and summer seasons are the most expensive and the fall and spring are normally the least expensive. During the phasing out of one season, some people might experience a lower quote and then receive a call to pay more if they want their car shipped on their schedule. The changing of seasons is always hard to determine because the weather may still be similar to the previous season or it changed well before the next season starts. So sometimes you will be charged more earlier in the season or later if you frequently transport your vehicle.
