The holidays are a time of joy, a time when you spend with your family, and (most importantly) a time to relax. However, the holiday season is the most expensive time of the year. This is the same with the auto transport industry because it is one of the busiest times of the year. People across the country, whether it is family who simply lives somewhere else, or college students wanting to come home for vacation, there are hundreds of calls a day between late October and early January. Let us break down the most important things to a consumer.
The Cost
The average price of transporting during the holiday (Winter) season goes up and is arguable at the highest of the year. Throughout the year, drivers will usually only take the vehicles that are being booked for more. This is especially true during the holidays because drivers will have to traverse through heavy snow in many states. Also, auto transport companies feel like they must get payed more because they would rather be with their family and relaxing like the rest of the country. So, let us review- the thing that makes transporting more expensive in the winter are: weather, time away from family, and every other industry is selling like crazy and the same goes for the auto transport industry.
What to Expect
The main concern is that since there is a lot of extreme weather in the country, there will be a lot of delays. This may be true if an auto transport company gives you a time frame without accounting for the weather. If you have a particularly long transport, if a company gives you a suspiciously short ETA, then you can rightfully think that they did not account for the weather getting in the way. You may want to go with a company that says they can do a cross country trip in a week or less, but you would rather go with a company that says they will be delayed by a day to three days because of weather than expecting a delivery but then getting notified that there is a delay. In that case, you will have to reschedule everything because you were not previously notified and as a customer, and that becomes frustrating. So, expect a higher cost for transporting, extreme weather, and a couple days of “delay” if an auto transport company is unprofessional or forgets to factor in the weather.
Which Service Would Be Best
Open car carriers are great because they are the cheapest and most common way to transport. However, there are usually more concerns for car safety and cleanliness in the winter because of weather. An enclosed car carrier becomes exceptionally popular in the holiday season because not many people want snow on their cars and potentially giving your vehicle a harmful freeze. It must be said, however, that an enclosed service is pricier than an open car service. Which service you choose is dependent on the route your vehicle will be taking because it might not be near snow at all and you can save some money with an open transport. It is best to ask an auto transport company if the route your vehicle will be taking will encounter drastic weather. It is best to ask an auto transport company which service would be best due to the weather. You can risk getting snow on your vehicle and a company will have to respect that, but it will not be their fault if your vehicle is damaged by the elements and you agreed to the risk.
How to Budget for a Holiday Transport
Firstly, you will want to book earlier in the holiday season than earlier. This is to have a better chance of carriers having space for you and so you experience less holds later in the holiday seasons. Then, you will want to make a transport your biggest or one of your biggest expenses. Save up for several months if you have to, but an auto transport is not too expensive compared to other services. Then, you will want to budget all your bills, gifts for the family, and food for the holiday parties.
Snowbirds
Many transport companies have a snowbird auto transport service. Snowbirds are usually wealthier and possibly older. These people usually live in a state that snows heavily, but they have a home in a state (usually in a coast state) that has warmer weather. Auto transport companies are swarmed by this type of customer to the point to where they become a great portion of the industry during the fall and winter seasons. You can also attribute the higher price of transporting during the holiday season to these “Snowbirds”, but they also made transporting during the snowing seasons more popular and possible.
