When making the decision to ship your vehicle, many factors play into the cost of your shipping service. One of the key factors that you can’t control is the weather. The time of year and weather has an important impact on the process of shipping your vehicle. This article will explain the differences between shipping in the summer and winter, as well as what you should expect and how to prepare.
Shipping During the Winter
There’s not much to look forward to when winter starts to roll around, unless of-course you are looking for a low price to ship your vehicle. Demand is low during the winter season which means that carriers have more open spaces on their trailer. These open spaces need to be filled, creating competition between carriers. While most cars are still delivered on time, weather related delays are more likely to occur during the winter. Even if it takes longer to ship your car than driving it yourself, it is much safer to let an auto shipper transport your vehicle.
Shipping During the Summer
Unlike the winter season, carriers operate more efficiently during the warm months due to the lack of harsh and unpredictable weather conditions. Shipping your vehicle in the summer season is going to be slightly more expensive due to the higher demand. However, you might get your vehicle delivered sooner than expected because vehicles are loaded and unloaded faster.
How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping in the Winter and Summer Seasons
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. I’ts important to make sure your radiator is topped off to ensure your vehicles cooling system does not freeze in the cold season or overheat in the summer season. More importantly, adjust the tire pressure for the temperatures that are expected at it’s destination. Your tires PSI will lose or gain 1 PSI per 10 degree temperature change. For more information on how to adjust your tire pressure, read the article in the link here. Something to keep in mind while shipping your vehicle in the winter season is open transport will leave your vehicle exposed to sand, salt, ice melt, and dirty snow. These are not the conditions you would want to ship a classic or valuable car. Click here to read our post on how to ship your valuable cars.
Summer and Winter Price Fluctuations
The auto transport industry is very seasonal, meaning that the time of year will always play a factor into the cost of your transportation service. In summer you pay a small premium because the open slots on carriers are more valuable due to high demand. During the winter there’s less demand and lower costs but higher risk for delayed delivery due to the harsh conditions. I’ts important to know the seasonal fluctuations because the prices are not fixed and will rely on the weather. If you are planning on shipping during the summer and winter seasons it’s important to know what to expect and what to prepare.
By considering the following, you’ll set yourself up for an easy transit. Make sure you’re doing enough research when considering any auto transport company. Read plenty of reviews and customer testimonies.
If you have any questions or want to submit a free quote with Guardian Auto Transport, click here!
