How To Ship a Car to Another State During the Holidays

The holiday season is the busiest time of the year when families gather from different parts of the country to celebrate the season.

Many need to enlist the services of auto transport companies when shipping a car to another state, with a few protocols to follow at these festive times to ensure a prompt, seamless outcome. This way, they can travel freely while away.

One thing to remember is the price point with many car shipping providers will likely be higher at this time of the year, considering the greater demand.

The problem is the demand might be there, but the volume of trucks and drivers is smaller than usual since drivers want to spend time at home with their loved ones instead of taking routes. This is part of the reason why the costs are considerably more expensive.

Suppose you know you want to book during the holiday season. In that case, it’s essential to reach out to the car shipping service well ahead of time and book your pickup and departure roughly a month ahead of schedule to keep the costs within reasonable limits.

Learn tips on shipping your car for extended holidays.

Here’s a guide to help you navigate auto transport in the heart of the holiday season.

A Guide to Shipping a Car to Another State During the Holiday Season

When the holidays come along, more people travel to visit loved ones living in other areas of the country but don’t want to drive those distances. They also don’t want to leave their vehicles behind because having a car is a vital part of socializing and celebrating for the holidays.

The costs associated with car shipping are higher at this time of year primarily because the demand is greater, but the number of trucks and drivers is smaller. That’s due to the fact that drivers also want to enjoy the festivities spending time at home with their family and close friends instead of taking routes.

Here are some ways to navigate the car shipping experience over the holiday season to make it a more straightforward and simple process.

Respect the drivers

In the same vein that you want to celebrate with family and friends, so do the truck drivers. The key holiday times, like the weekend of Thanksgiving and from Christmas Eve Through New Year’s Day, are peak times for drivers to spend with their families.

While the demand for many car owners is high during this time of the year, it’s important to understand the volume of trucks and drivers will be lower. If you must have auto transport during these times, it’s critical to talk with shippers well ahead and book early to ensure you get a spot on a truck.

Ideally, if you can avoid shipping on these specific dates, perhaps scheduling a little ahead of time, it would make a more successful experience. Visit here for a holiday guide on shipping your car.

Expect delays

With the holidays comes roadways consumed with traffic, not to mention the potential for winter weather conditions. This can mean possible delays in transit as the drivers attempt to maneuver through the various challenges.

If you expect there to be challenges from the start, you won’t become impatient when these occur. You can arrange ahead of time around the possibility of late arrival, have a plan B, and if you show up on time or ahead of schedule, things can go as originally intended.

The price point

Because there are fewer car haulers and the demand is greater over these holiday times, the “supply and demand” dynamic increases costs for the consumer as transport companies prioritize the higher-cost shipments.

When time is of the essence in your situation, the investment is worth the price, usually meaning you’ll need to give the shipper a competitive offer to secure a place on one of the trailers. The more flexible you can be with your budget; it gives you the best opportunity for prompt and efficient auto transport services.

One possibility with holiday shipping is expedited transport. It’s a considerable investment but offers a guarantee where standard car shipping doesn’t.

Suppose you need your car shipped at peak times during the holidays, and it must arrive within a specific delivery window. In that case, the extra costs associated with the holiday supply and demand and the expedited transport are not only worth it but, for some, a priority.

Final Thought

It doesn’t have to be daunting to ship a car within the peak holiday time period. The priority is to respect the truck drivers’ time with their loved ones, understand there could be delays in transit, and be flexible. That is unless you prefer to invest a bit more to arrange expedited shipping for more of a guarantee.

Sometimes, it’s worth a little extra investment to reduce stress at a time when stress can often already be elevated.