It’s time to ship your car. You may have to go across the state, or you may have to go all the way across the country. Either way, you’re curious, when is the best time to ship your vehicle? And once you ship it, how long is it going to take? These are questions that everyone has about shipping their vehicle, and it’s about time we addressed them. I mean, really address them. Most of the time, when you call a shipping carrier, they’ll give you wishy-washy answers. They’ll say things like “things change” and “now is always the best time to ship.” But we’ve got you covered with honest answers that you can wrap your head around about car shipping times.
Car Shipping Time Estimates:
Chances are, you asked at least a dozen times how long it was going to take to ship your car, and you got a huge window. But you need to be there when the shipping truck arrives. How are you supposed to budget your time when the window is comparable to the cable guy saying they can come between now and Christmas?
It’s true, car shipping times are estimates. The reason these windows are so big is because of the classic motif: under sale and over deliver. A lot can go wrong on the road. Weather conditions can cause road closures, trucks can break down, and we all know that city traffic can be unpredictable. A larger window allows the driver to run into a problem with, let’s say, the weather and still have an acceptable window in which they can continue to drive safely. We don’t want truck drivers driving a hundred miles on the highway, endangering everyone because they have a deadline.
They Will Drive 500 Miles
Under further investigation, The Proclaimers might have been auto shippers. You can expect your driver to travel about as far as 500 miles a day. That’s comfortably without any issues. So, if your delivery is 500 miles or less, you can expect it to take 2-3 days to drop off your vehicle. Depending on how many other vehicles they need to drop off before yours, you can use that calculation if your delivery is further.
Planning accordingly can help reduce the frustration of being without a car for a few days. Make sure you either rent a car, download your favorite ride-share app, or contact your friends who may be able to give you a lift. And if your schedule is particularly demanding, that same friend may be able to be there when the car needs to be picked up or dropped off. Anyone who is 18 years old or older can be there to turn over the vehicle. Just make sure to let your shipping agent know. The pickup and dropoff procedures take about 30 minutes and aren’t that big of an ordeal. Just make sure to check with your shipping company to make sure everything is clear.
Optimum Car Shipping
Most people don’t really have an option when they have to ship their car. However, if you’re one of the lucky few who gets to choose what month to ship, you can save some money by scheduling accordingly. If you’re buying a car from out of state, or you have wiggle room for your move in date, try to ship your car in the fall. September, October, and the first half of November are the best car shipping times.
This is the time of year when the busy summer season is over and before drivers take off for the holidays. Plus, the weather should be favorable in most places in the country, which means you won’t have to deal with any unforeseen issues. Obviously, the summer is tough because everyone moves in the summer. Kids are out of school, offices slow down, and this is the most likely time people move to new offices. And since there are only a limited number of transport trucks on the road, everyone is trying to get their car into one of those coveted spots. This means many people are paying extra, and you’ll have to fork over a few extra bucks to win a spot.
Winter also has some drawbacks. Winter weather creates delays, and many drivers take this time off. That means fewer trucks and more competition. By picking the fall, you’re bound to get the best deal with the fastest results.
When should you book?
You know when you want to book, but when should you book? The problem with booking too soon or too early is that transportation costs are always changing. Prices can change because of fluctuations in gas prices, available drivers, and weather issues. The best time to book is one to two weeks in advance for the most accurate quote. Gas prices don’t change that much in a week, and weather and road closures are generally known well in advance. You can gamble and try to book earlier when you think gas prices are lower, but shipping companies may price to account for any issues that far in advance. Some shipping companies won’t even offer a quote more than two weeks from the shipping date.
Hopefully, you have some leeway for when you can ship your car. If you have to ship in the middle of July, you have to ship. But if you can move things around to take advantage of the best time to ship, you can save yourself a lot of time and money.
