What To Expect In The Auto Transport Industry This Winter

1. Continued Precautions Due To COVID-19 Coronavirus
2. Lower Costs For Car Shipping In Most Areas Of The Country
3. An Increase In “Snowbirds” Shipping Cars South
4. Certain Routes May Be More Subject To Delays This Winter
5. Know What To Expect This Winter From The Auto Shipping Industry

Like every other industry, the auto transport industry experiences its share of yearly fluctuations and changes. In this blog from A-1 Auto Transport, we’ll discuss what consumers and auto shipping professionals alike can expect throughout the winter season.

Continued Precautions Due To COVID-19 Coronavirus

Cases of COVID-19 coronavirus continue to reach record highs in many parts of the United States, and despite recent emergency authorization of several vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, it may take quite a while for these vaccines to reach vulnerable populations as well as front-line workers and truck drivers.

Along with the rise in cases of seasonal flu and colds that are common in the winter season, this will likely result in auto shipping companies continuing to take precautions like minimizing contact between drivers and clients, wearing masks and gloves when making deliveries, and other such precautions.

Now is not the time to lose vigilance, and it’s the responsibility of everyone, including auto transport professionals, to protect vulnerable individuals like the elderly and people with respiratory conditions or immunocompromising conditions. That’s why, at A-1 Auto Transport, we’re doing everything that we can to protect our partners and clients during this difficult time.

Lower Costs For Car Shipping In Most Areas Of The Country

Spring and summer tend to be more popular times to ship cars, particularly among consumers. This is because more people move during this time – in fact, about 80% of all people move between April and September.

That’s because kids are usually out of school, and it’s easier to move into a new home when the weather isn’t frigid, slippery, or icy. The real estate market also tends to heat up around this time, so that’s another reason.

In contrast, moving in the winter is not as common, so demand for moving services – and car shipping – tend to decrease. This means that people who need to ship cars in the winter will likely enjoy lower overall prices. That’s good news if you’re moving in the winter and need to ship your car across the country!

An Increase In “Snowbirds” Shipping Cars South

One of the biggest seasonal shifts in demand for car shipping is “snowbirds” who live in Canada or the Northern United States shipping cars down to winter homes. Snowbirds can be people of any age who have a second home, but tend to be older individuals who want to escape the cold, dangerous conditions of winter.

Popular destinations for snowbirds include Southern states like Florida and Georgia, as well as Southwestern states like New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona. While overall demand for auto transport usually declines in the winter, demand for these key areas tends to surge quite a bit – and we expect the winter of 2020-2021 to be no different.

Certain Routes May Be More Subject To Delays This Winter

Very popular routes, such as those taken by snowbirds, are likely to be more crowded and delayed this winter. Thanks to the “La Nina” effect, it’s predicted that lower-than-average temperatures will be recorded in the northern United States, combined with plenty of rain and snowfall.

This inclement weather, combined with staffing shortages and additional delays caused by COVID-19 coronavirus, could combine to create more delays when shipping a car this winter.

As always, the team at A-1 Auto Transport encourages you to arrange the shipping of your vehicle as far in advance as is practical – this ensures you have some buffer time to deal with any potential delays that may be caused by bad weather or other such issues.

Know What To Expect This Winter From The Auto Shipping Industry

Overall, issues like COVID-19 and wet, snowy weather may affect the auto shipping industry somewhat, but demand is likely to be within normal and expected limits for the winter of 2020-2021. If you’d like more information – or you need to ship one or more cars this winter – A-1 Auto Transport is here to help. Contact us online or call today at (888) 230-9116 to get started now.