8 Tips for Shipping Your Car During the Holiday Season

The hardest time of year to ship a car is December 24-January 14. Most carriers take time off from 12/24 to 1/1, so pickups and drop-offs virtually stop, and prices spike when carriers return. Ship well before Christmas Eve or after mid-January if you can, and if you can’t, plan for higher prices and slower pickups.

Here is the tough news: shipping between 12/24 and 1/14 is the toughest time of year to ship a car. If you know what to expect and are prepared, it will at least keep your experience from becoming a nightmare.

Why the Holidays Are So Hard on Car Shipping

Pricing and carrier availability in this industry are always based on SUPPLY and DEMAND. During the holidays, the demand from people trying to ship a car greatly outweighs the supply of available carriers.

This already tough situation gets worse because most carriers take time off from 12/24 to 1/1 to spend with family, and virtually NO pickups or drop-offs happen that week.

When carriers return to work on 1/2, far more cars try to ship ASAP than carriers can service. That lets carriers take only the best-paying loads, which causes price spikes during the first half of January. For how this works outside the holidays, see our tips on shipping a car during peak season.

8 Things to Keep in Mind

1. Don’t count on a pickup between 12/24 and 1/1. Finding a carrier for pickup that week is nearly impossible.
2. Ship before Christmas Eve or after the first half of January. You’ll save money and headaches.
3. If you can’t, be ready to pay more. Expect to pay significantly more to get a spot on a truck.
4. Expect higher prices, especially for snowbird moves. Pricing will be higher than usual and can be nearly double, especially for snowbird shipments from up north to Florida and Arizona. See our pages on snowbird auto transport and Florida car shipping.
5. Beware of low prices. A broker can offer carriers any price you like, but if it is too low, your car may not ship on time, or at all, because carriers will have too many better-paying shipments to choose from. Ask whether a carrier has accepted the price, and see our guide on how to compare car shipping quotes.
6. Plan for weather. Bad weather in early January can extend the lack of carrier availability so that inflated prices can continue past the first two weeks of January.
7. Ask for a transparent broker fee. Make sure your broker is upfront about its fee so you aren’t charged higher broker margins because of holiday price spikes. With us, your price is split into our service fee (the deposit) and the carrier’s fee, paid on or before delivery.
8. Choose a broker that warns you up front. If your broker doesn’t tell you about holiday and early January shipping issues, question its transparency and honesty.

What to Expect When You Book

We don’t charge the deposit until we assign and confirm a carrier. Once you have the carrier’s information, the deposit is due. Our terms and conditions set out each payment.

Dates are estimates, especially during the holidays. Provide the earliest date you’re willing to release the car, and note that the driver typically calls the afternoon or evening before pickup and delivery.

Know What to Expect

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Our goal is to help customers know what to expect during the holidays. Education, transparency, and honesty are key to a smooth and safe car transport experience.

Try our car shipping cost calculator, which needs no personal info, or get a free car shipping quote when you are ready.