Why shipping a car can cost more in one direction

The same two cities can cost different amounts to ship between, depending on which way the car is going. Car haulers follow demand, and demand is lopsided by season. When many cars need to move one way, trucks going that way fill quickly and the price rises. The opposite direction is easy to fill, and its price falls. Which direction is the expensive one can change from one season to the next.

Why does it cost more to ship a car in one direction than the other?

A car carrier is paid per car, per trip. A two level open hauler carries several cars, and the driver earns money only on the miles where those slots are full. What the driver wants is a full truck going out and a full truck coming back.

When far more cars need to go south than north, a carrier heading south can fill every slot and choose among loads. Brokers competing for space on those trucks have to offer more. A carrier heading north on the same road in the same week has trouble filling the truck, and will accept less per car rather than drive with empty slots. The road is the same, and the price is not.

The price of a car shipment reflects how hard it is to get a truck going your way on your dates. Distance, the size of the vehicle, open or enclosed, and whether it runs all matter too. Direction is the factor most people do not expect.

Why do carriers care about the return trip?

A truck that delivers in Florida in November is still a long way from home. The carrier needs a load back north, and if there are few cars going north that month, the trip back pays little or runs partly empty. Carriers build that into what they accept for the trip down.

That is also why the busy direction books up first. Carriers fill the trip that pays, then look for anything that covers the trip back. A car going the quiet direction is welcome cargo, because it helps a carrier who needs to get home anyway.

Can the cheaper direction change by season?

Yes, and on snowbird lanes it reliably does. Southbound demand toward Florida peaks roughly October through December, as owners send their cars down for the winter. Northbound demand peaks roughly March through May, when the same cars head home. A route that is the expensive direction in November can be the inexpensive one in April, and the reverse.

Why is a round trip priced as two separate jobs?

The trip down and the trip back leave on different dates, in opposite directions, and almost always on different trucks. Each leg is priced against the demand on its own lane at the time it moves.

Averaging the two would produce a number that is wrong for both. It would overprice the quiet direction and underprice the busy one, and a carrier offered the underpriced leg would pass on it. That is how a car ends up waiting days for a truck.

We quote each direction on its own. If you are going south in the fall and back in the spring, you can ask for both quotes at once, but expect two prices that differ, and expect the spring price to reflect the spring market. For a snowbird move in particular, shipping your car to Florida for the winter covers timing for each leg.

How can I get a better price on the busy direction?

• Book early. Two weeks ahead is comfortable, and in peak season earlier gives you the widest choice of trucks.
• Give a wider window. A pickup window of a few days lets the broker place your car on a truck that has a slot to fill.
• Move just outside the peak. A week before or after the rush can sit on the other side of the imbalance.
• Choose open transport unless the car needs enclosed. Open has the most trucks on the road.
• Use a pickup point near a main highway if your address is remote. A carrier that does not have to leave the interstate for long can price the job more easily.

None of these changes which direction is in demand. They change how many trucks can take your car, which is what the price responds to. To see the number for your route and dates, request a quote.