It is no secret that gas prices are affecting auto transport companies in 2022. The events that led to this increase in cost at the gas pump may not be resolved any time soon. If you are planning to move a vehicle from a great distance away, you may have to face some big decisions with regard to the cost of the trip. People are struggling to determine how much gas they can afford to pay for when planning vacations, moves, and more.
If you have been looking at the steep increase in price at the gas pump, you might be worried about how you will afford to move your car across the country. Some people are wondering if it might be best to just sell their car and wait to get a new one until things settle down. This is a drastic step, however, and not one that you will likely need to consider for your move.
If you are wondering how gas prices will affect auto transport companies in 2022, you need to read on!
Gas Prices are Changing Auto Transport Industry
Shipping a car across the country has become more cooperative in recent years. It has also caused potentially reduced fuel costs and other associated costs. Some car shippers are discussing developing a more connected network to help make this process easier.
There has always been an issue related to transport across the whole country in that some auto transport companies do not provide this service. This limited the options of customers greatly and could lead to increases in price just to secure a continuous trip for their car from point A to point B. This proposed shared network solution would eliminate this problem. This would also help transport companies that are trying to find ways to offset the cost of fuel.
Affordable Shipping.
Companies will also want to avoid shipping half-empty trucks and might be willing to offer reduced fees or discounted travel to those who fill up the rest of a truck that is slated to head out shortly. This can help consumers to get affordable shipping. It can also increase the chances that your car will be transported quickly and efficiently to your location.
Other changes that will likely be seen are reduced travel dates during difficult times of the year with harsh weather. The cost of fuel and travel can increase greatly when the weather limits travel routes and make lots of stop-and-go driving necessary. You might not be able to ship your car anywhere during the worst weather season any longer, but you will be more likely to get access to a fair cost when things open up again.
It is hoped that these changes will be implemented quickly to try and offset the increased fuel prices that are impacting the industry at this time. There are dissenters that say that this will be a brief spike in prices that will be over with shortly and that no changes are needed. This does not seem to be reflected in the data that experts are using to make fuel price projections, however.
How Much are Auto Transportation Prices Increased by Fuel Prices?
At this time, there has been a 35% increase in fuel prices, give or take, across the entire United States. Each car shipping company is handling this increase in its own way. Moreover, customers can expect to see at least a slight increase in the cost of car transportation during 2022. Companies have to be able to make money from their hard work, and the cost of fuel is so high that there is almost no way to avoid handing some change in price on to consumers.
Ask the shipping company that you are working with the kind of price controls they have. Additionally, ask if they are only going to quote for the fuel price hike at the moment. They’re flat rates versus companies that charge per job based on mileage and fuel prices.
There are some shipping companies that have promised to retain their flat fees for the time being. This can be your best bet, but these companies might also be providing shipping across a smaller network. You will probably be offered unchanged flat rates when looking at regional shipping jobs. Shipping across the whole country is always more expensive than regional trips. Additionally, the costs of fuel in different states can lead to a spike in your shipping cost for a longer trip.
Some Considerations for Those Who Need to Ship a Car But are Worried About Gas Prices
You might be thinking that you will just drive your car yourself to your new home to offset costs. There are some things that you need to remember when you are considering undertaking this kind of trip yourself. When you choose to drive your own car across the country, you will still have to pay for the fuel that it takes to get there, and you will not be splitting this cost with other people paying for the trip.
The other consideration that you need to keep in mind when you are looking at moving your car yourself is that you might have to make more than one trip if you own more than one car. When you have more than one car, there is almost always no cheaper way to move your car than working with a transport company.
When you are driving across the country to move your car, you will need to budget for food and hotels. Alternatively, working with a transport company, you split the cost of the driver with other vehicles on the trailer. You’d be surprised how much fuel prices have gone up because of hotel costs and food costs. Dividing the costs you will incur during the trip with other people, will save you money on paying for your own needs while moving your car.
Some Ways to Help Control the Cost of Your Auto Transport Job
If you think that you still want to have someone haul your car for you to a new location, there are some things that you can do to help control your costs.
Wisely Book Your Auto Transportation Company
Make sure that you shop for quotes from a variety of companies. Also, make sure you look into possible last-minute openings that might be cheaper than normal. Additionally, ask what the costs will be related to fuel when you speak to the company as well. This is so that you know how much of the shipping cost you are quoted is related to gas prices.
Choose Open Trailer to Save Money
Open trailers are always less expensive, so plan to book an open trailer right now to save money. Closed trailer hauling is always more expensive, and there are always fewer vehicles on the trailer at one time. This is going to be a very expensive way to ship a car for now. Therefore, you will want to avoid closed trailer shipping for now.
Be Open to Flexible Shipping Dates For Your Car’s Transport
With fuel prices the way they are nowadays, be open to flexible dates for your car’s transport. You might save money by adding your car to a trip coming up on unexpected dates. This will help fill trailers, and it will save you money in most cases.
Gas Prices Might be Going Up, But Affordable Auto Transport is Still Possible
If you’ve been concerned about the cost of transporting your car in connection with a move, you may have considered simply driving your car to your new location yourself. In almost all cases, sending your car to a transport company will be cheaper than moving it yourself.
A car trailer can help reduce the cost of moving by sharing the cost with others who have cars. It can also help to save money on hotel and food expenses. Make sure to get quotes from different companies to get an idea of how fuel prices are being handled. Avoid working with companies that don’t provide fixed price quotes.
Improvements will be made to the way that auto transport is provided via network sharing and other solutions as well. It’s true that gas prices are affecting auto transport companies in 2022, and it’s an expensive year at the pump. Nevertheless, transport companies are working hard to keep costs down for their customers.
