If two people are car shopping on the same day, they can expect their cars to be picked up at about the same time. Yet one car might have a carrier assigned within a day or two, while another sits on a waiting list for several more days. The difference doesn’t necessarily indicate which of the two shipments is being dealt with more poorly. In many circles, it’s all about the business aspect of car transport.
Auto carriers are constrained by a multifaceted network of factors: demand, vehicle availability, fuel costs, road capacity, population centers, and seasonal and overall vehicle movement.
An order coming into or out of a major auto market might be simpler to send than one coming in from or going out to the more distant markets. For customers across the United States, understanding these factors can make the car shipping process much less confusing. It can also help explain why a seemingly short run might not actually be the fastest.
Why Do Some Cars Get Picked Up Faster Than Others?
The distance between two addresses is not the only factor that determines the vehicle’s pickup speed. A vehicle is chosen for pickup when the routes have high carrier demand, a convenient pickup location, freedom in route scheduling, and good village-tracking opportunities.
An auto transport carrier is not just driving from one customer’s driveway to another’s – each trip must be financially rewarding. There are several costs associated with a truck that travels hundreds or thousands of miles:
• Diesel or other fuel costs
• Driver wages
• Tolls
• Insurance
• Maintenance
• Trailer operating costs
• Deadhead mileage
• Fixed and other operational costs
That’s why carriers tend to be more interested in lines that keep their trailers loaded and in business, rather than in logging empty mileage.
How Auto Transport Routes Actually Work
One of the myths about carriers is that they get an order and simply show up at the location, load, and go to the destination. Actually, numerous carriers perform various vehicles on the same trip. A usual route would be:
Texas -> Louisiana -> Mississippi -> Alabama -> Georgia -> Florida
They may pick up several vehicles during the trip but drop off others as well. The advantage of this system for the carrier is that they can use their trailer to its full capacity and share costs by covering multiple transports.
Why Route Density Matters
Route density is the amount of potential vehicular traffic that must travel along a specific route. Large metropolitan areas tend to have significantly more vehicle movements due to the presence of:
• Larger populations
• More dealerships
• More auctions
• More vehicle buyers
• More corporate relocations
• More rental fleets
• More interstate migration
Cities like Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York are connected to major transportation networks and large consumer bases.
The City of Los Angeles is an example of a major U.S. metropolitan area where population, business activity, and transportation infrastructure contribute to significant vehicle movement.
The Economics of Supply and Demand
The basic principles of supply and demand play a major role in auto transport. If many customers require vehicles to be delivered via a specific shipping line, carriers will be more likely to fill their trailers. This can make the route of interest to transportation firms. However, the reverse is true if there aren’t many cars around.
Suppose that some bus companies in a small remote community deliver several vehicles. Depending on vehicle availability, the carrier may sometimes have to travel hundreds of miles to get its next load. Empty mileage is expensive. As a result, some carriers may be more selective about taking on take-ups in locations with limited outbound demand.
Popular Routes Can Have an Economic Advantage
Some U.S. corridors have consistent vehicle movement because they connect major population centers and economic regions. Examples include:
- California to Texas
- Texas to Florida
- Florida to New York
- Arizona to California
- Georgia to Texas
- Illinois to Florida
- Texas to California
These aren’t necessarily the only routes with strong demand. They illustrate how major population and commercial centers can create repeated vehicle movement.
Why Your Pickup Location Matters
The exact pickup address can have a surprisingly large effect on scheduling. A vehicle located near an interstate highway or large metropolitan area is generally easier for a carrier to access than one located far from major roads.
Urban Pickup Locations
Large cities often have more carrier traffic. A carrier traveling through an urban area may already have several customers nearby, making it easier to add another pickup. However, cities can also create challenges such as:
- Heavy traffic
- Narrow streets
- Parking restrictions
- Low bridges
- Construction
- Restricted commercial vehicle access
Therefore, being in a major city does not guarantee immediate pickup. It simply gives carriers more potential opportunities.
Rural and Remote Pickup Locations
Remote locations can be more challenging. A carrier may have to travel a considerable distance away from its normal route to collect one vehicle. If there are no additional shipments nearby, that detour can make the trip less profitable.
This is why customers in rural areas may sometimes be asked to meet a carrier in a nearby town, on a major road, or at a commercial location.
Deadhead Miles: The Hidden Cost Carriers Watch Closely
One of the most important concepts in auto transport economics is deadhead mileage. Deadhead miles are miles driven without a paying vehicle on the trailer. For example, imagine a carrier delivers its final vehicle in a small town in western Kansas, but its next confirmed pickup is in Dallas.
The carrier must travel to Dallas without earning transport revenue for that portion of the journey. Fuel is still being consumed. The driver is still working. The truck is still accumulating mileage. That is why carriers carefully consider where their next shipment will come from.
Why This Can Affect Pickup Speed
If your vehicle is located conveniently along an existing route, a carrier may be able to add it to an upcoming trip. If your vehicle requires a major detour, finding a carrier may take longer. This doesn’t mean remote shipments cannot be transported. It simply means they may require more planning.
Seasonality Changes the Auto Transport Market
The U.S. auto transport industry experiences seasonal changes in demand. One particularly active period is the summer moving season.
Families relocate, college students move between states, military personnel receive Permanent Change of Station orders, and consumers purchase vehicles during periods of increased travel activity.
Snowbird Effect
Seasonal residents also create predictable vehicle movement. Many people spend part of the year in warmer states such as Florida and Arizona and return north during warmer months.
This can create strong directional demand. For example, Florida may receive a large number of vehicles during one period of the year and experience significant outbound demand later in the year. The imbalance matters because carriers prefer routes where they can find vehicles in both directions.
Why Reverse Routes Matter
A carrier’s profitability doesn’t end when it delivers a vehicle. The carrier also needs to think about what happens next. Suppose a truck moves from California to Florida. If the carrier can immediately load vehicles in Florida and return west with a full trailer, the entire journey becomes more economically attractive.
But if the carrier cannot find return shipments, the trip back may involve substantial empty mileage. This is known as a backhaul challenge.
Backhaul Demand Can Affect Your Pickup
A strong outbound route can attract more carriers because they know they may find additional business at the destination. When a return leg is uncollected, it may reduce carriers’ willingness to serve an area. Here lies one reason why a shipment’s destination is also crucial.
Vehicle Type Can Also Influence Pickup Speed
Not all vehicles have the same space and load capacity! A small-diameter hatchback car could have less space in the trailer than a large pickup truck, SUV, or extra-wide car. Carriers consider:
• Vehicle length
• Vehicle width
• Vehicle height
• Vehicle weight
• Running condition
• Loading requirements
A non-running vehicle may require additional equipment, such as a winch, which can reduce the number of carriers able or willing to transport it.
Oversized Vehicles Require More Planning
Special vehicle planning may be needed for large trucks, upgraded SUVs, Recreational Vehicles, and specialty vehicles. They might be sized to accommodate changes in compatibility with trailers, routing needs, and turn-in capacity.
Consequently, the number of transportation options might even be greater for a standard passenger car than for a relatively large car.
Running Condition Makes a Difference
Another major factor is whether a vehicle can move on its own. Unless the vehicle is very small, like a motorcycle, it can usually be used to get on and off the vehicle carrier. For a car that is not running:
• A winch
• A forklift
• Special loading equipment
• Additional labor
• More careful positioning
This may limit the number of available carriers. Customers should always give an accurate description of whether the vehicle runs, rolls, brakes, and steers. Giving inaccurate information can cause difficulties at collection and delays.
Flexible Pickup Dates Can Open More Options
Customers sometimes focus heavily on getting an exact pickup date. That certainly makes sense, particularly when arranging a relocation, sale, or purchase. Flexibility, however, can simplify carrier routing to get a shipment onto a route.
This means that if a customer is willing to take delivery from the carrier at any point on the day, Monday through Thursday, there are more times the carrier is available at the customer’s convenience than for one that can only accept delivery at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
A Flexible Window Can Help Because
- Carriers have changing schedules
- Traffic can affect arrival times
- Weather can cause delays
- Previous deliveries may take longer
- New shipments can be added to a route
Flexibility doesn’t guarantee faster service, but it can increase the number of practical options.
The Future of Auto Transport Routes
Technology is changing how carriers plan their operations. Modern logistics systems can help companies analyze:
- Traffic patterns
- Shipment locations
- Historical route demand
- Fuel costs
- Driver availability
- Delivery schedules
- Weather conditions
Better data can help carriers identify opportunities to combine shipments and reduce unnecessary empty mileage. The growth of online vehicle purchases is also contributing to more national vehicle movement.
Consumers can purchase cars from dealerships, auctions, and private sellers located hundreds or thousands of miles away. As the U.S. vehicle market becomes increasingly connected, efficient transportation routes will remain essential.
Conclusion
Auto transport may look simple from the customer’s perspective: a vehicle needs to move from one location to another. Behind the scenes, however, carriers are solving a complicated logistics puzzle every day.
The fastest pickups usually occur where supply and demand work in the carrier’s favor. Major cities, busy interstate corridors, flexible pickup windows, operational vehicles, and balanced routes can all improve the chances of finding a carrier quickly.
FAQs
1. Why does my car take longer to get picked up than another one?
Times may vary due to route demand, locations, vehicle size, carrier availability, seasonal conditions, and/or flexibility of pickup window.
2. Are cars collected quickly in big cities of the United States of America?
In many cases, the big cities offer greater opportunity for carrier traffic and shipments. But high traffic volume and local access can sometimes cause problems.
3. Is the lower car shipping price associated with delays?
It can. If the price is not economically beneficial for a certain route, fewer carriers may haul the shipment, which could lead to a longer timeframe for securing a truck.
4. Can a flexible pickup date help me find a carrier faster?
Yes. The wider the pickup window, the more chances allies will have to match up with a carrier moving along a suitable route.
5. Why are rural car pickups sometimes slower?
In remote locations, there may be few carriers or delivery services nearby. A carrier may be required to travel long empty miles to reach the site, which makes loading/unloading different loads difficult.
