By HaulFare Research Team. Car shipping price research. Updated Oct 1, 2026. 4 min read
The Cheapest Time of Year to Ship a Car, Month by Month
The cheapest time of year to ship a car is late winter. In the HaulFare price model, February runs about 5 percent below the October baseline and January about 4 percent below, while July sits roughly 10 percent above. On a 1,500-mile open sedan shipment that is a swing from about $1,170 in February to about $1,355 in July for the same car on the same lane. The one caveat is snowbird traffic: the model adds about 15 percent to north-south lanes running with the seasonal flow, southbound from October to December and northbound from March to May, whatever the national index is doing.
Month by month against the October baseline
| Month | Seasonal index (October = 0%) | 1,500-mile open sedan, middle of the estimate range |
|---|---|---|
| January | -4% | $1,185 |
| February | -5% | $1,170 |
| March | -1% | $1,220 |
| April | +2% | $1,255 |
| May | +5% | $1,295 |
| June | +9% | $1,340 |
| July | +10% | $1,355 |
| August | +7% | $1,315 |
| September | +2% | $1,255 |
| October | 0% | $1,230 |
| November | -2% | $1,205 |
| December | -1% | $1,220 |
These figures are the HaulFare price model’s national seasonal index, applied to every lane; they are model estimates, not observed prices. Your specific route can sit above or below them, and the snowbird corridors described below can run opposite to the table entirely.
Why summer costs more
Three kinds of demand pile up between May and August. Families relocate while school is out, dealers move inventory ahead of model-year changeovers, and students and seasonal workers ship cars to summer destinations. The number of car haulers on the road does not grow to match, so carriers choose the best-paying loads and everything else waits or pays up. That is why the HaulFare model’s June to August months average about 12 percent above December to February, with July the peak.
Fuel adds a smaller seasonal layer. Diesel prices tend to move with travel demand, and carriers price lanes against the EIA weekly diesel figure. When it rises into summer, the floor under every quote rises with it.
Why winter is cheaper
After the holidays, relocation volume falls, dealer shipments slow, and trucks that were full in July are hunting for loads. Carriers accept lower rates to keep trailers moving, and brokers can place a load at the going rate with less effort. That is the January and February discount.
Weather is the trade-off. Northern routes can see delays from storms, and open trailers expose the car to salt spray for a few days. Neither changes who is responsible for the vehicle, and an enclosed trailer eliminates the exposure if it matters for your car.
The snowbird exception
Every fall, retirees and second-home owners move south to Florida, Arizona and southern Texas, and every spring they move back. On those lanes the cheap months in the table flip:
- October to December, southbound. Northeast and Midwest to Florida, and northern states to Arizona, run about 15 percent above the lane’s normal rate in the model. Trucks heading north on the same corridor are often empty, so the model prices northbound shipments about 7 percent below normal.
- March to May, northbound. The reverse. Florida and Arizona to the north runs about 15 percent high, while southbound trucks have space to fill and run about 7 percent low.
Industry sources put the sharpest peaks in October and November southbound and in March and April northbound; the model applies the snowbird factor one month wider to cover the shoulder weeks.
If your move happens to run against the snowbird tide, you are in a good position. If it runs with it, booking as early as possible and accepting a wide pickup window matters more than the calendar month.
Timing levers you control
The month is only one variable. A few others move the price in any season:
- Widen the pickup window. The standard window is 1 to 5 days; expedited 24 to 48 hour pickup costs more in every month because a carrier has to be paid to reroute.
- Avoid month-end and holiday weeks. Lease returns, moves and dealer volume bunch up at month-end and around holidays, tightening truck supply.
- Ship the car ahead of a move rather than during it. A car booked two weeks before a relocation gives the broker time to place it at the market rate instead of at a premium.
- Choose open unless the car needs enclosed. The model’s 42 percent enclosed premium dwarfs any monthly swing.
- Skip the false discounts. A quote far below the going rate, which the HaulFare model puts in October 2026 at about $1.64 to $2.04 per mile on a 250-mile trip and $0.52 to $0.65 coast to coast, is bait, not a seasonal deal. Verify any company in the FMCSA SAFER and Licensing and Insurance systems before paying.
Putting it together
If you can choose the date, ship in January or February on a standard window and open trailer for the lowest total. If you are on a snowbird lane, ship against the tide or book early. If you cannot move the date at all, focus on the levers above and use the cost calculator to see the model estimate for your lane this month, or the price by month calculator to compare every month side by side. The car shipping cost page explains every factor, and our quote form shows the estimate for your dates before it asks for contact details; the licensed broker it refers your request to confirms the actual price.
HaulFare is a price guide and referral service, not a broker or motor carrier. Quote requests go to our licensed transport partner, an FMCSA-licensed auto transport broker, who arranges transport with FMCSA-registered carriers. HaulFare receives a referral fee from our licensed transport partner; you pay HaulFare nothing.
More on this topic: How much it costs to ship a car
Sources
- EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, eia.gov
- FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot, safer.fmcsa.dot.gov
- FMCSA Licensing and Insurance Public Search, li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov
Questions
What is the cheapest month to ship a car?
February, in the HaulFare price model: about 5 percent below the October baseline, with January close behind at 4 percent below. On a 1,500-mile open sedan shipment that is roughly $1,170 in February versus $1,230 in October, an average month. The exception is a snowbird lane heading north from March to May or south from October to December.
What is the most expensive month to ship a car?
July, in the HaulFare price model: about 10 percent above the October baseline, followed by June at 9 percent above. The model's June to August average sits about 12 percent above its December to February average, reflecting relocations, dealer volume and vacation moves competing for the same trucks.
Is shipping a car in winter risky?
Winter brings weather delays on northern routes and road salt exposure on open trailers, but it does not change the carrier's responsibility for the vehicle. If salt or snow worries you, an enclosed trailer removes the exposure; the HaulFare price model adds 42 percent for it, which a winter low only partly offsets.
Does booking early lower the price?
Booking early gives the broker time to place the load at the going rate instead of paying a premium for a last-minute truck. It does not lock in a lower seasonal rate, since carriers price the lane when they accept it, but a wider pickup window is one of the few timing levers that reliably saves money.
