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My uncle Vince said to book the car hauler 3 weeks out for my move from Austin to Seattle, and he was dead right
I moved from Austin to Seattle for a new job last month and waited until 9 days before my lease ended to call around for quotes. Every hauler I reached was booked solid or wanted $2,400 instead of the $1,150 my uncle Vince quoted me back in July. He used to drive a flatbed for a dealer in Waco and told me "shippers book out 3 weeks minimum, kid, so stop dragging your feet" but I figured I had time. I ended up paying a broker $1,780 and my car sat at a lot in Fort Worth for 4 extra days before anyone picked it up. Has anyone here actually gotten a good rate booking last minute, or is 3 weeks really the magic number?
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nathan_bailey8d ago
Everyone talks about booking early but nobody mentions the real issue: carriers running the Austin to Seattle lane are mostly deadheading back from Texas after dropping cars in the Midwest. The return trip is what kills your rate. Book that lane in the fall when snowbirds are shipping south and the trucks need loads going north. Your uncle was right about the 3 weeks, but timing the season matters just as much as the lead time.
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