Hey New Englanders If You Want Snow Tires, Better Get Them Now
Tires and auto parts are in short supply
I don’t know if you see talk of the supply chain in the news. When I hear talking heads on the news talk about supply chain issues it goes in one ear and out the other. When I hear that I may not be able to get parts for my car or snow tires, now they have my attention. I wrote a bit ago about the rash of catalytic converters from cars and all these things could be related. According to reporting from wmur.com, mechanics are having a tough time getting auto parts to fix cars.
Port of Los Angeles
I have seen tons of container ships off the coast of Los Angeles. What does that have to do with us? Well, those ships have tires and toys and auto parts and tons of stuff that we need, but there is a shortage of truck drivers and a shortage of people to offload those boats. Everything is getting backed up and it looks like it's going to be the perfect storm when you get ready to do your holiday shopping.
The Auto Industry
The only good thing about the supply chain issue is if you are trying to sell a used car. If you have a used car in good condition, you can pretty much name your asking price. If you need snow tires, you may be out of luck or have a severe shortage of choices. Mike Alton of Pro Image Automotive in Manchester, New Hampshire tells wmur.com “When we go to quote tires, instead of getting five or eight or ten different choices in that size and type of tire, we’re only getting one or two choices and they’re slim pickings. Sometimes tires are in a warehouse, maybe in Boston, one in Maine, and it takes a day or two to get that set of tires because we are pulling them from all over the place.” The takeaway from this message is to get your snow tires NOW.
Speaking of snow tires and cold temps on the way...