Tariffs changed the math on a dealer's lot, and most of the conversation has been about sticker prices. The part that quietly eats margin is logistics.
Here is the chain. A tariff of roughly 25% on imported vehicles has been in effect since 2025. New-vehicle pricing pushed higher. Buyers shifted toward used, and wholesale values have held elevated — running a few points above last year through mid-2026, with affordable and electric segments especially strong. Tight, pricey local supply means more dealers are sourcing inventory from further away to find the right unit at the right number.
That is a sound strategy. Buying smarter across regions is how you protect gross in a high-cost market. But it only works if the transport cost is known before you commit. When you buy a vehicle two or three states away on the assumption of a "typical" shipping rate, and the actual invoice lands higher at delivery, the arbitrage you bid on evaporates. The further the unit travels, the more a variable quote can swing — and the more it can quietly turn a good buy into a flat one.
The fix is to treat transport as part of landed cost, not an afterthought. Before you bid, you should be able to answer: what does it cost to get this VIN to my lot, locked, no surprises? If that number moves between quote and delivery, you cannot underwrite the decision.
This is exactly the gap a fixed-price model closes. At SendMyRide, the per-vehicle price is set at booking and held — we absorb the market swings, you keep the number you planned around. You pay on delivery, so cash isn't tied up before the unit arrives. And a dedicated account manager can price a lane before you buy, so the sourcing decision and the transport decision happen together instead of in sequence.
Tariffs are a macro force you can't control. Where you source and how you cost the move are entirely within your control. In a market this tight, the dealers protecting margin are the ones who price the freight before they raise the paddle.