What Does it Cost to Ship a Car
If you’re looking to transport your car, you’re definitely wondering what it’s going to cost you. The answer depends on the type of vehicle you have, the distance it’s going, and the season. Take a look below at some helpful tips that will give you a better understanding of how much transporting costs.
Vehicle Type
Keep in mind, not all vehicles will load up or take the same amount of space on the transport trailer. If you have a car with modifications, they may affect the way it needs to be transported. Say your vehicle makes the load taller than the highway, metro, and interstate laws allow, your vehicle won’t be able to travel on a standard car hauler. Larger vehicles will usually take up more space on a trailer, which means the trailer will lose a spot that another vehicle could fit on, causing your price to go up. Weight is a large factor in auto transport, try to have your gas tank below half, a full tank of gas can add unwanted weight to your vehicle, and the overall weight of the carrier. If you have a larger vehicle that requires more space or special transport, you may be looking at a closed transport, which of course will cost more than the usual open transport.
Location
Distance and location is a large factor in determining your price. If you need the carrier to pick up and/or drop off in a populated area, your rate will be better than someone who needs their vehicle picked up / dropped off in the middle of no where. The reason behind this is due to what’s called “truck traffic”. Major metro areas like New York, Miami, etc. are more likely to be on a transporters route, while smaller towns and rural areas are less likely. The same goes for drop off location, consider choosing a location that meets in the middle if you live further away from a large populated city.
Season
The time of the year you’re looking to ship a car is also one of the biggest factors you need to consider. You may think it’s cheaper to ship a vehicle from a colder climate to a warmer one, we would call this our “snowbird season”. It’s actually more expensive to ship your car during this season. Many carriers schedules will be packed while people pack up and head down south for the winter, as well as the trip back up north. Much like other industries, supply and demand will impact your transport. If a transporter has a full trailer, the cost may be higher, and vice versa. Remember trucks have specific capacities, so plan ahead of time and get yourself on schedule before it fills up.
We hope you’ve found this helpful when planning your next auto transport. Make sure you let your transport representative know about anything unique regarding your car, or anything you feel may impact its transport. Be prepared when the driver comes to pick up, and drop off the vehicle, this will make your transport experience run smoothly. For more information, or to get on schedule call us at Auto Transport 123 and receive a free quote!