Are you moving from the place you are living now? Or have you bought a new car? Now, it is time to ship your car to your place. Shipping a car is not easy unless you consult a car shipping company that can take responsibility on behalf of you and take the good care of your car while shipping. There are various factors on which the car shipping cost depends, but if you want an average outline it can vary from $500 (for short-distance transport) to $1500 (for cross-country transport). If a car is being transported internationally, the average shipping cost can be high enough.
Factors Which Are Important to Consider the Car-Shipping Cost
The shipping cost of a car depends on a certain factor. You may want to get a car in another state or it can be outside the country, the cost is decided based on these following factors-
1. Distance
It is quite common that the farthest distance a car has to ship, it will cost you more. When a car is shipped, the cost is determined by keeping certain things in mind, like the price of fuel, driver’s fees, the labor cost, along with other related costs. So, it is natural that if a car has to cover more distance it will cost more. The cross-country shipping is more expensive than shipping from one state to another in a country.
2. Method of Car Shipping
The next important factor that determines the shipping cost of the car is the method you choose to get the delivery. There are two methods of car shipping, like the terminal-to-terminal shipping and door-to-door shipping. Here you will get a bit detail about these methods to know why the cost of car shipping varies in each method-
- Terminal-to-terminal Car Shipping: In this type of transportation system, the car is shipped to a designated location and you need to make the arrangements to take it to your place. This is a less expensive method.
- Door-to-Door Car Shipping: In this system, the carrier picks your car from the accurate location and delivery it to the final destination. As you don’t need to take any headache to pick a car from any location, there is an extra cost added to this service and it is more expensive than the other process.
3. Size, Weight, and Dimensions of a Car
These are the essential factors that play a major role in determining the cost of car-shipping. Certain cars can be fit well inside the shipping container. But, some cars don’t fit inside because of their size and dimension. In that case, cargo decks are arranged to secure the safety of the vehicles. This adds to the cost of car-shipping. Besides this, the weight of the car is also an important factor. There are lots of car shipping services which determine the cost as per the weight of the car; the more weight means more charge.
4. Types of Car Transport Truck
While transporting a car, the shipping cost also depends on the types of auto transport carriers. There are two ways of transporting a car, enclosed car transport and open car transport. You can choose any of the methods by knowing those well and also after knowing which method costs what.
- Enclosed Car Transport: If you are shipping a classic and vintage car, it is always preferable to choose enclosed car transportation where your vehicle will be kept protected from any damage during transportation. But, the thing you need to know that enclosed car trucks can carry only a few cars which can increase the shipping cost up to 50 percent.
- Open Car Transport Services: Usually, consumers prefer this service as this cost of shipping is low here and the shipping dates are quite flexible. But, here your vehicle is carried openly and that’s why there is a chance of your car getting damaged.
5. Location
The location where the car will be shipped also plays an important role in determining the shipping cost. If you live in a metropolitan area, delivering the car will be easy as many trucks come to the city for several purposes throughout the day. In that case, the shipping cost will be lower. But, if you set the location in a remote area where transporting is difficult, the shipping cost will increase many times.
6. Get Several Quotes
Instead of depending on a particular car shipping service, you can gather several quotes from different shipping companies to determine which one to choose. There are certain aspects you need to know while gathering quotes-
- Make sure if the shipping company gives you the rate, including the insurance cost. Check out the insurance policy of the shipping service how they cover the costs of any damage is done during the shipping of the car. The insurance cost won’t include the damage or theft of anything valuable inside your car. So, always make your car empty before shipping.
- Some companies charge by the mile, so the distance is important to determine the cost. If several cars are going at the same distance, the cost may be lower.
- Check out if there is any refund or lowering the shipping cost if the delivery company makes a delay in the method.
7. Timing
There is a peak time of car shipping when the cost is high. For example, during the summer you have to pay more as it is the peak season. So, if you want to lower the cost of car shipping, you can request the service company to give you quotes for shipping during the offseason.
So, here you get a detailed account of the factors which can decide the car-shipping cost. Depending on these factors the cost varies. To lower the cost, you can also check out if the auto transport company offers any discounts, like student concession, military discount, senior facilities, first-time-shipping, and so on. Choose the right service for you and you don’t need to be stressed about your car during shipping.