Transporting cars by truck services
Sometimes, when you need to transport a vehicle from one state to another, it’s cheaper and less time-consuming to hire a shipping company and to transport a car by a truck than to drive it on your own. There are several ways of cross-country car shipping, and they vary in speed and pricing. However, car transport by truck is the most demanded and popular way of transporting a vehicle thanks to the efficiency and automated trucking.
Study the information below in order to know more about the peculiarities of transporting cars by truck and the main principles of price formation.
What is a truck for car transport?
As it has already been mentioned, most people prefer to transport cars by truck because this is the easiest and less effort-consuming method of moving vehicles across the country.
All you need to do is to find a reliable company and to reserve a spot on a special truck for transporting cars. As a rule, the carrier can transport 7-9 vehicles at a go. By the way, the more items the truck transport for cars can accommodate, the less you will pay for shipping.
One of the main decisions you need to make when you are about to transport a car by truck, is the type of trailer you choose. You can book an open truck for transporting cars or an enclosed one. The first option will help you save about 40-60% of the budget and it is more accessible thanks to the large number of companies offering open car shipping services. An enclosed truck for car transport will be useful for people who need to move their precious or classic vehicle from one state to another. This type of shipping provides better protection to the cargo, since it’s sheltered from the outside elements and bad weather conditions.
What can affect the cost of car transport by truck?
As in any industry, prices for transporting car by truck depend on several variables.
In general, the final cost is formed taking into account the overall mileage. The longer is the distance you ship the vehicle, the more you pay. But the price per mile is lower for long distances than for short ones. If you need to transport your vehicle for 200-500 miles, the cost will be about $1 per mile. As the distance grows up to 1,000-1,500 miles, the cost decreases to $0.50-0.60 per mile.
One more thing you should bear in mind is that enclosed truck transport for cars is always more pricey than shipping a vehicle on an open-air trailer. Be ready to pay more for extra protection of the cargo on the road.
Other variables influencing the price include current and final destinations, dimensions of the car (large and heavy vehicles cost more to be transported), and type of delivery (door-to-door delivery is more expensive than terminal-to-terminal). Even the time of year when you decide to transport car by truck influences how much you will pay for the service. Summer is the peak season for vehicle transportation, therefore, the prices go uphill from May to September.
As a rule, when you are about to transport car by truck, the shipping company offers you a shipping window in order to schedule the transportation. This period can be from 5 to 20 days long. The more in advance you will make up your mind about the shipping dates, the less you will pay. If you are in need of expedited transportation, be ready to pay extra money.
In order to get a better idea about the average cost of transporting cars by truck, we advise you to request several quotes from reliable shipping companies and to compare the set of services included in the quote. Be attentive: the quote you get is not the final price you will pay for car transport by truck. This is only a starting point, the total price is more likely to be higher.
What do the numbers say?
We have done a bit of research and are ready to provide you with average prices and estimates.
Let’s imagine that you need to transport a sedan at a distance of about 2,700-2,800 miles. The average cost will be about $1,600-1,700. The lowest offer is about $1,250 for an open truck for transporting cars with no expedited shipping. The peak price is about $2150 for an enclosed truck for car transport with expedited shipping.
As we have already mentioned, the size and weight of the vehicle also influence the cost of shipping. The numbers above are applicable only to shipping a sedan. If you need to transport a SUV or a minivan, the cost will be different. For example, if you need to transport a sedan from New York to Los Angeles, you are likely to pay about $1,300. But if you want to ship a big SUV at the same distance, the cost will be about $1,700.
As you can see, the cost of transporting cars by truck is subject to numerous factors. When you are aware of them, you can try to influence each of these factors in order to lower the total price. However, bear in mind that what is cheap isn’t always the best option for choice. Therefore, don’t try to choose the least expensive company, just look for the best ratio of quality and price.
