Trucking car transport

If you need to ship a vehicle across the country, you are likely to look for a reliable car transport truck. The shipping industry is overwhelmed with numerous options for car transportations. They all differ in size, method of shipping, safety level, and many other factors. So choosing the right company and the most suitable truck that transports cars isn’t an easy task. 

We have gathered the most important information on this issue for you just in one article. After having read the material below, you will find answers to the most urgent questions of shipping vehicles - What is the average cost of trucking car transport? What car shipping options are available? How does shipping cars work? Can I ship a non-running vehicle? and many others.  

What is the average cost of truck transporting cars?

In order to know the average cost of car transport trucking, you should request quotes from shipping companies. The more quotes you request, the better. Try to get at least 3-5 of them. This will help you figure out the estimated cost of car truck transport. However, don't forget that the quote the company provides is not the final cost of truck car transport. This is some kind of a starting point which you should consider as an estimated price for shipping your vehicle. 

In general, the cost for shipping a vehicle on a car transporting truck can vary from company to company, depending on the following factors:

• Dimensions of the vehicle. When you need to transport a large vehicle, you should be ready to see a higher price tag for the shipping. What is more, if your vehicle cannot fit on a standard car transporter truck, you are likely to pay more. 

• Weight of the vehicle. Heavy vehicles produce additional load on the truck transport cars, thus the fuel consumption increases and the shipping company will charge you more. 

• Make and model. If you need to transport a small family sedan on a truck transport car, you have nothing to worry about. This type of vehicle doesn’t cost much to ship. But when you need to transport an unusual modification or some special model which has irregular dimensions, the price tag goes uphill.

• Distance. This is one of the most significant pricing variables. Everything is very simple with the distance - the larger it is, the more you pay. However, if you need to ship a vehicle on a car truck transporter too far, the company will offer you discounts per mile.   

• Location of point A and point B. If you think that the current location of your vehicle doesn’t influence the final cost of car transportation, you are mistaken. Point A from where you need to ship the cargo is no less important than point B to where you want to have it shipped. The thing is that there are fewer shipping companies situated in rural areas and the prices are higher there, whereas urban regions have a wide choice of transport companies, and they have to offer lower prices to be competitive. 

• Seasonality. Car shipping depends on seasonal fluctuations of price. It’s better to ship the vehicle in the offseason, i.e. in the late autumn - winter. In the summer the demand is higher and as a result the price is higher as well. However, there is a significant downside of vehicle shipping in the winter - in case of open shipping the vehicle may get damaged by bad weather conditions. 

• Type of truck car transporter. There are two options for a car transport truck - open truck that transports cars and enclosed trucking car transport. Find pros and cons of each below.     

Enclosed vs. open truck transporting cars

If you need to ship a luxury car or an antique vehicle, you will be offered an enclosed trailer for transportation. This type of carrier is a bit pricey, but it ensures total protection to the cargo. An enclosed truck to transport cars resembles a container inside which the vehicle is sealed, and thus it is fully covered from the outside elements. You can be sure that no unintended damage will be caused to the car. Not a single stone can do hard, even hail and bad weather conditions won’t affect your precious vehicle. The only downside of this shipping method is that enclosed truck transport cars cost more than open shipping. Sometimes the price may differ by 40-60%.

If you don’t want to overpay and the cargo is a standard family sedan, we recommend you to choose an open car transporting truck. This is the most cost-efficient method of vehicle shipping. The cargo is safely secured on a disclosed trailer, which has no sides and roof. Undoubtedly, the shipping company cannot guarantee you 100% protection from road debris or poor weather, but you should have insurance for such cases. Besides the price, disclosed truck car transport has one more advantage. There are more open carriers than enclosed ones in the industry, this means that when you book open-air shipping, you will have to wait less than in case of enclosed carriers.   

How to choose a company with a truck to transport cars?   

Finding a good car transporter truck company isn’t an easy task. However, you can simplify this process, if you know what to look for in the company. The list of tips below will be handy.

• Try to work with a large shipping company. It’s rather logical that the larger the car truck transporter is, the more options it will be able to offer you. What is more, larger companies have more car truck transport in their arsenal and better equipment for loading/unloading vehicles. The giants of the shipping industry have more branches around the country and more terminals.   

• Look for a company that has a tracking option. This will help you keep peace of mind during the transportation. Some companies will give you the driver’s number as soon as you are assigned a carrier. So you will be able to contact him whenever you would like. There are also companies which make it possible to get online updates on current car transport trucking. All you need to do is to register in their system, and you can track online the location of your vehicle during the transportation. 

• Good balance between the price and the quality of service is one of the most important criteria when choosing a company for truck transport car. There are people who are in pursuit of the lowest price for car shipping. Unfortunately, this low price may hide a lot of extra fees and inflexible conditions. So never choose the most inexpensive option. Compare several shipping quotes, clear up in advance what exactly the quote includes and only then make a choice. 

• The best way to know more about the truck car transporter is to read customer reviews and to talk to people, who have already worked with a specific carrier. Surf the net, look through Google Reviews, read testimonials at Better Business Bureau, analyze the company’s official website. 

• Check the insurance policy. All carriers in the USA are obliged to have standard insurance. However, this standard insurance may not cover certain types of damage. That is why you had better clear up in advance what exactly the provided insurance includes. As a rule, when you work with a large car truck transporter, it offers additional insurance, sometimes even for free. Think twice, because your peace of mind is worth extra money. 

In conclusion, we would like to remind you that choosing the best car transport truck is much easier when you have already communicated with the company's representatives. Therefore, don’t even hesitate to call the car truck transport company and ask any questions that disturb you.