Top rated car transport services rates

There are a lot of reasons why you might need a car transportation service. Some car buyers use them to ship vehicles they buy online. Conversely, sellers use them to send vehicles to buyers in other states. Car shipping companies can also be used by people who are moving to other locations for work, the military, school, or any other reason. If they have more than one vehicle, driving back and forth multiple times may not be an appealing option. This leads to an important question. How do you find the best rate car transport for shipping your car? Keep reading for everything you need to consider when looking for the top rated car transport services.

Best rated car transport service have many positive customer reviews

One of the most efficient ways to find the best car transport service is by looking  at online reviews left by previous customers. Find out what other people who used the company to ship their vehicles say about the shipping service in question. You should be able to learn a lot about them based on these reviews. For example, a company with an overwhelming majority of positive reviews has proven itself to be credible. Reading testimonials from other customers who have their vehicles shipped safely, securely, and on-time should provide you with some peace of mind. Conversely, if you find a car transportation service that has a lot of negative reviews regarding late deliveries or damages to the vehicle, you might want to look elsewhere. Lastly, look for reviews that talk about customer service. For example, if there was an issue with the delivery, how did the car shipping company handle the situation? Do you see any issues with communication, hidden fees, or any other concerning situations?

Ask about the shipping process 

Ask questions dealing with any shipment you plan on making with an auto shipping company. Some questions to ask auto shipping companies you are interested in using include:

How long does the shipping process take? 

Auto shipments don’t happen overnight. Auto shipping companies usually give a time range of one month from time of pickup, and even longer if delivering overseas.

Do they offer covered or uncovered carrier options?

While an open auto transport costs less, it also exposes your automobile to the elements when making its way to the destination.

How does scheduling a vehicle pickup work? 

Most often, a car shipping company contacts you when a truck comes open to transport your vehicle. Shipping companies do this to save money by making stops as they travel from point A to point B. To get an exact pickup date, you will probably have to pay extra.

What delivery options do they offer? 

This includes door-to-door and terminal-to-terminal vehicle delivery. Door-to-door delivery costs more, but the convenience of the shipping company picking up and delivering your vehicle directly to you is convenient. If the company uses terminal-to terminal delivery, you have to travel to the terminal where the company drops off the car to retrieve it.

On-time pick-ups and deliveries

As you can imagine, when choosing car transportation services, you want a company that shows up when they say they're going to show up. This is especially important if you're meeting the driver at a terminal, rather than a more convenient location like your home. While we all know that things happen, you need a best rated car transporter that hires dependably punctual drivers. This is just as important for pick-ups as it is for deliveries. If something has happened that will cause the driver to be late, they must communicate it with you. They should notify you immediately of any delays or changes in the schedule.

Insurance

Obviously, the best car transport company will carry the necessary insurance to ensure your vehicle is financially covered. Again, accidents on the road are rare. Yet, you need to make sure the company has the proper insurance to reimburse you if something does happen. For example, if your vehicle is being transported in the middle of winter and the truck slides off the road, will you be compensated for necessary repairs? What if the vehicle was totaled in the accident?

Affordability

Finally, choose a car transportation service that offers competitive shipping rates. We've already discussed the various things that affect moving costs. Based on your circumstances and needs, find the best rated car transport services that offer the best rates. However, it's important to remember the company's other qualifications. For example, you wouldn't want to hire a vehicle shipping company with terrible reviews just to save a little money. Instead, find a company that holds up to your standards and offers affordable one flat rate car transport. For example, you can use a car cost calculator to get instant car transport rates and see how you can save your money while shipping a car.

How to find the best car transporters rates

Cost-per-mile rates aren’t a good way to estimate your car transport rate. This is because numerous variables in the car shipping process can affect how much it will cost to transport your vehicle. Here are the main ones:

Distance

In general, the further you ship your car, the more it will cost to ship. That’s because most companies have a cost per mile as part of their pricing structure. However, some transport companies reduce the car transport service rates for car transport per mile at longer distances such as cross-country transports.

Transport type

Open transport, in which your vehicle is in an open carrier exposed to the elements and road hazards, is almost always cheaper than the enclosed car transport rates, in which your car shipment is inside an enclosed carrier.

Car delivery and pickup options

You usually have two options for pickup and drop-off. Terminal-to-terminal shipping, where your car is picked up and dropped off at a centralized location, is generally the cheaper method. Door-to-door vehicle shipments, where cars are picked up and left at specified delivery locations, typically cost more. 

Type of vehicle

In general, larger vehicles cost more to ship than smaller ones. Vehicles such as SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks may carry a premium.

Condition of vehicle

Your vehicle’s condition, including whether it is driveable, will influence car shipping costs. An inoperable vehicle will usually cost significantly more than one that is operational.

Time of year

Auto shipping rates go up and down at different times of the year. In general, the summer months and January are the most expensive times to ship a car due to increased demand.

Cost of fuel

Fuel is one of the most significant costs for car carriers. When fuel prices go up, you can expect transport prices to rise as well.