Tipping car transport drivers

Do you usually tip car transport drivers? If not, you need to think why. We all got used to tipping waiters in the restaurants, barmen in pubs, room attendants and bellboys in the hotels and even traditional taxi drivers. And basically, every auto transport driver does the same service job. Another question is how much to tip car transport driver. In this case a common 10 percent of the price can be a very big amount of money.

To help you understand the main distinguishing features of this industry and to become more confident in your actions, we prepared answers on the most common questions in regards to tipping car transport drivers.

Main characteristics of the good service

Do you tip your car transport driver regardless of the service provided? Probably not. At least, there is no sense in this type of tips.

Originally, the idea to give tips is to encourage the server (whichever industry we are talking about) to do the same great job in the future. Of course, you can just say it to him directly, but there is nothing that works better than a material stimulation. Of course, you cannot and should not significantly affect the car transport driver salary as it’s part of the responsibilities of the employer, but there is nothing bad to cheer for a good job.

Here are some main points you need to pay attention to when deciding to tip car transport driver.

1. Communication. The most distinguishing feature of the car transportation service in comparison with others (especially within the hospitality industry) is that you don’t have too much communication with the driver. But quantity should not affect the quality as every experience consists of very small details. For example, let’s say you arranged a pick-up time of your vehicle from 10 to 11 am. It’s ok to arrive slightly earlier as in any case the driver can wait until you are ready. And in some cases, due to unexpected traffic or other circumstances he is realizing that he will be late (which is also not the end of the world). It’s always highly appreciated when the driver keeps the contact with the client and informs him directly about any delays or other circumstances. Two minutes delay will not play a too important role in the delivery itself but can essentially affect an overall experience of the clients. On the other hand, there should not be too much communication as the main job in this regard is to pick up the car in the most efficient and comfortable way for the clients.
2. Professionalism. When hiring a new employee and making a decision about the car transporter driver salary, the transportation company’s manager looks not only at the experience and the driving skills of the potential candidate, but also on his personal characteristics. Every company has its own policy, but there are also universal rules of the professional behavior at work. Courtesy, politeness, ability to listen and wish to help – here are what make clients feel special and cared. And if you are fully satisfied with the level of the professionalism the transport driver demonstrated to you, he deserves to be tipped.
3. Handling your vehicle. For many Americans a car is a second largest investment after the house, that is why they can feel pretty stressful when ordering a car’s transportation, especially for the first time. The driver should show a high respect to the car and deal with it in the most careful way. He should also inspect the condition of the vehicle to point out at some visible imperfections to avoid any misunderstanding upon the delivery. It is a pretty common practice when the driver takes some pictures of the vehicle’s surfaces and you should never consider it as a demonstration of impoliteness. But of course, it’s much better if the driver at least explains the purpose of such pictures.
4. Delivery of the car. Actually, you cannot answer the question “Do you need to tip a car transport driver?” unless the vehicle is delivered.  And here it’s your responsibility to inspect the conditions of the car. Of course, if we are talking about cheaper open transportation, it’s indeed impossible to deliver the car in exactly the same condition as it was at the pick-up day. Dust and insects are unavoidable in this case, and you need to be ready for this. But if you have paid extra for the more secure enclosed transportation, you should expect your vehicle to be exactly the same as it was. And of course, there should not be any additional stickers or other parts which could be used for the transportation purpose.
5. Personal approach. There are a lot of car’s owners the transporter driver is dealing with on a daily basis. But a really good driver will distinguish every particular one and try to perform the service in the best possible way. When we are talking about the car’s delivery, one of the most significant points will be that the driver made it possible to drop your vehicle off at the closest location to the destination point. On the other hand, you cannot expect he will do impossible things and to go with his massive truck through the narrow streets.

How much and how to tip the driver?

The particular amount of money you are tipping your transporter driver fully depends on you, and any driver will be grateful for any sum. Traditionally, the percentage of tips depends on the distance he needed to cover. Definitely, long-distance trips were more difficult for the driver, and if he did his job in time and in the most effective and safest manner, you can give thanks by tipping him for 10-20 percent of the price. Shorter trips are less stressful, therefore it’s quite common to give the driver around 5-10 percent. On the other hand, long-distance deliveries themselves can be pretty expensive so it’s not necessary to give 200 dollars tips for 1,200 dollars transportation service. It’s just a recommended percentage, which is based on the average statistics.

What concerns the possibility to tip, it’s always better to give cash. Sometimes you can meet the special line of the tips in the bill when you are paying by credit card and, of course, you can include your tips in the invoice. But this method is not that transparent and you will never know for 100 percent certainty that your driver will get his tips from the employer. Plus, it has a more personalized approach if you give tips directly to the person you want to encourage.

In conclusion, even if you cannot afford to pay big tips to the driver but you are really satisfied with his delivery service, it’s always better to give at least something than to ignore his job at all.