Variety of prices within car transportations’ services
Considering that there are no governmental regulations in regards to the car shipping costs, every company decides on its own what particular price to set to attract more clients but also to make more profit. Before going into more details in regards to the average car shipping cost, let’s cover the basic information about the factors that normally have a significant effect on the final quota.
Influential factors
Definitely, the distance is the main factor the price depends on. On the other hand, there is no direct progression between miles and dollars as longer distances traditionally have cheaper price per mile. For example, in case of the mileage less than 500 miles you will most probably pay about 2 USD per mile while ordering the car’s delivery across the whole country with more than 1,500 miles distance it will cost you 0,50-0,60 USD per mile.
The choice of the particular car transportation services’ provider may also cause some difference in price. Normally, new or small companies offer lower prices to attract more customers while huge and famous transporters can afford to push a price a little bit up which is caused by their reliable reputation and extended range of services. It’s always recommended to check the reviews of the company you are going to deal with to avoid any unfair participants of the modern marketplace.
Additionally, there are some other factors you need to take into consideration when planning a car’s transportation:
- Season. Not everybody knows but the transportation industry itself has a seasonal character which is caused by different demand from the clients depending on the time of the year. Mostly, cars’ deliveries are more popular in summertime as that is when people prefer to move to a new house or to buy a new vehicle. High demand leads to a higher price which may cost you additional 200-300 USD in comparison with winter delivery;
- Vehicle’s characteristics. Here we can speak not only about its weight, height and length which directly affect the truck’s capacity but also about any technical changes it has. You need to inform the transporter in advance about all the extra features your car has to avoid any troubles with its fitting into the truck. Additionally, the condition of the car also important as if it is non-operable the driver will need to use a specific equipment and tools to load it on the platform;
- Type of the truck you are requesting. Basically, there are two main choices you have – open or enclosed transport. In the first case you will get much better price and flexibility in regards to the dates while the enclosed transportation provides higher security and personal approach. You will need to carefully look at both of the options and to consider the value of your vehicle when making the choice (normally, owners of the most expensive vehicles prefer to pay 40-60 percent extra for the enclosed type);
- Urgency. You need to remember that transport car services, especially in case of the interstate delivery, take longer than you can consider. It’s not only moving from point A to point B. The company needs to arrange the best schedule and cover a lot of in-between spots to deliver other vehicles so it may take about 2-3 weeks. In case you need your car to be delivered faster, you can apply for the expedited service. The more you are ready to pay, the quicker you will get your car, in some cases even within a day;
- Destinations. Most professional carriers offer door-to-door and terminal-to-terminal delivery. While the first option is much more convenient and popular, terminal routes are the best idea in case of remote locations. Transportation into the rural area can cost you much more than between big cities even if the distance itself is the same;
- Insurance. In most cases basic insurance is already included into the quota but you need to carefully check which exactly cases it covers. In case of rare and expensive cars it always makes sense to add an extra coverage.
Average costs
An average cars’ shipping cost in the USA nowadays is 710 USD for an open transport and 1,120 USD for an enclosed one. This is calculated on the basis of all the offers from transportation companies so you can easily compare it with the offer you have got. It also may be interesting to know the average cost in between the most popular destinations you may require. For example, to arrange your car’s transportation from Miami to Los Angeles, you can expect to pay about 1,270 USD. Overall, to ship a car across the country will hardly take less than 1,000 USD.
Among the famous and reliable transportation companies which are also popular because of their lower-than-average prices we can mention Easy Auto Ship and Montway Auto Transport. In case of other new services’ providers you need to be careful as too low quotas may mean poor transportation conditions and worse service.