Shipping a car is a huge deal depending on the type of car and the special accommodations you need to safely ship your car to another location. There are many factors you must keep in mind that will affect your quote. In the following article we will go over every point you must take in account in order to work around factors that affect your rate and get the best deal.
There are many occasions in life that can obligate you to move from one place to another. Sometimes the distance is only a couple miles away, but sometimes it can be in a completely different time zone. Many times these circumstances provide a better condition and more opportunities for you, regardless of the sacrifices you may have to do, such as moving away from your loved ones or current comfortable conditions. This produces enough stress for you and the last thing you need is problems with damaged or lost belongings along the way, most importantly a possession so precious such as your car; your means of transportation. 9 of 10 people solely depend on their car to accomplish their everyday tasks, from going to the corner shop to driving 50 miles a day to get to work. If you are someone that uses your car as a mobile office such as a pool cleaning service, your car is your source of income. Would you imagine yourself without a car due to a mistreatment that wasn’t even your fault? This can cost hundreds of dollars to your revenue and a lot of stressful moments.
Due to the harsh economy situations many people encounter, when searching for car transport companies, people tend to go to lowest prices possible; a very common error you can avoid if you knew just a couple of pointers before booking. Indeed, price is a great factor that helps you determine which company you will book with, however this isn’t necessarily the smartest decision, as there are other things you should take in account when given a quote.
How much does it cost to transport a car
Broker vs Driver. First of all, you need to decide whether you want to deal directly with a carrier or hire a broker to do the booking for you. Naturally, if you hire a broker, you must pay the broker fees, as opposed to the carrier, which offers you the price for the driver straight up. This can work as an advantage for you, however, dealing directly with drivers and carriers can be very stressful, as these entities are not used to work directly with customers, and most of the time they’re not available as they are on the road. Another disadvantage is that when working directly with carriers, you do not know if prices offered are the best in the market; most brokers research what are the lowest prices available according to your needs.
Driver’s Fee. After you have figured out how you want to book your car transporting service, you must know that to move your car, there is a minimum drivers will take to move your car from place to place; therefore all companies pay the same or a very similar amount to drivers, as most of the time if not all, they have standard fees. However, if offered more money to a driver, the chances of guaranteeing an early pick up are greater. When using a broker, you must also add the broker fees to this rate, in the case of a carrier company; they will add their standard fees as well. To help you better understand this quote, we’ll break it down to a simple equation:
Driver fee ($) + Broker/Company fee ($) = Quote ($)
Now here is where you have to be careful. For most of the time the drivers fee already includes gas, mileage, tolls, and full insurance for vehicle, this is the highest fee from the equation; now the broker or company fee is what the agent charges you for doing the research and final booking for you. As most brokers, they work under commission purposes and the higher their fee (broker fee) the bigger their pay check. Due to this, they will tell you gas, mileage, tolls and other expenses are paid separately and give you outstanding prices, or even charge your card for extra fees upon delivery of your vehicle. Other companies will offer you ridiculously low prices that are impossible to match (to make attractive for you as a customer), but then charge you the difference for which they have to cover upon delivery. Also a common case is to guarantee you pick up and delivery times for the same low price, and make u sign a contract in which if you cancel, booking fees or deposit are non-refundable. Then you see yourself stuck and desperate and end up booking another company to have your car moved and paying hundreds more. However, they already secured their commission.
Hidden Fees. With these scenarios on mind, you must also know that low prices always mean slower transit times. Therefore when you are given a surprisingly low rate, always ask how long will it take for delivery and also, ask for fees after delivery, only then you will see the actual really high final price. Also, another consequence of offering very low prices is that your car may not be picked up, as it has been priced incorrectly and drivers will not take it. This can ruin your plans if you have a schedule to stick to.
Distance. The most important factor that influences the rate of your quote is the distance and how far you are located from the main route. The farther you are from main route, the harder it is for drivers to pick up your car, as they will have to deviate from their main path. This will cause, more miles from the regular, therefore, more gas. The closest you are to a route or within a route, keeps prices at a standard, as drivers will not have to get out their routes in order to pick up or drop off vehicles. However, distance is a factor that will affect your price. Transporting a car between cities in the same state does not compare to shipping a car across the country, this presents more exposure to obstacles, accidents and delays, than shorter routes. Also depending on gas prices, same routes may have different prices at different times; if gas prices go up, rates will increase as well.
Season. Another important factor you must keep in mind is the season in which you are looking to ship your car. During this time, the highest transport demand settles along the eastern coast, therefore routes that go towards the west are harder to find, unless a right price is offered. As many retailers and other businesses, car transport is at its busiest during winter, however, due to heavy weather conditions, transit times are longer and prices are higher. You may think that because transit times are longer, prices should decrease, however the reasons why prices are higher during this season is because trucks are more likely to have mechanical issues due to the heavy snow and demand for these haulers are higher than what they can supply.
Make and Model. Other factors you must consider is the make and model of your car, especially if the body of the car has some work done to it that will alter its original dimensions. For example, if you have an extended bed, or lift kits on your pick up, this will change the type of carrier you will need, as dimensions are bigger and special accommodations must be provided to transport your car safely. If you need any specific needs for your car besides the standard, prices will go up. Also, convertible cars, sports cars and classic cars must be taken in enclosed containers to protect them from weather conditions and other factors. This will also raise the price on your transport; however, it will guarantee a secure and satisfactory delivery.
After you have taken in consideration all these factors, you can now research through all the car transport companies you like. Compare all prices and see the difference between the high ones and low ones, make sure you ask all the small details that each price includes or does not include so you won’t encounter surprises later on. Make sure also, you describe thoroughly what special accommodations you need for your vehicle to be transported safely, this way you will receive the total price and be able to decide which carrier best fits your needs.
Have you decide yet? Let us book your transport for you, Get a quote!
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