The Cost of Transporting Your Car across the Country

Winter is coming which means soon it will be the snowbirds season. When people are looking to escape the extreme winter climates of the northern regions of the U.S., they will ultimately need a car transporting company to bring their vehicles to the other side of the country.

The cost of shipping your cars to the other side of the country can be very expensive. And like everything that is costly, you will need to learn the ropes of the process to ensure you are the hiring the services of a good company and prevent anyone from taking undue advantage from you.

People who have not previously used auto shipping companies may have some difficulty in understanding why shipping quotes change and what are the best times and best way to ship your car that can ensure lower cost. Below is a basic guide for you:

Booking in Advance

One of the most important things that you can keep in mind, not just because of the cost perspective, but because of the timeliness of your car delivery, as well, is to ensure you book in advance when you want to ship your car.

This is similar to how you book your airplane tickets. The earlier you book, the cheaper will be the cost of the tickets. So make sure you book a car transport company about at least two months in advance.

Large and heavy vehicles will cost you more to ship than smaller cars because of more space and fuel consumption. For example, large SUVs like the Ford Expedition will take up more room and hence will cost more if you were shipping, say, a Honda Civic.

The Season Factor

Some people will tell you that shipping a car in the winter months is more expensive; however, if you ship your car across the country in the summer from a major country, you may find that prices are on the more expensive sides.

Many auto transport companies give you a higher quote from June to August when vehicles are being picked up or delivered to major urban hubs. This is because auto transport experiences a higher demand in the hotter season and roads are more congested with travelers in the summer.

Taking into account the busy summer season, you may expect that costs will be less during the winter season in the south. However, as mentioned above, many people from the northern states head over to the south during the winter for the warmer weather. Therefore, a lot of car shipping companies raise their shipping quotes because of the higher demands from the snowbirds.

Metropolitan Areas are Cheaper

The place where your car needs to be picked up and dropped off will play a major role when you are booking your vehicle for transport. If you live in a busy metropolitan area, you will see many trucks coming in and going out every day to deliver freight.

Since these areas boast a large population, car movers are always in a competition to deliver more cars and, in the process, make even more money. This can translate into lower price for customers.

Enclosed Carriers

Most vehicles being delivered by car shipping companies are done so by open carrier. However, some customers who own high-value luxury or antique cars may prefer enclosed containers to ship their load.

Enclosed carriers afford you car an extra degree of security and safety. Therefore, they are more expensive than open carriers as well. Some situations which warrant enclosed car carriers include:

• When you are protecting your vehicle form the elements, including rain, hale, excessive heat, snow, and road debris.
• When you are protecting an antique or classic car.
• When you are protecting an investment
• When you need some extra peace of mind.

However, vehicles that you use every day do not need this measure of security and cases of damages are quite rare, even in open carriers. So, if you want to get your car shipped at a reasonable price, open carriers is the way to go.

Use Customer Services

Most people look for shipping quotes from multiple auto transport companies. When you do this, you will find some companies that will pressurize you into making a decision immediately. A hard sell is usually an alarm signal so you shouldn’t bow down to their demands — it is your car after all.

Instead, look for companies which offer live chat support and contact support who can tell you or the details about the process in a courteous way. Online shipping calculators are an added benefit for potential customers as it can help them figure out how much shipping their vehicle will cost and lead them to an informed decision.

Urgent Shipping

Sometimes it happens that you need to make an emergency visit to another state and you need your car with you. In this case, most companies will charge you extra for the expedited services. However, sometimes, they may not have carriers available on very short notices, which can result in a delay in your care being delivered.

So always try to make sure you book in advance if you know you will need to get your car transported.

When estimating the cost of transporting your car across country, always be wary of shipping services that offer you very low quotes. Most of the time, these prices are actually too good to be true and may result in poor service quality.

So make sure you select a car shipping company that offers you the best service at competitive prices. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to call us at (866) 213-4966.