Jason Hilderbrand 19 Oct 2021 3 years ago How much does it cost to ship a car? If you’re in sending a car long distances, answering this question can be difficult. You may use car shipping calculators because they provide a sense of the cost. But these estimates don’t provide a guaranteed cost. If you are getting ready to ship a car, there are several factors you’ll want to consider. The information you provide influences the results you receive. The broker provides an estimate on how much it will cost for a carrier for you to transport your car. The carrier is the person/company that will transport your car from point A to point B. Consider vising www.sakaemlogistics.com to get a sense of what it costs to ship a vehicle. In just three easy steps the site provides you with an estimate on the cost of shipping a car Example Estimates Here are example quotes to ship a Toyota RAV4: Boston, MA to Seattle, WA: $1,612Minneapolis, MN to Phoenix, AZ: $1,407Sacramento, CA to Philadelphia, PA: $1,351Syracuse, NY to Orlando, FL: $1,165Denver, CO to Columbus, OH: $973Kansas City, MO to Dallas, TX: $595 Prior to Preperation The first step of shipping your car is getting an estimate on how much it will cost. But, before you do that, there are several precautionary measures you should take. Once you’ve decided you will ship your car, you should provide the broker or carrier with your schedule. The window of time you provide may influence the shipping cost of the car. It’ll also determine if different carriers will be willing to ship your car. Another task to complete is explaining if your car can be driven on and off the carrier’s transportation vehicle(s). A car that cannot drive on and off the carrier’s transportation vehicle(s) will most likely come with a higher cost. Understanding Car Shipping Costs Because of their weight and size, cars are one of the most easily shippable vehicles. For people who are planning to ship a car 200 miles or less, carriers offer a set rate. Typically, you will pay $2 per mile. But, if you are shipping your car further than 200 miles, you’ll want to know how the process works. When you are shipping cars long distances, different carriers will bid on the cost of transporting your vehicle. Here’s how it works – First, you’ll submit a quote for transporting a vehicle. (Visit insert website to get an idea of how this works). After you’ve submitted your information, a broker provides you with an estimate of how much the transportation will cost. You receive an estimate because transportation costs fluctuate depending on the carriers interested in transporting your vehicle. The carrier that provides the lowest bid becomes the final price you pay. What Factors Determine Cost As mentioned above, there are several different factors that determine the estimate you are provided with. The broker will take into consideration the size and weight of your vehicle. They’ll also review the distance it has to travel, and the transportation resources needed. Transporting from state to state will be different than sending it across a body of water. What you pay will reflect what resources are used to transport your car to its final destination. The carrier of your vehicle must also take into consideration other costs that may come along with transporting your vehicle. For instance, the cost of transporting your vehicle will be less expensive if you are remaining in the same country. If the vehicle transfers from one country to another, then the cost of the estimate will be higher. The insurance policy provided by the carrier will also influence how much you must pay to have your vehicle shipped. Before having your vehicle shipped, you’ll also need to disclose the full details of how your vehicle operates. If there are any “quirks” that the vehicle has, you’ll need to disclose these details to the carrier. The more the driver knows about your vehicle, the more effectively they will be to safely transport your car. Another factor to take into consideration when shipping your car is determining its destination. Vehicles can either be transferred from one terminal to another, or they can be transferred from door to door. Transferring from terminal to terminal is less expensive than door to door. But your car will be shipped directly to the carrier’s terminal and you’ll need to retrieve it. Door to door is more expensive, however, it comes with the benefit of being dropped off at your chosen address. Extra Fees Beyond the normal cost of shipping a car, there can also be extra fees that a carrier will charge. Depending on your situation, you may find yourself subjected to fuel surcharges, added space charges, and express shipment charges. You may also find yourself paying extra fees if you are shipping a luxury or vintage automobile. Different Shipping Methods When shipping your car, you can choose to have your car shipped in an open or enclosed trailer. Open trailers tend to be a bit cheaper, but the cars are able to be damaged, stolen, or affected by weather and road debris more easily. Enclosed trailers, on the other hand, use nylon straps to hold cars in place during transportation. Taking these precautions helps to guarantee a car’s safe transportation from one location to another. Whether a car is placed in an open or enclosed trailer is only one of many factors that must be considered. Oftentimes, when vehicles are transferred, they are put onto auto racks and then secured using wheel chocks. This method isn’t the only way for cars to be transferred. Though cars often ship by truck, they are also sent by airplane, large ship, or railroad. As mentioned earlier, the cost of shipping your car will directly relate to how far the car is traveling. It’ll also be influenced by what modes of transportation need to be used to get it there. Why You Should Read Reviews Reading reviews is one of the most common activities for modern consumers. This activity is just as important when preparing to transport a vehicle. By looking over the reviews that others provide, it will be easier for you to know what the general consensus is for a particular company. The more you know, the better able you will be to make an informed decision about who you will entrust to ship your vehicle. Many companies provide free quotes on how much it will cost for you to ship your vehicle. If you take the time to get free quotes from different companies, then you’ll gain insights into what the general cost of shipping your car will be. For instance, if you go to move.org and run a search using the website, you will be provided with the 5 best car shipping companies of 2021. The information the site provides you with doesn’t only include how much the estimate is for the company, but it also lists the company’s phone number and how long each company has been in business. Sometimes the company that’s been in business the longest will also have the highest prices, but they’ve also got more experience than their competitors. These are some of the factors you’ll need to consider when making your decision on who you will use. When shipping your car, it’s important to remember the choices you make should not solely be influenced by the prices. Oftentimes, the lowest estimate for service reflects that the company may not be using high-quality products. When transporting a vehicle, it’s important to entrust your car to someone who knows what they’re doing. Ways to Save Money When Shipping a Car It’s not always the best idea to go for the cheapest price. But there are still things you can do to try to save money. Shipping during the “off-season” is one of the best things you can do. By doing so, you’re likely to receive lower quotes. Carriers can transport your car to a terminal to help save you money. The terminal can create a halfway point for transporting your vehicle. By choosing a carrier terminal, you’ll save on the cost of driving your car all the way across the country. Taking time to reflect on how you transport your car enables you to decide which services to use. If your car is not traveling far, then you may want to use an open trailer. This decision, in turn, will cut the cost of shipping your car. How far your car needs to travel also influences how much time the carrier needs to transfer your car. Having an Advisor The idea of shipping a car may still feel very foreign to you. There’s a chance that even after reviewing all of this information, you feel as if you have only scratched the surface on how you should approach determining if – and how – you should ship your car. Sakaem Logistics – the site mentioned at the beginning of this post – goes beyond offering you a quote for shipping a vehicle. If you choose to use their services, the company offers you the assistance of a shipment advisor. The advisor walks you through each of the different decisions you can and should make before shipping your car. These trained professions explain the benefits of each service and product provided through the company. The advisor will also answer any questions you have about what to do to get your car shipped safely. Jason Hilderbrand Share this: