Cheapest Way To Ship A Car
If you need a car shipped (or any other type of vehicle, for that matter), there is likely one key question on your mind: how much does it cost? While the answer to that question can depend on several things, the most straightforward answer is open-air auto transport. In the paragraphs below, we’ll explain why this is the case and some of the many things that can influence the price of vehicle hauling.
Things That Will Affect Vehicle Relocating Prices
Ultimately, a few main factors affect how much you’ll pay for car shipping, but a few minor elements are also at play. Here are the things that will most likely impact how much you pay to have a vehicle shipped and why.
- Distance—This is the most important factor to consider because it obviously costs more money to haul a vehicle over a longer distance. While it may only cost a few hundred dollars to have a vehicle shipped to a nearby state or within the same state, moving the same car across the country will likely approach or exceed $1,000.
- Type of Vehicle—Another key ingredient is the type of vehicle. The larger and heavier a car is, the more it will cost to ship, just as a heavier package costs more to haul when sent through the mail.
- Fuel Prices – As fuel costs fluctuate, so does the cost of transporting vehicles. The large trucks (known as carriers) used to move other vehicles require a lot of gas and engine power to drive, which will understandably affect the cost.
- Method of Transport—The two main types of car transport are an open-air carrier, which is cheaper and hauls more vehicles at once, and an enclosed carrier, which is smaller and moves fewer cars.
- Delivery Requirements – The standard way of hauling cars involves pickup and delivery from a depot or terminal, which is cheaper than the more convenient door-to-door delivery option.
A-1 Auto Transport is a long-distance, nationwide, and international vehicle shipping company with office locations worldwide. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, we provide professional and affordable transport options to a wide range of customers. For a FREE price quote, contact us today by Clicking Here or calling us at 1-888-230-9116! All estimates are 100% FREE and require no payment or commitment!
Most Affordable Vehicle Moving Options
We covered this briefly in the opening section of this post, but let’s go into more depth as to why open-air carriers provide the cheapest method and where terminal-to-terminal shipping fits into the picture. Though the larger open-air carriers require more fuel to move vehicles, they typically move between six and 12 cars at once, if not more. Since there are more vehicles, as opposed to the one or two moved in an enclosed carrier, the costs are split among more vehicles, resulting in a lower overall cost.
If you couple terminal-to-terminal hauling along with open-air carrier, you have the cheapest way to ship a vehicle. When you ship a car using terminal transport, you must drop off the vehicle at a transport depot (usually located in major cities) and pick it up from another depot when it’s delivered. Naturally, this saves time and money for the car carrier, which then passes the savings on to you.
Auto Transport Discounts
You may be surprised to hear that many auto transport companies offer discounts that can provide further savings beyond the method and type of transport you choose. A-1 Auto Transport has one of the most robust discount programs in the industry that apply to seniors, military, students, first-time shippers, multiple car transports, online booking, and more! Sometimes, these discounts are not prominently displayed or advertised, so always ask when requesting a price quote from a car relocating company.