If you’ve shipped your car before — or even if you’re calling on a car transport company for the first time — you may be wondering what’s behind the fees you’re quoted. When you flew to Florida for the winter and had your car shipped to meet you there, why was the fee different than on the journey back north? When you moved cross-country, why was the fee different for your 8-seater SUV than for your teenager’s subcompact?
Let us help demystify what goes into the fees for shipping your vehicle. Take a look.
The Size of Your Car
If you drive a big SUV or powerful truck, you’re already aware that you spend more on gasoline than you would for a small car like a Mini Cooper or Honda Civic. In part, that’s because your car weighs more, and you need more fuel to move it from one place to another.
That’s true for car shipping as well. If we’re transporting a full-size SUV that weighs 7,300 pounds, it’s going to take far more gasoline than is needed to ship a tiny subcompact weighing 2,600 pounds. The weight and size of your car is one of the major factors involved in the fees you’re charged for shipping.
The Distance and Route Traveled
It just makes sense that it costs more to ship your vehicle 200 miles than 2,000 miles. Part of the fees you’re charged are indeed based on the distance involved (as well as the price of fuel along your route). Your route and your start and end points also affect the price. Some routes are more difficult to travel — think about driving up into the Rocky Mountains, for instance, as compared to the flat roads of Florida.
In addition, you’ll save money if you’re starting and ending your transport in major cities, since we can count on interstate highways to smooth the journey the entire way. The more remote and the less accessible the pickup or dropoff area, the more you’re likely to pay.
The Season of the Year
The season in which you’re shipping your car can also affect the fees in a couple of different ways. Obviously, winter can pose potential delays when snow has to be cleared from roads or rain washes out roads, particularly in more remote locations.
Prices also go up during seasons in which everyone’s going the same direction on the same routes. For example, many snowbirds headed to warm weather ship their cars in the winter, making the competition stiff for spots on car transports heading south. Remember, those same car carriers incur the cost of driving back north, often empty, to pick up the next load of vehicles — If you should be traveling upstream at that time of year, you could find some very attractive pricing as a result.
If you’re in need of a car shipping company — for any size of car, and at any time of year — we stand ready to help you out, with transparent fees and a spotless safety record. Give us a call and tell us what you need, and we’ll be happy to give you a quote today.
