What Is the Cheapest Way to Ship A Car?

Shipping a car across the country can be an overwhelming experience, with the number of service options and modes of transport available. Exploration of these options is imperative if you want to select the best one at the desired price point. The shipping decision is further dependent on the car condition plus the distance involved and the amount of cost and time you are ready to spend on it. These factors are critical in deciding the cheapest way to ship a car. You should look at this web-site for more information.

Driving a vehicle interstate is considered a cheap option by many. However, you need to factor in the charges incurred and the value involved in such an exercise. Driving the car interstate will add to the mileage, impacting the intrinsic value of the car. The drive will comprise costs such as fuel charges, refreshments, care tires wear and tear, apart from the possibilities of traffic congestion and damages due to bad roads. These factors are important while considering the cheapest way to ship a car. Hence, the determination of the desirable shipping option requires some time and research.

Types of Shipping

Choosing the type of shipping comprises options of enclosed transport and open transport. Open transport is the preferred option for car shipping. About 97% of auto transport utilize open transport, as it is cheaper, easier to reserve, can accommodate cars of different sizes, shapes, and models. A regular open transport comprises two layers of trailers and is up to 80 ft in length. It carries many cars at a time, which makes it economical. Open transport is cheaper than the enclosed transport option. While not as safe as the enclosed transport, open transport is secure enough as cars are secured using the standard strap and offer the driver greater visibility making it easier and quicker to inspect. One of the cons of open transport is the exposure of cars to the external environment, which may cause minor blemishes to car exteriors.

Types of Delivery

The car delivery method influences the cost of car shipping. You have two delivery options. The first is Terminal-to-terminal shipping, and the second is Door-to-door transport.  The difference between the two is the drop-off and pick-up of the car. In Terminal-to-terminal shipping, there is a designated location for all the shipping transport to arrive. It is the drop-off point. You can drive away with the car from there. Terminal-to-terminal shipping is often cheaper than door-to-door transport. The fixed drop-off and pick-up location reduce the logistics costs for the service company, hence the lower charges. It is your responsibility to arrive and pick up or drop off the car with the necessary documentation from the drop-off or pick-up points. The door-to-door transport eliminates your travel to and fro from the drop-off or pick-up points at a premium. The door-to-door option provides convenient pick up from your house or workplace and drop-off at a provided address. The services take longer than usual and also cost more. However, the costs are often a fair tradeoff relative to the service and convenience on offer.

Scheduling and Planning

You can pluck a sweeter deal with patience and planning. Peak months and urgent consignments attract higher prices.  You must show flexibility regarding ‘time to delivery’ and planning to avoid the peak months of the year and the distance to transport to achieve a cost-effective deal. Companies offer interactive services such as quote forms and other relative features to help customers calculate the estimated costs of shipping. You can use the service to calculate optimal shipping rates based on the possible dates and the ‘time to delivery’ option to find the cheapest period to ship the car. It is one of the more straightforward options to find the most competitive price with your requirements.

You can explore discounts such as loyalty discounts, returning customer discounts, festive coupons, student discounts, and other promotional offers. You can lower the shipping costs by making payments through shipping apps and banking services offering healthy cashback.

Cost of Shipping

The cost of shipping a car can range from $1 per mile for initial 500 miles up to $0.5 for 2000 miles, as per consumer affairs data. Larger cars such as SUVs and sedans will generally cost more than hatchbacks. The cost of shipping reduces with the increasing miles. The same is applicable for cross-country shipping of a car with a premium. The shipping costs fluctuate based on shipping types, such as closed or open transport, and the delivery types.