Many people and businesses often need to ship vehicles because of relocating or another similar reason. Shipping a car seems to be a straightforward process, but it is fairly complicated.
There are numerous small details related to it that could make a huge difference, not to mention the price fluctuations. Therefore, you need to be careful before appointing someone to transport your car.
You need to check more than a few things before deciding what is the cheapest way to ship a car, and we’ll discuss some of them today. There is nothing like doing your research prior to taking an important decision, right?
What Is The Cheapest Way To Ship a Car?
The answer to that question is short: “It depends!” Transportation is a precise business and the process is a combination of factors: destination, route, season, type of vehicle, timetable, weather conditions, etc. All of these factors determine the final price to ship your car.
Appointing a broker to do the job is a safe option, but you need to have in mind that the carrier that transports your car might be one you’ve never heard of.
Needless to say, you can get a quote directly from a chosen or recommended carrier, and they will calculate what the service would cost. The rates you were initially offered might change in the end, though.
Still, statistics show that the lowest average price for shipping a car in the U.S. is a little over $700. The absolute average car shipping rate in the U.S. is around $950. Of course, shipping rates vary way too much. The difference between two independent companies’ offers may be too big to be easily explained.
Use our shipping quote page to calculate the cost of your shipping. Click the button below to get the best price we offer:
Tips To Find The Cheapest Way To Ship a Car
In case you want to find the cheapest way to ship a car, you’ve come to the right place. There are plenty of tips that will help you make the right choice. Let’s take a look at the most important ones.
Choose Wisely and Get a Few Quotes
First, make sure you get more than a couple of quotes. Contacting a few companies is the best way to save some money and time, as you will see the differences in their offers and rates.
Never choose the one carrier that tends to low-ball the rest as it could turn out to be a bad decision. Suspiciously low prices are usually the first sign of a scam.
Don’t forget to check the feedback on the carrier you choose to appoint. A good reputation in this business is everything. Even if you contact a carrier directly, make sure they are not a broker as well: many trucking companies operate as brokers. You need to know who will handle your car until it reaches the delivery location.
Plan Ahead and Make an Early Reservation
Here’s another hint to find the cheapest way to ship a car. Never wait for the last minute when you need to organize the shipping of your car. Chances are that you can get the best offer weeks before transportation is due to happen.
By doing this, you allow the carrier to plan their whole schedule while having your order in mind and your vehicle could be transported cheaper and faster that way.
Pick Open Transport Instead of Enclosed Trailer
There is a reason why less than 10% of all cars are transported in an enclosed trailer. This is an expensive option that is worth it only if the car is valuable.
Exotic vehicles and vintage models need extra care and the maximum safety features available. Open transport is much cheaper, making it the preferred means of transport.
Wait for the Off-Season If You Can
What is the cheapest way to ship a car? Wait for the off-season, of course.
This strategy works best when you can wait for winter. The summer months are the busiest for every carrier. Therefore, you are likely to pay a lot less if you can afford to wait a few months and schedule shipping for the off-season.
Sometimes, the pick-up location and the final destination are both remote. When these locations are far from traditional routes, transportation always costs an arm and a leg.
This is why you will save a small fortune if you are flexible enough to move the vehicle to a convenient location.
Have a Flexible Timetable
Delivery schedules are usually super tight, meaning that you need to have the time to wait for the carrier to pick the car. If you want to specify the exact pick-up date and time, you are likely to pay a premium for that.
A great way to save money is to be flexible once more. Wait for as long as it takes and make sure you are available to hand off the car to the carrier when the time comes.
Appoint a Tow-Truck or Transport the Car Yourself
If you need to transport a car to a location that is just a couple of hundred miles away and it is either damaged or doesn’t run, you have various cheap options that allow you to avoid appointing a professional carrier.
You can call a local tow-truck company and get a quote. Better yet, you can rent a trailer and borrow a pick-up truck from a friend and tow the car yourself. Of course, this is not as easy as 1, 2, 3, but it is perfectly doable. Plus, you are likely to save money.
If the car runs and is road legal, you can drive it yourself and catch a plane on the way back. If the expenses for gas and a plane ticket are significantly less than the carrier service, why not choose this option?
The Cheapest Way To Ship a Car In Conclusion
If you were wondering “What is the cheapest way to ship a car?”, you now know everything you needed to know, using the summary above. These tips are all you need to do if you want to save money when you must transport a car.
When you do your homework, you have a much lower chance to be charged extra or come across a scam of some sort. Also, make sure you have all the documents needed: valid insurance and a bill of lading are a must-have.
If you have any other questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below. We reply to every comment with a helpful piece of advice.
If you’d like to find your dream car, you can register on our website – bidexport.com. We boast more than 150,000 vehicles, and the sign-up process takes less than a minute.
