Whether you’re relocating, buying a vehicle from an out-of-town seller, or sending a vehicle for repairs or restoration, car shipping can be a notable expense. While car shipping often makes logistical sense, there are numerous strategies to save money during car shipping without skimping on service quality or vehicle safety.
From pricing options to carrier selection and timing, this blog post discusses helpful tips and actionable strategies aimed at reducing the cost of car shipping. We’ll discuss how car shipping companies can assist you in saving money while having less stress. Finally, I’ll provide information on buying cars via Carvana to help streamline the purchase and shipping processes.
1. Understand the Elements Influencing Car Shipping Expenses
To save on car shipping, the first thing is knowing what elements influence the cost. Being equipped with such information helps in decision making, which, in turn, could potentially reduce spending.
Car Shipping Cost Determining Factors
Distance
The cost of shipment varies based on pickup and delivery locations. To some extent, the distance between two locations affects the total cost. Within the same state, cross-country shipments are considerably more expensive than local shipments.
Transport Type
Car shipments can be subdivided into two categories based on transport type: open air and enclosed transport. While covered transport provides more protection to the vehicle, it is more expensive than uncovered transport. Open-air transport is less costly, but it may expose non-specialty vehicles to damage from debris and weather.
Vehicle Size and Weight
Vehicles that are heavier take up more space on the transport truck and are therefore more expensive to ship. In comparison to sedans, trucks, SUVs, and luxury cars are more costly to transport. Small, lightweight vehicles typically cost less to ship.
Time of Year
The prices for car shipping change with the seasons. Peak summer months, holidays, and special events typically increase demand and, as a result, pricing. Shipping during the winter and months in the offseason may enable lower shipping costs.
Delivery Location
Shipping to major metropolitan cities is cheaper compared to rural or remote areas. If you live farther away from cities, you may incur additional shipping fees or longer wait times due to additional logistics involved.
Pro Tip:
If your timeline is flexible, consider booking in the offseason, during the fall to winter months.
2. Gather Several Estimates
Compared to other methods, gathering multiple estimates from different companies is one of the best ways to reduce expenses. It is easy to get lured in with the first estimate; however, doing this is unlikely to provide optimal value for your money. Obtaining quotes from at least 3-5 car shipping companies will allow for price and service comparison to identify the most cost-effective option. If you’re located in the UK and searching for local options, Car Shipping Bristol provides a convenient way to compare quotes from multiple transporters for Bristol-based car moves.
Getting quotes accurately requires:
- Providing uniform details to all companies: In quote requests, always include the same information to all companies, such as make, model, year of the vehicle, and pickup and delivery locations.
- Check for hidden costs: Additional costs such as insurance fees, fuel surcharges, or terminal handling charges are considered to be hidden costs. Always ask the companies for these types of costs. Sometimes there is a low quote on the surface, but it comes with a lot of hidden costs.
- Look for offers and promotions: Discounts can be offered for advance booking, off-season shipping, multiple vehicle shipping, and even off-peak months. Always inquire about special promotions that they are running.
3. Choose Open-Air Transport
As discussed earlier, open-air transport is the most economical option for shipping a car. Even though your vehicle will be exposed to the weather and road conditions, this mode of transport is considered safe for the majority of vehicles and is economical.
● Open-air transport benefits:
- Reduced Costs: Open air transport usually costs 30% to 50% less than enclosed transport, so you can save significantly.
- Availability: Open-air transport is so common that it is easy to book and schedule your shipment.
- Standard vehicles: The standard sedan, SUV, or truck you need shipped is best served by open-air transport. It is both a safe and economical method of transport.
However, high-value, classic, or luxury cars receive extra protection when transported in enclosed transports. Such vehicles may be best served by these methods.
4. Avoid Peak Season
Did you know that timing your shipment impacts its cost? Vehicle movements during summertime, holiday periods, and the general moving season are in greater demand than the rest of the year. This, of course, means greater rates. If the date you plan to ship is flexible, waiting for the recommended off-season would be ideal.
Benefits of Off-Season Shipping:
- Lesser demand: November to February sees a drastic slowdown in the number of people moving or buying vehicles. This drop in demand tends to lead to great lower rates.
- Greater access: Because of the low shipment request, car transport companies have more capacity. This translates to quicker trucking and reduced prices.
Pro Tip:
If your vehicle is shipped during off-peak periods, you’re likely going to receive a better price option.
5. Select Terminal-to-Terminal Shipping
While door-to-door shipping has its benefits, it can be rather pricey. A more budget-friendly option is terminal-to-terminal shipping, which allows you to drop your car at a terminal and pick it up from another one at the new location. This may involve an additional effort on your side, but it offers significant savings when it comes to shipping costs.
Advantages of Terminal-to-Terminal Shipping
- Reduced shipping expenses: Terminal-to-terminal shipments are typically more affordable as compared to door-to-door shipments. This is primarily due to the fact that the car shipping company does not have to make any additional stops.
- Reduced shipping complexity: Car shipping companies are able to consolidate multiple orders into a single shipment, which allows them to offer more competitive prices.
Drawbacks:
Increased distance: Driving to and from the terminal could incur additional costs depending on the distance from your home.
Increased wait times: Terminal-to-terminal shipping may have longer ranges for pickup and delivery windows compared to other methods of shipping.
6. Consolidate Vehicle Shipments
Shipping multiple vehicles at once, or purchasing several at once, considerably reduces the cost per vehicle. Many car shipping companies offer discounts for shipping more than one vehicle at the same time, making it an attractive option when multiple cars need to be shipped.
Advantages of Bulk Vehicle Shipment
- Lower rates: Companies that provide car shipping services often have set rates for bulk shipments, enabling considerable discounts for customers.
- Profitability: Increased cost-cutting overshadows shipment profitability, which is usually passed down to the customer as savings in expenses for shipping multiple vehicles together.
7. Car Shipping Scheduling Flexibility
Car shipments usually schedule them far ahead of the designated delivery dates. This strategic scheduling can result in favorable pricing. Usually, these companies have a set date for their shipments, so those booking earliest get the best shipping prices, which translates further to… reduced flexibility.
Reasons to Reserve Early
Early reservations often carry the best and discounted rates as well, especially for booking shipments soon. To minimize the shipping costs, this tends to work in favor of car shipping businesses with idle resources wishing to boost shipped vehicles.
Zoned Pricing
Prospective users have much more pricing freedom thanks to early reservations, which grant them the ease of showcasing and automating them at set bids designed not to undercut scheduled collections.
FAQs
1. Is it possible to reduce the shipping cost of a car by loading personal belongings into it?
The potential is highly not recommended as a plausible cost-saving solution, as for logistical reasons of shipping most cars without personal effects, as the figurative umbrella protects cars stationed with contents, which is widely prohibited. If shipping companies do allow it, chances are they will incur extra charges, which neutralize the proposed savings.
2. What is the maximum saving on open-air transport?
Open-air transport is less expensive than enclosed transport by an estimated 30% to 50%. This form of transportation is particularly advantageous for regular automobiles that do not need any specialized care or protection.
3. What are the conditions and terms that allow discounting for car shipping?
Of course, as long as other conditions provided by different automobile shipping companies are met, such as early booking, volume shipping of multiple vehicles, and shipping at non-peak seasons, discounts are available. Discounts are available, and as such, it is good practice to ask for them when requesting an estimate.
4. What duration should one expect for car shipping?
Car shipping is never less than 7 days or more than 14 days, and this period is sensitive to the distance and route between the source and the destination, the time of the year, season, and shipment weather conditions. Peak seasons and bad weather conditions often negatively prolong shipping times.
5. What are the pros and cons for ships sire-to-sire shipping?
Indeed, such shipping saves documentary distance payments because the shipper does not need to make door-to-door stops. In terminal-to-terminal shipping, save is often offset by additional work required from the customer.
Conclusion
If you’re considering purchasing a vehicle online, Carvana has a guide on how to buy a Car on Carvana. Purchasing vehicles through Carvana is as simple as selecting a car from their extensive catalog and having it delivered to your home. Moreover, Carvana simplifies the car-buying process with its 7-day return policy and convenient financing options.
To summarize, shipping a car doesn’t have to be expensive. Having knowledge of price-determining factors, shopping around for quotes, choosing open-air shipping, and early reservation align with the principles of quality shipping at an economical price. For transporting a vehicle, whether relocating, buying a car remotely, or just moving a car, there are plenty of additional savings.
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