The cost to ship a car across country depends on several factors. Distance and vehicle type are just two of the variables that affect the base prices on all routes.
When you ask ‘how much does it cost to ship a car across country’ the responses may vary by company. Our team explains that a market price is the most accurate price and it us often a manually checked price.
Corsia team tracks fluctuations on the market constantly and quotes only current rates that are all inclusive, with no hidden fees. Review our guide further to understand more about the cost to ship a car across country.
What is the real cost to ship a car?
It is in your best interest to understand the real cost to ship a car across country. A realistic auto transport price is based on several factors. Distance does matter, but it is not the only factor. The real cost is somewhere in the middle of the price spectrum. Below we have listed several factors that affect any car shipping price and all the important information that will help you understand who will give you a fair market price.
Whether it is about shipping a vehicle across the country, or across a state, the factors that affect the price are the same. The car shipping cost is calculated based on factors such as distance, exact locations, vehicle make and model, vehicle condition, type of transport and supply and demand.
Factors affecting your cost to ship a car
Vehicle make and model
Smaller cars are usually cheaper to ship, while bigger, heavier vehicles are more expensive. Auto transport carriers have a weight limit that they must observe when accepting vehicles. Thus, the make and model of the vehicle matter. Any modifications done to it, and whether there will be any personal items loaded inside affect total weight of the vehicle. This impacts the carrier and thus your final shipping price.
Vehicle condition
Whether your car is running or not will affect your final rate. To ship a non-running vehicle we need a truck that can winch it onto the trailer. This requires an equipped truck and skilled truck driver. A special truck, and special skill set means a higher rate. In some cases, we may even need a forklift to load a fully inoperable vehicle, which additionally increases the price.
Transport type
The type of carrier you choose will affect your rate. Open auto transport is the standard shipping service. It is used for all types of vehicles. This is the less expensive option because the availability of open carriers is higher than any other type of carriers. Enclosed auto transport is more expensive and often used for sports, luxury or classic automobiles. Enclosed trucks are more specialized and hence less available. This means it takes longer to reserve such types of transport which is one reason why it is more expensive.
Distance
The distance is a base factor that affects the cost to ship a car across country. Generally, the longer the distance the more it costs, but that is never the decisive factor in final price. Shorter distances still consume gas and require the same amount of work, but in the end it is fewer miles traveled. This means that shorter distances often cost as much as long.
Location
The exact pick-up and delivery locations also affect the price. Auto transport to and from rural areas is a more complex process. Fewer auto haulers are willing to go to remote towns to pick-up or deliver a single vehicle only. This often means higher prices and longer wait for pick-up, or delivery. The majority of the truck drivers prefer to travel to major metro areas where they can fill their spots faster.
Supply and demand
This is a major factor when it comes to the costs of shipping a vehicle. The basics principles of supply and demand apply in the auto transport industry fully. When supply is higher prices drop, and when demand is higher prices go up.
In auto logistics, when demand is high the truck space is limited and this means the prices increase. That is why a quote is good for one week only because demand changes on almost every route. Supply and demand fluctuations often happen daily, and even hourly. Thus, manually tracking the auto dispatch boards is crucial.
Additional factors to consider when shipping a car across country
Do you need an expedited service?
If the answer is yes, keep in mind that expedited auto transport service costs more. If you need your vehicle picked-up or delivered on an exact date, or by an exact date, expect to pay a premium.
Do you need a top load for your vehicle?
Top load means loading a vehicle on the top deck of the vehicle transport trailer. This ensures against possible leaks from other vehicles, from flying road debris, and it is generally safer.
Corsia Logistics provides manual pricing. A car shipping quote calculator often delivers misleading prices. Only an accurately determined price, verified with the national dispatch boards, will ship your vehicle in a timely and professional manner.
What do I need to know about car shipping quotes?
As you understand now, in the auto transport industry prices are driven by various volatile factors. However, all quotes are not created equal, neither are all auto transport companies. When you search online you will come across three major entities involved in the auto transport business:
- broker/carrier car transport companies
- lead generation websites
- auction websites / marketplaces
The engine of the vehicle shipping industry is all small and mid-size broker and carrier companies that work together on daily basis of deliver efficient and affordable shipping.
Very often prices will vary between all three entities. Some companies will give you very high prices, while others will quote you unrealistically low rate. You may wonder how such differences are possible. They are possible because who gives you the quote matters. The prices given by lead generator websites and auction websites are quite different. Broker and carrier companies can give you the most realistic market price.
Broker / carrier companies
A clean market price comes from reputable auto transport broker that is established with car carriers. This is the engine of the industry – the people who work daily with national dispatch boards and see how prices change. This is what keeps the prices competitive and the industry in balance. Small and medium size broker companies do not allow monopolization of the market by large companies, auctions or various lead generator websites.
The majority of the orders in the auto transport industry are booked through brokers. Why is that? Because the chances of you finding a car carrier who is in the same area as your car, has a spot open, and it is going in your desired direction are usually pretty slim. As we mentioned, most car carriers are small owner operator companies who work with dispatch boards and you can not find them online. But you can find brokers who work to find customers to fill carriers’ trailers. A broker makes sure the carrier is licensed and insured, and checks their safety ratings that customers have no way of checking.
A trustworthy broker company will work for you, the customer, to find the right carrier that travels your route and matches your requirements for a type of trailer, insurance liability and delivery time. They will provide a fair, current market price that will ship your vehicle in a timely and professional manner.
Most carriers do not manage the shipping process. A carrier is responsible to load, deliver and unload your vehicle. About 90 percent of the car carriers in the US are small, owner operated companies. They work with brokers who manage operations to fill their cargo space. This is why the prices you receive online are from auto transport broker companies.
A broker is a registered, licensed and bonded entity that can lawfully manage your vehicle shipments. It is the company that makes sure the small and mid-sized carrier companies’ cargo space is filled.
Many broker companies are a carrier as well. This means they have two separate licenses that help them serve customers better. One single company can not serve a whole state let alone the whole country, and that is why some loads need to be brokered to other carriers. It is a very efficient system of brokers and carriers that work together and make things run smoothly.
Car shipping lead generator website quotes
This entity is not an auto transport company of any type – it does not hold any license. This is an online business created to collect private information for other businesses. These lead generator websites are often found online and customers frequently think that are auto transport companies. But de facto, they are neither a carrier nor a broker. After receiving the customer’s request they sell their information to several transport companies.
Then the customer receives several calls from companies competing. It is often very unpleasant to receive 5 to 10 calls in a matter of minutes. Moreover, these companies know that they compete against each other and they need to quote really low rates. This means that you will not receive a realistic price that will ship your car in a timely and professional manner. In such cases, most companies would ask for more money later on in the process.
Auction websites prices
The third entity you will find online is auction websites or marketplaces. We advise our customers to avoid such platforms because this is where underbidding wars unfold. There you can receive more than ten auto transport quotes in the forms of bids. They start too high and go down to a unrealistically low rate that means longer wait and often unprofessional service. Such low rates are sometimes given by unregistered and unlicensed companies without insurance. Most companies are not able to give a realistic rate because they need to compete live with some corporations who simply can afford to quote low and even lose money only so they can push out the small, honest hard working guys.
Also, often due to fees imposed from the auction website, auto transport companies are forced to quote higher prices so they can make at least some profit. It is not only the companies’ fault, or the platform itself. The demand for low prices has always been a factor. And when people search for cheap they get cheap. On auction websites you get what you pay for.
A low price often equals low quality service. So, think about all that when searching online about your cost to ship a car across country.
How do I know I am getting a fair auto transport price?
Unfortunately, many prices you will receive online will not be fair, neither to you nor to the truck driver. Many quotes are not current market prices that will guarantee professional and timely shipping. This is the case when you get quotes from lead generator websites or auctions, as explained above. With some brokers, or carriers, this can also happen.
Some companies quote you a really low rate so you can book with them. They usually ask you to pay a deposit upfront and this means you cannot cancel when they fail to pick up your car in the specified time frame. This is how some of the bad apples in the industry function.
On the other hand, some big companies exploit the market by quoting very high prices. It is exploitation because the rate is way above current market value and the extra goes towards the company itself, whether that is a broker or a large carrier company. The money do not go to the car carrier driver and it is in fact a rip off for the customer.
Usually the most competitive prices come from small and mid-size companies. An established, small company is in business to stay in business and they understand the importance of quoting realistic market prices and taking care of their customers. A correctly quoted rate guarantees timely and professionally delivery.
What is the difference between manual and automated quotes?
Auto transport prices depend on supply and demand fluctuations. Daily fluctuations in supply and demand affect auto transport prices. When a vehicle is priced correctly a carrier will take it right away. If not the car sits on the board and waits.
A logistics expert can quote an accurate price based on current supply and demand situation, and that is why a manually checked quote is always more accurate.
A car shipping calculator has preset parameters that determine the price. It never takes into consideration supply and demand fluctuations unless it is updated often, and this is what ultimately renders the price inaccurate in most cases.
How many days in advance should I book in order to save?
We recommend to our customers to book their service about two weeks in advance. Any time earlier than that does not guarantee a lower rate or a faster service. The auto transport industry is heavily influenced by the supply and demand, and prices often change daily. Sometimes, even same day bookings can get a lower price than orders made a week or a month in advance due to a sudden cancellation or any change in carriers’ schedule. Learn even more about the industry from our car shipping guide.
Call our team with questions or request a quick car shipping price online.
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