What Factors Determine Your Car Shipping Quote
The process of transporting cars from one place to another can be challenging for most owners, especially if it is their first time. It is essential to know the things you must consider beforehand, and these involve car shipping quotes, the available options in shipping, and the factors that affect car shipping costs.
To alleviate all the stress in car shipping, you need to search for a vehicle shipping company like https://www.carshippinghawaii.com/ that provides safe shipping service with cheap car shipping quotes.
If you are interested to know more about auto shipping quotes and factors involving vehicle shipping cost, stick to this article and read until the end.
Understanding Car Shipping Quotes
When we talk about car shipping quotes, we often think of a car transport service's estimated cost in a specific shipment. Some vehicle shipping companies include most fees in their car shipping quotes, the transport cost, service fees, insurance costs, and rise in carrier prices.
However, the majority of car shipping companies don’t calculate these fees at first, so you will be surprised if your final pay for car shipping will be higher compared to your initial quote.
Furthermore, auto shipping quotes differ based on various factors such as the time of the year, delivery preference, type of car, and many more.
Factors that Decide Vehicle Shipping Cost
Below are the factors that can affect the price of car shipping:
Preference in Delivery
Your preference in delivery will affect the price of shipping, just like other items. For example, terminal shipping or pick-up is much cheaper than having your car delivered to your home. Terminal shipping means that your car is delivered to another terminal or a place for pick up.
Meanwhile, doorstep delivery involves bringing your car to your doorstep. Obviously, terminal shipping is much cheaper than home delivery.
Moreover, you can also save money if you are flexible with delivery dates and pickup. This is why it’s better to find a reliable car shipping company as you can save more money than instant shipment which has a higher cost.
Distance or Location
A well-known factor that influences shipping costs is location or distance. The farther the distance you wish your car to be shipped, the more fuel consumption will cost. Additionally, familiar routes, popular countries, and places where most cars travel mean less cost than remote locations.
It’s because the majority of car shipping companies want to travel on major highways and popular cities during the service.
Shipping Method
Vehicle shipping companies usually offer different shipping methods to accommodate every client’s budget and needs. Most car owners choose open carriers to transport their vehicles as it is much cheaper.
However, this method can’t protect vehicles from various elements such as weather conditions and debris. Conversely, enclosed carriers provide solid protection and are commonly used in transporting luxury vehicles, though the cost is much higher.
Condition of Your Vehicle
Being honest about the operating condition of your car is essential. You have to make sure that your car is in good condition, as a well-functioning car requires less effort to load while a useless vehicle will need more equipment with much more effort.
In this case, the car shipping company will demand more fees if your car isn’t running. Thus, make sure to include the condition of your vehicle when you request car shipping quotes.
Seasons
Like other industries, shipping cars have low and high demand. Hence, the time of the year influences car shipping prices.
For example, car owners have more need for car shipping during summer and spring, so costs are much higher during these times of the year. Whereas during winter and fall, the cost of car transport is expected to go down.
Moreover, celebrations and holidays such as New Year and Christmas can also affect the price and car service transport availability.
Size of Your Vehicle
You should also keep in mind that the type of vehicle you want to transport matters during shipment. The bigger a car is, the more space is needed, thus the higher cost. Even bigger vehicles such as SUVs, trucks, or pick-ups will be more expensive than smaller cars like compact SUVs, regular sedans, or hatchback cars.
Also, the number of vehicles you want to ship will affect how much you need to pay. If you wish to transport one or more cars, then be prepared to shell out more.
Vehicle Type
Another factor to consider is the vehicle type you are transporting. For example, regular sedans are cheaper compared to vans and SUVs when shipping. It is because of the sedan's size which is smaller and requires minimal space than more oversized vehicles.
Furthermore, a vehicle's weight is a determining factor as well. A heavier vehicle means higher fuel consumption, which is why you can expect to pay more. Luxurious cars are the most expensive since they need special attention when transporting.
Timeframe
When hiring a car transport service, it is ideal to book it a few weeks before the shipping date to save you more money. Remember, short notice or planning to ship your car in a few days will incur more charges.
Insurance
There is always a risk when transporting cars. Due to this, most car shipping companies offer insurance packages in case of damages. Of course, insurance costs will add up to your car shipping quote.
The Speed of Vehicle Delivery
If you go for faster vehicle delivery, it may cost you more – up to 30% than a regular car shipping delivery. Car owners who wish their vehicles to be delivered faster have auto-express shipping available, but it will cost higher.
Leaving Personal Stuff in Vehicle
Loading customer’s things is expected as they want to use the extra space in their vehicles. However, weighing your car with some extra stuff will increase the car’s weight, which means it will cost you more.
The majority of car transporters will not permit things inside the car even though customers are willing to pay more. It is because auto shipping companies do not have the license to ship goods. That is why most companies would require customers to clear the car with their personal belongings.
What is included in transporting a car?
Shipping a car is a technical process that is similar to other items except for the car’s size. Nonetheless, there are car shipping companies available that are experts in transporting vehicles internationally and cross country.
Of course, the entire process will cost more compared to shipping other things. Companies use trailer trucks to facilitate shipping vehicles, but an additional charge is expected, such as ocean freight.
Whenever you need to ship vehicles in other parts of the world or cross country, it is ideal to avail of a professional car shipping service to save you a huge amount of time and spare you from stress as well.
Reducing the Cost of Car Shipping
It is given that the costs of a car shipping company’s services will vary and fluctuate based on the factors above. It’s for this reason why it is ideal to get a quote from various car shipping providers to weigh your options.
Apart from affordability, it is also best to check a company’s reputation and its quality of service. The best strategy is to get the lowest and highest quote because so you can have something to compare.
Moreover, you also want to search for online reviews and recommendations, and check for a company's license before you avail of their services. Insurance policy, accident claims, and delay policies are also essential things to take note of.
FAQs
Conclusion
Searching for the best car shipping company is the first step that you should take to ease the entire process of shipping your car from one place to another. It also helps to have a car shipping quote beforehand (whether online or actual) to weigh your options and avoid hidden charges after the shipment.
