Whether you are moving across the country or out there buying a classic collectible, using car transportation services makes your travel hassle-free. Like most people, everyone wants to know the shipping cost beforehand, but many factors influence the shipping costs greatly. Every shipping company puts these factors into account to determine the costs. Before we go on explaining the easy ways to calculate car shipping costs, it is important to know the factors that come into play.
Factors that Affect Shipping Cost
Here are various factors you need to know for calculating shipping costs. Changes in these factors can increase or decrease the costs, ultimately affecting the final price.
Vehicle Type
Knowing the vehicle type is necessary to determine the shipping fares. Luxury or vintage cars with a higher price tag cost more to ship due to their soaring liabilities. On the flip side, your standard budget car has way fewer shipping expenses.
Vehicle Condition
Transporting an operational car is much more cost-effective when compared to shipping a faulty vehicle. A car in running condition can be maneuvered easily whereas a non-operational car requires additional gear and equipment to move. Do inform your auto shipper if your car is in non-working condition.
Know the Locations
Shipping your car to a remote area means more costs as the transport truck might have to re-route, consume more fuel than usual, and spend extra hours delivering your car safely. A general rule transport companies use is by calculating the distance of your drop-off location to the highway. Locations far away convert to higher-cost whereas a destination close to the highway is charged comparatively less.
Time of the Year
Transporting your vehicle in the holiday season or when the conditions are not feasible will inevitably result in as much as three times the standard shipping expenses. Moreover, during the summer season, the price for their services increases slightly as their workload is at a peak during these times. Amid this COVID-19 pandemic, the prices for each type of transportation services have fluctuated. This impact has also led to price changes in the auto shipping industry which have gone to an all time high.
Now that we have established an understanding of the necessary information, let’s dig in to explore easy ways of calculating vehicle transportation rates.
1. Auto Shipping Calculator
Most auto transport service providers offer instant online quotes to their customers so that they can get a clear idea of every single cost involved in the process. Calculating the costs manually can turn out to be a hectic task. With a user interface simple enough, these calculators save lots of time that could have been wasted if calculations were to be done manually. If you make it a point to visit site options that are reliable sources, then you’ll find it is easy to contact them for more information through a landline, or by visiting a nearby auto transport office. Still, cost calculators can provide the relevant information which helps you make a better decision. The process is simple, you just have to fill a questionnaire and the quotes will be sent to the provided email address within minutes.
2. Contact over the Phone
Getting In touch by landline with your auto transporter can also help in getting estimate calculations after you answer a few simple questions. The well-trained specialist attendants make sure you get all the relevant information. Please make sure to discuss every service charge you s on the quote as some companies mislead the customer and charge extra for their services at the time of delivery.
3. Visiting a Transporters Office
Having a one on one chat with your auto shipping company to discuss the costs as they are always welcoming to their clients. After you have provided the relevant information, a quote can be generated by the company office and handed over. You can always negotiate with the company employees for offers and discounts to get the best deal possible.
4. Ask Family and Friends
A friend or a family member that has already availed of these auto transportation services before can give a close estimate of your shipping cost. You can ask them whether they were sent a quote and analyze it to get an idea of the charges and services. Asking for recommendations can also make sure their services have been tried earlier and know what to expect.
Shipping a car can turn out to be overwhelming if not managed in the right way. Shipping companies offer different levels of services, depending on the urgency. So if you are not in a hurry, always go for the standard delivery service that will undoubtedly save you money. To cope up with the competitive market, most transport providers are offering services as a fixed cost estimate, no upfront charges, guarantee safe delivery, and even offer free rental services if anything unexpected delays the shipping date. Lastly, before you pick a service, remember to do your research and find a reliable company with a consistent quality of service to ensure that your car is shipped safely.