Tempus Logix vs Montway: Why Shippers Choose Us

If you have been looking for a car shipping company for a night or two, then you must have come across Montway Auto Transport Services. They are the biggest automobile transport broker in the US and are literally everywhere you look!

Biggest doesn’t always mean best. Every car that we ship is handled by a personal coordinator who knows your name, route and delivery time. This is exactly the difference between us and them, and the reviews will tell you the same story too.

We are a US transportation company and only provide domestic services. We ship in all 50 states as well as Alaska and Hawaii. All of our carriers operate in the US and that is exactly the reason behind our expertise in the lanes!

What we stand for

There are three main components of each booking we make.

First of all, customer satisfaction. You’ll be assigned a dedicated coordinator from quoting to delivery. Not a ticket number or a call queue or some kind of automated system. One individual who will have your shipment on their radar and will answer your calls.

Secondly, lower rates. We operate a network of 25,000 carriers and we offer competitive prices and explain what the quoted number really means. No hidden fees after you’ve made your mind up about us.

Third, professionalism. We are licensed and bonded under USDOT #3117533 and MC #86120. We have an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and our carrier cargo insurance covers up to 1 million per claim. Every statement listed above is easily verifiable.

One nation, done professionally. We are a national network of carriers within the US territory. No international shipments and no customs brokers or third-party freight forwarders in the middle of your relocation process. Just good old US highways and American ports for the Alaska and Hawaii trips.

Tempus Logix vs Montway, side by side

Metric	Tempus Logix	Montway
Google rating	4.9 / 5	4.7 / 5
Trustpilot rating	4.6 / 5	3.7 / 5
BBB customer review score	4.8 – 4.96 / 5	4.43 / 5
BBB rating	A+	A+
FMCSA licensing	USDOT #3117533 / MC #86120	USDOT #2239816
Dedicated coordinator per shipment	Yes	Call center model
Cargo insurance ceiling	Up to $1M	$250K supplemental
Service area	All 50 states, US domestic	Nationwide
Alaska & Hawaii	Yes	Yes
Open transport	Yes	Yes
Enclosed transport	Yes	Yes
Motorcycles & ATVs	Yes	Yes
Boats	Standard service	Case-by-case only
RVs & trailers	Standard service	Case-by-case only
Heavy equipment	Yes	No
Expedited service	Yes	Yes
Military discount	Up to 10%	Yes
Cancellation fee after dispatch	Ask us for current terms	$249
Carrier network	25,000+	30,000+

Sources: BBB business profiles, Trustpilot, Google, ConsumerAffairs, Forbes Home, Cars.com. Current as of August 2026. Ratings move over time, so check them yourself before you book with anyone. That includes us.

Higher ratings on every platform

This is the number that really counts, so let’s just say it right out:

On Google, we have 4.9 out of 5 stars. Montway comes in at 4.7.

On TrustPilot, we have 4.6 out of 5. Montway has 3.7.

On the BBB customer reviews, our rating stands at 4.8 to 4.96. Montway has 4.43.

Three independent review sites. And we’re ahead on all three.

This is due to one key structural difference. For a broker moving more than 200,000 loads annually through tens of thousands of individual carriers, being consistent is extremely difficult. This means that every load is associated with a driver that the broker does not hire.

We constructed the company without that problem. This volume of shipping is intentional. It’s what allows for your freight coordinator to continue being assigned to you instead of just shuffling the load from desk to desk.

Customer satisfaction and care, in practice

When you read our reviews, regardless of the platform, you’ll see that there’s something different about us. Customers will mention the name of the individual who handled their shipment. They thank the particular coordinator by name.

This is not the case for call-center based services and gives you the difference between the two types of services.

With our service, you have one coordinator. The same person handles your quote to delivery. They already know everything about your vehicle and pickup address and don’t need you to explain things over and over again.

In addition, there are no surprises. You’re informed when the carrier is chosen, when your vehicle was picked up, and when it’s en route. It’s also mentioned that customers do not need to call and ask about anything.

However, with our service, there is no confusion during delays that inevitably happen in this business. A truck breaks down, a window breaks, or some other thing happens. What can make your day bad or awful depends on whether the person answering the phone already has your file open or not.

Recurring clients appear in many of our testimonials; there is even one about their ninth order from us after twelve years. No one returns nine times to a business that views them as nothing but a ticket.

Read them yourselves. Search for Tempus Logix on Google, or visit our pages on Trustpilot, BBB, and Transport Reviews. We also respond to bad reviews; you can check that out as well.

Read our reviews on any platform and you will notice something unusual. Customers name the person who handled their shipment, They thank a specific coordinator by name.

All 50 states, and nothing outside them

Tempus Logix is a US transportation company. We haul throughout the country and no further.

This is by design, not omission. Domestic automobile shipping and international vehicle delivery are separate enterprises. The former requires customs documentation and foreign carriers, foreign ports, and freight forwarders not controlled by your broker. Enterprises that perform both are running two enterprises.

We run one, and we run it well. All the carriers in our network of 25,000 have US roadways to haul on. All our coordinators are working US hours and know US lanes. If you have an inquiry about a truck stuck anywhere from Denver to Chicago, he or she knows the route.

What that covers:

• All 48 contiguous states, door to door
• Alaska by inland transport and barge
• Hawaii by inland transport and ocean freight to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island
• Open and enclosed trailers on every route
• Cars, motorcycles, ATVs, boats, RVs, trailers, heavy equipment, and freight

But if your car is heading overseas, then our company will not suit you, and this will be mentioned on the very first call, rather than after you have already made the deposit payment.

Alaska and Hawaii shipping, handled directly

Moving goods to the islands or up to Alaska is not like moving anywhere else and we take it very seriously indeed.

Hawaii moves in two legs because a car cannot be driven to the islands. We arrange inland transportation from your doorstep to any west coast port, normally either Long Beach or Seattle, before handing it over to ocean transport. Door-to-port or port-to-port moves are available and we will deliver it to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

In Alaska we follow the same pattern. First there is inland transportation to Port Tacoma or Seattle followed by ocean crossing using barges, after which we deliver to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

This is where it gets tricky. The ocean leg never goes wrong. The handover does. Sailing times are fixed and if the inland hauler drops off a day late, you cannot expect your car to catch the next one after an hour. It sits around till the next sailing, which may be weeks away.

This is done through a schedule controlled by one of us, rather than an automatic dispatching system. This is the reason why we insist on guaranteed time slots for pick up at these times.


See also: Alaska Car Shipping and Hawaii Car Shipping

What we ship as standard that others take case by case

Automobiles, motorcycles, and powersports shipments are part of the Montway standard offering. Boats, RVs, and trailers get special treatment in their terms: each shipment is custom handled based on availability of carriers. You ask, they look into your shipment and sometimes it gets a thumbs up. Heavy equipment, however, does not even feature in their offerings.

On our side, everything falls under our standard offering. Cars, motorcycles, ATVs, boats, RVs, trailers, heavy equipment, and freight transported on either open or enclosed trailers and quoted the same day you call us.

The distinction lies in the specifics. Suppose you have to send a boat along with a truck to the same destination; you would not want one broker to handle your truck and a gamble on the boat. Mixed shipments and unusual vehicles are quite usual here.

Insurance and terms, in writing

Cargo coverage. The carriers we work with have cargo insurance with coverage of up to $1 million dollars. At Montway, it’s the coverage provided by the carrier plus the additional supplemental coverage of $250,000.

For an everyday commuter, one is enough. But if it’s something special and rare with a high cost of replacement, then it’s the cap that matters. Ask us. Ask them. Ask all brokers you are working with, and make sure it’s in writing.

Cancelling. It costs Montway $249 dollars to cancel after a carrier has accepted your order, which has been mentioned several times in their BBB complaint file as a charge that was incurred by a customer without being aware of it.

Ask us how it works before you go ahead and order something.

Where Montway has an edge

We’re not going to claim that they don’t have any.

They are the largest brokerage firm in the industry, dealing with more than 30,000 carriers. In those regions where there are no many people or carriers, this sheer size of their network can work to your advantage by having more trucks available that are coming towards you.

If your pickup is hard to reach and time is all that you need, then their reach matters.

In all other cases, consider which one would be ready to recognize your call when you make it.

How to compare any auto transport broker

Whomever you go with, go through this checklist. It takes 10 minutes, and it weeds out all the scammers in this business.

First off, check the FMCSA license. Go to their site, enter your carrier’s USDOT number and MC number. We have ours: USDOT #3117533 and MC #86120. Many of the brokers operating on the internet have no FMCSA license at all. This means that there is no way to hold them accountable.

Check the rating on several different sites. Any company can have an impressive profile on one website. Do the comparison between Google, BBB, Trustpilot and Transport Reviews.

See how they deal with negative reviews. Every transport has its problems. The difference between the good and the bad brokers is not that the good don’t have any complaints but how do they respond to them.

Check the terms of cancelling and deposits in writing. Find out what will happen in case of a cancellation before the carrier was appointed and after. Most conflicts in this business stem from this issue.

And request cargo insurance limit. Find out if the insurance is primary or contingent and what is the limit. For anything of value, this is the most important question you could ask.

Get a quote

Our emphasis is on customer satisfaction and care, along with reduced costs, and this is evident through our high ratings on every independent platform.

Anywhere within the United States, in all 50 states, and in all types of vehicles – open and enclosed. Provide us with your route information, type of vehicle and timeframe, and you will receive an actual number and a live representative, and not just another lead form selling your phone number to 6 different companies.

Request your free quote

Tempus Logix is a licensed and bonded auto transport brokerage operating under USDOT #3117533 and MC #86120. Comparison figures are drawn from publicly available sources as of August 2026 and may change. We encourage readers to verify independently.

Shipping a 1994 Toyota Supra from Marietta, GA to Lakeland, FL

We finished the shipping of a 1994 Toyota Supra from Marietta, GA to Lakeland, FL not too long ago. It was a 494-mile haul on an open trailer costing us $850.00, which means a per-mile rate of $1.72.

The Supra was running at the time of pickup. This being a 494-mile haul, we have a short haul here, which always carries higher per-mile rates. We should state this point clearly since the most common issue in our industry is when the quote is not where it should be.

The route

The 494-mile drive from Marietta to Lakeland is a direct line along the peninsula corridor.

Marietta is located in the northwestern side of Atlanta. The trip involves joining the I-75 south through the city and further through the cities of Macon, Tifton, and Valdosta before entering into Florida at Lake City.

Further, I-75 joins Gainesville and Ocala until Wildwood after which the road heads for the Tampa Bay region. From the I-4 junction, the journey moves eastward where Lakeland is located along the I-4 Highway in Polk County.

What happens if no carrier accepts your price

This is the question nobody tells you to ask, and the one that makes the difference between an actual quote and one that gets the booking.

There is no quote unless there are carriers that will accept it. A broker doesn’t move your car. A carrier does. If the price the broker quotes is below the price carriers in that lane will accept, nothing will happen. Your car will remain where it is, the pick-up period will pass, and you will be making phone calls.

Lowball quoting is a common practice. Some companies quote below market in order to get the booking and the deposit, and later come up to you to ask for more once you have committed to them. Industry term for such outcome is a car that will not dispatch.

The giveaway is the quote which is substantially lower than the rest. If four companies fall into a relatively narrow price range and one is way lower, this is not a better deal. This is a completely different business model. Just ask that company directly how things will proceed if no carrier accepts, and see if the answer is clear.

And then there is the proper version of lowballing. Broker must quote at the price which carriers in your lane accept. Market prices can change after booking, and what must be done in this case is to tell you the story and give you the options. Not to keep quiet and hope for the best.

Short haul looks expensive and is not. At $1.72/mile this Supra move looks expensive compared to coast-to-coast at seventy cents. Loading cost a carrier the same on every job, just like securing and unloading. And if there is only 494 miles to do that, these costs cannot be dispersed over much road. Customer who asks for coast-to-coast per mile quote on short haul is asking for a non-dispatch quote.

Ask the question then. “What happens if no carrier accepts at this price?” Every good broker has a straightforward answer.

What $1.72 per mile reflects

There are two variables and the former is more important.

Distance is the most important variable. With 494 miles it is a short run. As can be observed, all those fixed expenses affect only a short distance and hence they affect the per mile figure very much. It is $850.00 that is important.

It is beneficial due to the corridor too. The I-75 route running from Atlanta to Florida is among the busiest truck corridors in the US and is being used constantly in both directions. In some other corridor the same short distance would have costed more.

The open transport reduces the costs too. Open carriers are more efficient than enclosed carriers.

Open transport on an appreciating car

A fourth-gen Supra is significantly more valuable today than it was a decade ago, and for such a vehicle, it is a common choice to select enclosed. Our customer opted for open, which is his prerogative.

We offer our clients to make a choice while we do not decide anything for them. Enclosed option is more expensive but offers protection from road debris and weather during the entire journey. Open option is how most vehicles in this country travel, including many valuable ones, and on a 494 miles ride in moderate weather the exposure will be low. Both options are legitimate.

The only thing we demand regardless of the chosen transport type is the paperwork. On an appreciating car, condition report both at pickup and delivery becomes even more relevant than on an ordinary car, and pictures prior to loading into the truck are worth ten minutes.

Securing involved the use of soft straps over the wheels and not the chain securing of the suspension, which is especially important when it comes to cars equipped with aftermarket suspension, like the majority of Supras of this generation.

Transport summary

• Origin: Marietta, GA 30060
• Destination: Lakeland, FL 33811
• Distance: 494 miles
• Service cost: $850.00
• Cost per mile: $1.72
• Vehicle: 1994 Toyota Supra
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Marietta, GA → I-75 south through Atlanta, Macon, Tifton and Valdosta → Lake City, FL → Gainesville and Ocala → Wildwood → I-4 east → Lakeland, FL

Shipping a 2016 Honda Odyssey from Stanwood, WA to Lakeside, CA

A recent job involved shipping a 2016 Honda Odyssey that traveled 1,315 miles from Stanwood, Washington, to Lakeside, California, for a charge of $1,100.00, or $0.84 per mile.

The Odyssey could be started and drove itself up the ramp to begin the shipment. Minivan on a long haul from north to south is most often a family moving, and that begs a question that needs an answer. When does one coordinate the shipment of a car with a move?

The route

The drive of 1,315 miles from Stanwood to Lakeside is the distance of the West Coast along one interstate.

Stanwood lies north of Everett in Snohomish County. The drivers start from I-5 south and travel along it through Seattle and Tacoma, cross the Columbia River and enter Oregon at Portland, and proceed along the Willamette Valley through Salem and Eugene.

Afterwards, I-5 passes the Siskiyou Pass into California and proceeds through Redding and Sacramento down the Central Valley past Stockton and Bakersfield and then crosses Tejon Pass on the Grapevine into the Los Angeles basin.

Then I-5 travels south through Irvine and Oceanside to San Diego. Lakeside lies inland in East County, and therefore the truck completes its route on I-8 and CA-67.

Timing a vehicle shipment around a move

Most vehicle transports are booked as part of a larger move, and they are not always necessarily compatible. Here is what actually matters.

Never book until you know your arrival date. Vehicle transport is much easier to schedule according to an exact arrival date than an estimated one. Let us know about the uncertainty in your closing or lease start rather than making guesses.

Your household goods and your car follow separate schedules. They use different companies and different networks and different schedules. If a moving company gives you a two-week delivery window, this has no effect on the time of your vehicle’s delivery and vice versa.

A time gap is expected and should be planned for. On a trip such as this one, transit takes several days after the pick up. If you go ahead, you will arrive before your vehicle arrives. Short-term rental of a vehicle at the destination is normally less expensive and less complicated than trying to fit the transportation schedule into the move schedule.

With two vehicles, two strategies apply. Families who own more than one vehicle commonly drive one vehicle and ship another one. This is a great strategy, and it means that you will have one car available at the destination while the second one is in transit.

Try to keep from loading it up. Minivan looks like extra cargo space during the move and this temptation is very strong. But our 100-pound weight limit is valid. Items must go in the rear cargo area and below the window line, and personal items are not covered by the cargo insurance of the carrier.

A person needs to be available at both ends. An adult has to be present in order to release the vehicle at the pick up and receive it at the delivery point. This doesn’t have to be you, but it has to be someone and we need to know their name and number in advance.

And tell us if the delivery address changes. Address changes during the middle of a move take place all the time and it’s much easier to deal with them prior to dispatch than after.

What $0.84 per mile reflects

Behind the rate there are two key factors.

Distance is the first. Being 1,315 miles away gives the fixed costs of pick-up, loading, securing and delivery sufficient distance to spread out, but not that large one that allows a coast-to-coast rate fall to below 70 cents.

The second factor is vehicle size. The Odyssey measures slightly above 200 inches in length, providing some deck space that is longer than in case of a sedan and shorter than in case of a full-size SUV. It occupies a regular spot in the cargo hold without making trouble.

As for the corridor, it is the best possible. I-5 is the main north-south corridor for transporting goods in the West Coast and is constantly used from both directions; the Seattle and San Diego markets are at each of its ends. Availability of carriers was not an issue.

Open transport

The Odyssey went out on an open trailer, which is the only sensible way to move a finished family car.

Enclosure is required for vehicles where rock chips can be considered a monetary concern. A nine-year-old minivan bound for its new home does not fall under this category, and at more than 1,315 miles, the extra cost of enclosure would not be worth it for such protection. We already made that clear.

Ground clearance never came into consideration. The Odyssey was at standard ride height, making the ramp angle of no consequence in either direction.

Transport summary

• Origin: Stanwood, WA 98292
• Destination: Lakeside, CA 92040
• Distance: 1,315 miles
• Service cost: $1,100.00
• Cost per mile: $0.84
• Vehicle: 2016 Honda Odyssey
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Stanwood, WA → I-5 south through Seattle and Tacoma → Portland, OR → Salem and Eugene → over the Siskiyou Pass → Redding and Sacramento, CA → Stockton and Bakersfield → over Tejon Pass → Los Angeles → Oceanside → I-8 / CA-67 → Lakeside, CA

Shipping a 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque from Valley Cottage, NY to Boynton Beach, FL

We just finished transporting a 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque from Valley Cottage, NY to Boynton Beach, FL. It involved traveling 1,258 miles in a closed car carrier for the cost of $1,700.00 – that is, $1.35 per mile.

The Evoque was driveable at pick-up. It is high time we defined what enclosed transport is all about since we are using the term all the time.

The route

The drive of 1,258 miles between Valley Cottage and Boynton Beach is the East Coast corridor practically in its entirety.

Valley Cottage is located in Rockland County north of New York City. The drive goes south through the New Jersey Turnpike, and drivers get onto I-95, driving past Philadelphia through Delaware to Baltimore.

From there the interstate drives past Washington DC, through Richmond in Virginia, through Fayetteville and Florence in North Carolina, and Savannah in Georgia before going into Florida north of Jacksonville.

The drive then continues south through Daytona Beach, Melbourne, and Fort Pierce. Boynton Beach is located in Palm Beach County, so the delivery is made either at I-95 or Florida Turnpike depending on the destination address.

This is one of the most traveled lanes of traffic in the US, and enclosed carriers travel it all the time.

What enclosed transport actually is

What is enclosed is not just one thing, and the distinctions are more important than most people appreciate.

Hard-sided trailers have walls made of metal and roof made of metal. Complete protection from weather and road debris and visibility. This is what everyone thinks of and the highest level commonly available.

Soft-sided trailers are a metal frame with heavy-duty fabric sides. Still completely enclosed from road spray and debris, but a lighter structure than hard-sided and also less expensive. An acceptable solution, not a second-rate one, although hard-sided is better for high-end vehicles.

Then there is two-deck or single-deck. Most enclosed trailers have double-decks. Single-deck carriers have fewer vehicles but with more space and this is usually what a collector or an owner of exotic needs.

With liftgate or ramps. The hydraulic liftgate allows raising the vehicle to the level of the deck, eliminating any angle of approach. Absolutely necessary on a low car and completely unnecessary on an SUV.

The capacity is why the difference in price. An open carrier usually transports seven to ten vehicles. An enclosed trailer usually carries two to seven vehicles. Fewer cars on the same cost of gas and the same driver time and mileage explains most of the price difference.

But it is not climate-controlled. This is the most popular misrepresentation. Enclosed transportation provides protection from the weather and debris. It does not provide temperature control, and whoever says it does is exaggerating.

What $1.35 per mile reflects

There are two factors behind this number.

The first is enclosed service. The fewer number of trucks per shipment, the high cost of operation, as well as less trucks of the company’s fleet operating on the route all contribute to the premium and this premium does not depend on the route but applies to every enclosed booking. If the truck had been left open, the number would be much lower.

Distance makes the opposite impact. As the distance is 1,258 miles, the cost of fixed expenses such as pickup, loading, securement, and delivery have quite a long distance to distribute over, which makes it lower compared to a shorter enclosed route.

Another factor is a lane. It is one of the busiest lanes in the country for trucking, and enclosed trucks are moving in both directions there throughout the whole year.

Transport summary

• Origin: Valley Cottage, NY 10989
• Destination: Boynton Beach, FL 33472
• Distance: 1,258 miles
• Service cost: $1,700.00
• Cost per mile: $1.35
• Vehicle: 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Valley Cottage, NY → New Jersey Turnpike → I-95 south past Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC → Richmond, VA → Fayetteville, NC → Florence, SC → Savannah, GA → Jacksonville, FL → I-95 south through Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce → Boynton Beach, FL

Shipping a 2025 Mazda CX-5 from Malibu, CA to Surfside, FL

We recently completed the shipment of the 2025 Mazda CX-5, which traveled from Malibu, California to Surfside, Florida. The trip was 2,776 miles on an open trailer and the cost of $1,998.00 translates into $0.72/mile.

The vehicle was operational during pickup. This is an across-the-country shipping operation and it covers all aspects of the procedure, therefore a good one to discuss from start to finish. Customers want to know what happens once they place an order and the truth of the matter is that the process is much more defined than they may think.

The Route

The route of 2,776 miles goes from Malibu to Surfside starting in the Pacific Ocean side of the nation and ending in the Atlantic Ocean side of the nation.

The city of Malibu is found on the Pacific Coast Highway, northwest of Santa Monica. Motorists drive east on I-10, climbing up from the Los Angeles basin through Palm Springs, across the Colorado River at Blythe.

Most of the drive will be done using I-10. It traverses Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Cruces, enters Texas at El Paso and travels through Fort Stockton, San Antonio and Houston into Louisiana, and then down along the Gulf coast via Baton Rouge and Mobile.

The interstate heads through the Florida panhandle to Tallahassee and on to Jacksonville, after which the motorist turns to the south using I-95 through Daytona Beach, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, and then to Surfside in the barrier island north of Miami Beach.

What actually happens after you book

There is an established sequence of auto transport process. Being aware of it means getting rid of most worries because silence in this case means that everything is fine.

The first step is quoting. We assign a price depending on route and vehicle and trailer types. There is no need to pay yet and no service has been arranged.

Next step is booking. You approve the order, share pickup window and addresses and contact information. At this step we check any specifics, like modifications, personal belongings, access problems at either end.

Carrier assignment is the next step. We offer this load to our carriers and assign a carrier that runs your lane. It is the most invisible step and the step where all the work is actually done. We make sure that carrier is certified and insured and has good safety records.

Next comes dispatching. Carrier accepts the load and the schedule is confirmed. A deposit is a regular thing at this stage because a real service is already arranged.

Next step is the pickup call. Driver contacts you directly to coordinate pickup time, it usually happens the day before or on the morning of delivery date. In case of a full-size carrier being unable to reach your address, the location of pick-up is coordinated at this stage.

Loading and Bill of Lading come after that. Driver performs an inspection of the vehicle with you, registers the condition and signs with you. This document will be your baseline for the entire transportation process.

Next comes transit, it takes one week to ten days on this run. The truck makes several stops to load and unload the other vehicles and takes mandated rest breaks, it may park for overnight too. Long pauses in this process are quite normal.

Next comes the delivery call. Driver contacts you once more to coordinate delivery, it usually happens with one-day notice and again on the morning of delivery day.

Delivery and final inspection of the vehicle come after that. Inspect the vehicle together with the driver according to the Bill of Lading before signing. Usually balance is paid at this stage, often to the driver directly.

The step customers usually worry about most is the period between booking and dispatching.

What $0.72 per mile reflects

Three key factors worked in favor of the customer.

The first was distance. It costs the carrier just about the same to pickup and load the cargo, as well as secure the loads and coordinate them, regardless of the distance traveled, and these costs do not depend on the distance at all. Once distributed across 2,776 miles, the per-mile cost becomes minimal.

The second factor is open transport. Open-top trailers can haul more vehicles at once and make more trips than enclosed trailers, and when traveling the long distance like that, the difference grows dramatically.

Third, it is the corridor itself. The I-10 through the southern tier and I-95 along the peninsula of Florida are among the most traveled freight corridors in the country, and from Southern California to South Florida is a regular route.

Open transport

The CX-5 was shipped via open trailer, which is how the vast majority of vehicles in this country are shipped.

The CX-5 is a production compact SUV with factory clear coat. Enclosed shipping is intended for those vehicles where a rock chip constitutes a significant monetary concern; in 2,776 miles, the premium for enclosed shipping would be significant for this vehicle, which doesn’t require the service.

Loading was easy, since the vehicle started, and the CX-5 is high enough off the ground that the ramp angle was never a problem. Security was achieved with soft straps around the tires, not chains on the suspension, our normal method for securing any vehicle.

Transport summary

• Origin: Malibu, CA 90265
• Destination: Surfside, FL 33154
• Distance: 2,776 miles
• Service cost: $1,998.00
• Cost per mile: $0.72
• Vehicle: 2025 Mazda CX-5
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Malibu, CA → I-10 east through Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix and Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso and San Antonio, TX → Houston → Baton Rouge, LA → Mobile, AL → Tallahassee and Jacksonville, FL → I-95 south through Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale → Surfside, FL

Shipping a 2010 Ducati 848 EVO from Eagle Mountain, UT to Vallejo, CA

Recently we have finished the delivery of the 2010 Ducati 848 EVO motorcycle from Eagle Mountain, UT to Vallejo, CA. The distance between these two locations is 727 miles and was transported in enclosed trailer. Our online cost calculator showed the price $764.00 for this service while the coordinator working on that order reduced the price to $685.00, which is $79 less.

This difference is worth considering since it helps to clarify the following customers’ question. Is the rate shown on the site the final rate?

The route

The 1169-kilometer journey from Eagle Mountain to Vallejo traverses the Great Basin using one interstate only.

Eagle Mountain is located in Utah County, which is south-west of Salt Lake City. Travelers drive north along Interstate 15 and then take Interstate 80 westbound.

Interstate 80 goes all the way through the Bonneville Salt Flats until it reaches Wendover, passes all of Nevada from Elko and Battle Mountain and Winnemucca to Reno.

Once in Reno, the interstate goes up Donner Pass over the Sierra Nevada and enters California via Truckee and Auburn until reaching Sacramento. Then the interstate proceeds southwest to Vallejo, which is located at the northern part of San Francisco Bay.

What the website price is, and what it is not

This particular calculator will instantly give you a price on the basis of the route and the type of the vehicle and the trailer. This is a real quote and not a lead capture tool since many people make bookings using the exact same figures.

It is a snapshot without human intervention and here are some of the things that can be done by a coordinator that the form cannot.

Check out what exactly is happening on that route this week. The calculator quotes a price on the route. The coordinator can find out whether the same carrier is doing Salt Lake to Bay Area runs with extra space, which the algorithm could never predict.

Applying a discount for which you might be eligible. There are several discounts like military, returning customers, multi-vehicle discount and others which are not automatically applied for an anonymous online quote. You should let the coordinator know if you might be eligible for any such discount.

Using your flexibility. We discussed in our recent discussion on the west coast move that more the flexibility you have, more is the number of carriers you get to choose from. A form cannot ask you about the flexibility while the coordinator can.

Calculating the vehicle price accurately. A motorcycle requires much less space than a regular car. The calculators take care of it. However, the coordinator can ask you follow-up questions about a specific bike.

And what it does not mean. It does not mean that the web quote is higher so that you can bargain with it. It only means that the instant quote is conservative by nature and sometimes a conversation can yield something which the form couldn’t see. In this case, the conversation yielded $79.

What $0.94 per mile reflects

Two factors explain this rate.

First is the deck-share rate for motorcycles. As noted above, when we moved a Honda CBX, the motorcycle occupies a fraction of the deck share used by a car on a trailer, and this rate is based on that share, not on a full deck share. Comparing the rate per mile for a motorcycle with the rate for a sedan is meaningless.

Second, of course, is distance. This is not a short move at 727 miles, but it also is not a very long move that could reduce the cost even further by spreading out the pickup, loading, securing, and delivery fixed costs.

The lane helps here as well. The route through Salt Lake City and up I-80 to the Bay Area is a steady lane in either direction, which helped the coordinator find space in the lane.

Enclosed transport and a superbike

Every motorcycle we arrange is packaged, and the supersport is no exception.

The 848 has a fairing, which is easily broken and costly to replace on a motorcycle from that generation. No additional bodywork exists for the engine, exhaust, or controls as the fairing on that motorcycle is all there is.

There is only one difference between securing a supersport motorcycle and a regular bike, and that has to do with its clip-on handlebars. A motorcycle without a crossbar means that the straps must be attached to the fork tubes or triple clamp instead. Someone that has only ever tied down motorcycles with standard handlebars may have trouble with this.

It was loaded into a front wheel chock with its suspension fully compressed by the straps to prevent any rocking during the course of 727 miles.

Transport summary

• Origin: Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
• Destination: Vallejo, CA 94590
• Distance: 727 miles
• Website quote: $764.00
• Price paid: $685.00, a $79 discount
• Cost per mile: $0.94
• Vehicle: 2010 Ducati 848 EVO
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Eagle Mountain, UT → I-15 north to Salt Lake City → I-80 west across the Bonneville Salt Flats → Wendover and Elko, NV → Winnemucca → Reno → over Donner Pass → Sacramento, CA → Fairfield → Vallejo, CA

Shipping Three Motorcycles from Santa Ana, CA to Appling, GA

We have just completed the shipping of a 2019 Honda Grom, a 2019 Honda XR 650L and a 2023 BMW K 1600 GTL from Santa Ana, CA to Appling, GA. All three of them were shipped in an enclosed trailer and reached their destination covering a distance of 2,297 miles.

Shipping of three motorcycles on one booking can be considered cost-effective and practical. What makes this shipment special and worthy of being mentioned here is the fact that these three bikes hardly have anything in common and the heaviest of them weighs almost three and a half times more than the lightest one.

The route

This is a 2,297-mile journey, covering the southern part of the country from Orange County all the way to the Georgia piedmont at Appling.

The trip begins at Santa Ana where drivers take CA-55 and move onto I-10 East all the way across the Los Angeles Basin and climb up past Palm Springs before crossing the Colorado River at Blythe.

Most of the road distance is covered by I-10. It passes through Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; then Las Cruces and El Paso in Texas. In Texas it covers Fort Stockton, San Antonio, and Houston and enters Louisiana via the Gulf Coast cities of Baton Rouge, to Alabama’s Mobile.

After Mobile, the journey moves north on I-65 towards Montgomery; then northeast on I-85 towards Atlanta. It moves east to Augusta on I-20 where Appling lies to the northwest.

Three bikes, three different problems

The Honda Grom is small. Being 125cc mini, about 225 pounds in weight, it resembles a scooter much more than either of the other two. Small bikes are lightweight and easy to carry, but not always easy to secure, because of the problem of chock fit. It may not hold the small bike if it is designed to fit a big wheel and is supposed to fit around the big tire.

The Honda XR 650L is high and soft. Dual sport bikes have long-travel suspension and the seat height of 37 inches. Long travel suspension makes them good to secure in tie-downs because of compression during loading. However, you should be careful with the strap tension. Height influences the place where it can go into the trailer.

The K 1600 GTL is a heavy bike. It weighs something in the region of 800 pounds wet with a full fairing and top case. This is the weight of three Groms. It’s not the kind of bike that is pushed into place; it requires a suitable chock and proper loading procedures.

Not all bikes are created equal. In a three-motorcycle load, there is always the tendency to use one approach three times. Actually, each motorcycle needs its own chock and strap configuration, as well as proper placement, considering the weight distribution on the deck.

All of which must be included in our initial estimate, including models. Three motorcycles describe the load as accurately as three Groms. The carrier needs to know what to expect.

How three bikes price on one booking

This per-mile number is our lowest and requires some explanation.

Think about it in terms of per-bike. At $3,200.00 for three bikes over 2,297 miles, each transported at around $1,067, or 46 cents per bike per mile. Comparing the cost of $3,200 to a single-vehicle quote is a pointless exercise.

Sharing deck space is responsible for the low number. In our previous article on how to transport a Honda CBX motorcycle, we’ve mentioned how motorcycles take up only a small portion of space compared to cars. Even in a group of three motorcycles will not occupy as much enclosed trailer space as one sedan.

Distance plays its part too. With 2,297 miles the initial costs associated with picking up and loading and securing and delivering are spread over a lengthy distance. Three motorcycles transported over 300 miles will cost significantly more on per-mile basis.

Only one booking, only one arrival in this case. In other words all three motorcycles were booked and transported by the same carrier on the same schedule. Booking three of them individually will mean having three separate arrangements, and hence, the possibility for one of those to fail.

Labour cost will somewhat neutralize savings though. As we’ve already said, three motorcycles require three chocks and three securing efforts compared to one for a car.

Enclosed transport

Each of these arrived in enclosed transport; that’s the way our motorcycles always go.

There is nothing shielding any of those components on the bike; they are all exposed right up against the road surface. Over 2,297 miles of desert and Gulf Coast roadway, that’s not something you want to do to them. In the case of the K 1600 especially, the fairing and paint make up a large portion of its value.

Securing each of them involved using a front wheel chock to keep the front wheel upright and locked down. Soft ties were put on the handlebars and lower triple clamp, and then compression ratchets were tightened up to ensure nothing could shift. No securing strap was put on any frame or painted surface.

Transport summary

• Origin: Santa Ana, CA 92705
• Destination: Appling, GA 30802
• Distance: 2,297 miles
• Vehicles: 2019 Honda Grom, 2019 Honda XR 650L, 2023 BMW K 1600 GTL
• Service cost: $3,200.00 total, roughly $1,067 per bike
• Cost per bike per mile: $0.46
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Santa Ana, CA → CA-55 → I-10 east through Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix and Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso and San Antonio, TX → Houston → Baton Rouge, LA → Mobile, AL → I-65 north to Montgomery → I-85 northeast to Atlanta, GA → I-20 east to Augusta → Appling, GA

Shipping a 2014 Ferrari California from Cleveland, TN to Bradenton, FL

Not too long ago, we were able to complete the transport of a 2014 Ferrari California, shipped from Cleveland, TN, to Bradenton, FL. This transportation spanned 638 miles and cost $744.00, which breaks down to $1.17 per mile.

This California was running when loaded for transport. An exotic automobile on an enclosed trailer is exactly what most would imagine when thinking about luxury vehicle transport. But there are some differences that need to be pointed out regarding how this particular move was priced.

The route

The 638 miles journey from Cleveland to Bradenton is largely on an interstate.

The starting point Cleveland lies northeast of Chattanooga, along the interstate road I-75 and drivers begin their journey right away heading towards south through Chattanooga and beyond the Georgia state line.

Interstate I-75 takes them through the city of Atlanta, and then heads south through Macon, Tifton, Valdosta in Georgia and enters Florida state just by the Lake City region.

The interstate continues its path all along the peninsula via Ocala and Tampa Bay. Bradenton lies south of Tampa Bay in Manatee County.

What a specialist carrier does differently

Enclosed transport is not just one service. Enclosed trailer is something different from an operator moving exotic cars all the time, and it shows in the specifics.

Loading with liftgate and not with ramps. The California sits very low in the front. The liftgate lifts the car even to the deck level, and there are no more approach angles needed for loading this kind of car, rather than trying to estimate the angle of a ramp for the car with a very expensive front-end.

Soft ties over the tires and never chains. Car will be tied with wheel straps or wheel nets, holding it by the tires and therefore no load will pass through the suspension or control arms or chassis. With adaptive suspension and expensive suspension parts it is not a matter of choice.

No loads on top of it. Specialist puts the car with a good value on a place where nothing will be on top of it. Getting fluid from another car which will be put on the upper deck on your Ferrari is something nobody needs, so it is better to prevent it.

The top remains down and locked. The California has a retractable hard top. It drives down and locked, and there is no manipulation of the roof by anyone in transit. This goes for all convertibles and folding tops – metal or fabric.

Less vehicles and more space. The operator specialized in exotics may drive less vehicles and with more separation between each one. This is part of the deal.

And the driver is the true wildcard. All of the above is dependent upon a driver that has done it before. This is really what we are selecting for when we choose a carrier for a vehicle such as this.

Why $1.17 per mile on an enclosed short haul

This is where you should pay attention because the price is lower than it would be based on the vehicle and the distance.

Short runs usually have higher prices per mile. The cost of pickup, loading, securing, coordinating and delivering is pretty much the same for a carrier regardless of the job and at 638 miles these fixed costs have little road to cover. We published an enclosed run of 358 miles at $2.42/mile for exactly this reason.

What made the difference was the lane. Interstate 75 between Tennessee and Florida is one of the busiest lanes in the country, and there are enclosed trucks that use this lane daily transporting collectors and seasonal vehicles both ways. Truck driving south through this lane will quote completely differently from the truck that needs to be hired for it.

And this is the lesson you should learn from this load. Vehicle class, trailer type and distance all matter, but a really busy lane may beat them all.

Enclosed transport

Here there was no question about the open option because the enclosed form is the standard for the exotic and the rationale is obvious. Since a stone chip in a car of such worth becomes a genuine expense, not a bother.

The loading process was pretty simple because of the availability of the equipment. It was a working car that could be put under its own power after it was put on the liftgate platform.

Transport summary

• Origin: Cleveland, TN 37312
• Destination: Bradenton, FL 34211
• Distance: 638 miles
• Service cost: $744.00
• Cost per mile: $1.17
• Vehicle: 2014 Ferrari California
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed, liftgate loaded
• Route: Cleveland, TN → I-75 south through Chattanooga → Atlanta, GA → Macon, Tifton and Valdosta → Lake City, FL → Ocala → Tampa Bay → Bradenton, FL

Shipping a 2006 Ford F-350 Utility Bed from Mammoth Lakes, CA to Middleton, ID

Just recently, we finished transporting a 2006 Ford F-350 utility bed from Mammoth Lakes, California to Middleton, Idaho at a total distance of 532 miles and costing us $1,775.00, making our cost per mile be $3.34.

This is the highest amount per mile that we have posted on this site before, and there is a reason why it should be explained more than just brushed aside. There are three things that come into play, but the biggest thing is the vehicle itself.

The route

The 532 mile drive between Mammoth Lakes and Middleton will leave the eastern Sierra region and travel through the northern Great Basin region.

Mammoth Lakes is about 7,800 feet above sea level and not too far from US-395, with no interstate access anywhere nearby. The driver will proceed north on US-395 through Bridgeport and the eastern Sierra toward Carson City, NV, through to Reno.

From Reno, the driver takes I-80 east, traveling across the high desert and arriving in Winnemucca. Then the driver switches to US-95, going north through Orovada and crossing into Oregon via the McDermitt border crossing.

The driver takes US-95 through Jordan Valley and across into Idaho at Marsing. Middleton is located northwest of Boise in Canyon County, so the driver finishes on ID-44 or I-84.

Almost all of this route is non-interstate, which is significant for this shipment.

Why a service truck prices differently

This essay talked about pick-up customization and discussed how long full-size SUVs are. The utility-bed one-ton truck presents another challenge altogether, and here the limitation is weight rather than size.

An F-350 is already quite heavy before anything gets added on. It is meant to tow a lot more than a half-ton pick-up truck and is thus constructed accordingly. Before anything gets added on to it, it already weighs a good deal more than our new Sierra 1500 pick-up.

A utility-body add-on adds still more hundreds of pounds. Utility-bodies are made out of steel and include compartments on both sides of the vehicle. They are meant for work rather than being light.

The federal axle limits are really the hard limit. The carrier plans a load in terms of maximum weight limit rather than available length of space. One heavy unit translates into lower number of units on the trailer and the price on the heavy unit should reflect that.

Not all carriers can accept one, either. This truck puts more restrictions on carrier selection than the route itself. There are some service trucks that cannot be accepted by a standard car carrier and have to go via flatbed or hotshot instead, which is a different type of equipment altogether.

Also make sure that you specify the body type of the truck, not only the model. “F-350” and “F-350 with service body” are different loads and if a carrier books the former but picks up the latter then it’s a weight problem.

Why $3.34 per mile

First of all, there are three different aspects that combine into one here, and none of them is unusual by itself.

The first one is the short distance. At only 532 miles this is a short haul, and short hauls always have high per-mile cost. Fixed expenses like pickup and loading, securement and coordination, and delivery are equally costly for a carrier regardless of the distance being 532 miles or 2,600 miles. In this case they make up a significant portion because there is not much distance to spread the cost over, and the total amount of $1,775.00 is what matters for the customer.

Secondly, the vehicle weight as was mentioned before.

Third aspect that needs to be considered is the fact that both origin and destination are rural areas. Mammoth Lakes is a mountain area at elevation level without access to the interstate and reached through US-395. Middleton is a rural town outside Boise. None of them is located on an artery used regularly by the carriers, and a lot of the route between them consists of two-lane US highways without the interstate. There is no way how a truck could go here by coincidence.

All of that combined results in $3.34 per mile.

Open transport

The F-350 moved on an open deck; any other option simply does not make sense for a working truck.

Enclosures exist for those who are worried about a rock chip being something of monetary significance. Twenty-year-old work truck with a steel utility body should be weatherproof, and anyone able to move such a heavy item in an enclosure should charge appropriately for their expertise.

Loading did not require much effort. The truck started running and drove up the ramp on its own power without a worry about the ground clearance. Soft strapping went over tires instead of chains.

Transport summary

• Origin: Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
• Destination: Middleton, ID 83644
• Distance: 532 miles
• Service cost: $1,775.00
• Cost per mile: $3.34
• Vehicle: 2006 Ford F-350 with utility bed
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Mammoth Lakes, CA → US-395 north through Bridgeport and Carson City → Reno, NV → I-80 east to Winnemucca → US-95 north through McDermitt into Oregon → Jordan Valley → Marsing, ID → ID-44 / I-84 → Middleton, ID

Shipping a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 1973 Ford Bronco from Scarborough, ME to Glendale, CA

Our work was completed recently on a delivery from Scarborough, ME to Glendale, CA for a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 1973 Ford Bronco on the same booking over a distance of 3,075 miles.

Having two vehicles on one booking is quite normal, and the price is charged differently than if it were shipped separately. This brings up an interesting question every time someone is moving a pair like this. What if the two vehicles require different things?

The route

From Scarborough to Glendale, the journey is 3,075 miles, a true corner-to-corner trip, stretching from the coast of Maine to the Los Angeles basin.

Since Scarborough is located right south of Portland, the driver takes I-95 south to New Hampshire and Massachusetts. From Boston, the driver continues the trip on I-90, known as the Massachusetts Turnpike, and heads west to Springfield and Albany, New York.

I-90 then goes further upstate to Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, before crossing Lake Erie at Cleveland, Ohio. From Chicago, the driver takes I-80 west to continue on the central stretch of this haul from Iowa and Nebraska to Wyoming, via Des Moines, Omaha, and North Platte and Cheyenne.

From Salt Lake City, the truck takes I-15 south to St. George and Las Vegas, Nevada, before dropping down to Barstow and going further south to Glendale.

How multi-vehicle pricing works

The number itself may seem high, but split it down.

Read the cost per vehicle. At $5,800.00 per two vehicles over 3,075 miles, each of them went for $2,900.00, which comes up to 94 cents per vehicle per mile. This is a reasonable cost per vehicle in terms of a coast-to-coast enclosed booking, while comparing the total cost with a quote for one vehicle is useless.

One booking is better than two. Both of them travel with the same carrier, in the same truck according to the same schedule. One coordinator and one pick-up, one delivery and one arrival. Booking them individually means two carriers and two schedules as well as two opportunities for the delays.

They will arrive at the same time. It is crucial for customers who relocate, as separate bookings might be delivered in different time.

Deck space does matter, of course. Two vehicles take two slots, just like on a freight, as the carrier has to move two units. In other words, what you save in this case is not the deck space but the coordination.

And don’t forget to mention that it is two vehicles when giving your quote. Not one and then another.

When two vehicles need different things

This is the fascinating part of this specific booking, and it deserves to be addressed head on.

The Tahoe is a 2023 full-size SUV with factory clearcoat. On its own, this one would have been shipped open without a second thought. This is a daily driver and it is huge, and there isn’t anything that enclosed shipping would provide for it.

The Bronco, however, is a completely different story. A first generation Bronco is 52 years old and compact and lightweight, and it is currently worth a whole lot more than it used to be back ten years ago. A fifty-year-old finish simply doesn’t recover well after exposure to 3,075 miles of open air. It had to be enclosed.

In any case, the vehicle which requires a higher standard of protection determines the level of service. If two vehicles ship together, they ship equally. There’s no half-enclosed trailer. Either both are enclosed, or you book them separately.

We offer the trade to the customer rather than making that decision ourselves. Shipping them together would cost more than was required by the Tahoe alone. Shipping them separately would cost more in organization as well as shipping them separately. In this instance, the customer chose to ship them together, and that is what most do.

The size difference should not be overlooked either. The Tahoe exceeds 210 inches in length and tips the scales at more than 5,600 pounds. The Bronco has a wheel base of 92 inches and only weighs half as much. Two cars from the same country, separated by sixty years, sharing practically nothing on deck.

What the rate reflects

Behind the booking are three factors.

First one is the enclosed service. Enclosed trailers handle less volume per trip and comprise a smaller portion of the fleet, and this premium is applicable for both units in question.

Distance plays into favor of the customer. Being 3,075 miles, the costs of pickup, loading, securing, and delivery are spread out over a vast distance and that is why the number per vehicle is less than a dollar even with the enclosed service.

The lane is hot. Interstate highways 90 and 80 are major transcontinental lanes in the north and both New England and LA metros are large markets.

Enclosed transport and a fifty-year-old vehicle

The two vehicles were functional, and both went up to the deck by themselves. The Bronco was managed just like all the classics – one start for picking up, one start for dropping off, and then leave it be.

A 1973 Bronco has fifty-year-old rubber, fifty-year-old wiring, and fifty-year-old seals, as well as drum brakes with no power assist, thus influencing slow speed maneuvering on a deck. The straps were soft and placed over the tires of both the vehicles instead of chain suspension. It becomes particularly important when there are no tie down points.

Transport summary

• Origin: Scarborough, ME 04074
• Destination: Glendale, CA 91202
• Distance: 3,075 miles
• Vehicles: 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe and 1973 Ford Bronco
• Service cost: $5,800.00 total, $2,900.00 per vehicle
• Cost per vehicle per mile: $0.94
• Condition: Both operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Scarborough, ME → I-95 south through New Hampshire → Boston, MA → I-90 west through Springfield, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo → Cleveland, OH → I-80 west through Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha and Cheyenne → Salt Lake City, UT → I-15 south through St. George and Las Vegas → Barstow, CA → I-210 west → Glendale, CA