Here’s what actually happened on a recent run out of Wayland, Michigan. A cargo van sold at auction needed to get to Columbus, Ohio. Three hundred miles. No frills. The buyer wanted it done fast, so the job went to a hotshot carrier instead of waiting for a multi-car load to fill up.
The final rate came in at $650. That works out to $2.16 per mile. For a high-roof cargo van on a short regional run, that number is fair and here’s why it works out that way.
Why Hotshot Made Sense for This Van
A high-roof cargo van is not a car. It sits taller, takes up more deck space, and rules out most standard 9-car haulers right away since the clearance requirements on a multi-car trailer won’t work with extra height. Sending it on a hotshot rig gave the carrier full control over load configuration and kept the van from becoming somebody else’s problem on a crowded deck.
Open Auto Transport Estimate from Michigan to Ohio
| Vehicle Type | Distance | Total Rate | Rate Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo Van | 300 miles | $650 | $2.16 / mile |
| Sedan | 300 miles | $550 | $1.80 / mile |
How Hotshot Hauling Works vs. Multi-Car Transport
Hotshot hauling uses a single pickup truck with a flatbed or low-profile trailer to move one or two vehicles at a time. Multi-car carriers typically haul eight or nine vehicles at once and split the route costs across all of them. Multi-car is cheaper per vehicle because the carrier spreads fuel and mileage costs across a full load. Hotshot costs more per mile because the carrier runs the route for one vehicle only.
For a standard sedan, multi-car shipping almost always wins on price. For a high-roof cargo van, hotshot is the better call because most multi-car trailers simply can’t clear the roof height without creating a clearance issue for the cars loaded above.
Auction Car Pickup Inspection: What You Must Do Before You Load
Purchasing a car at an auction and shipping it directly may sound like a straightforward process, but things can quickly go wrong if no one has documented anything. With the fast pace of an auction, the driver may not slow down to look at the car. What you need to do before the driver picks up your car is:
Walk the entire car before the driver even touches it. Make sure to check every door, bumper, and window. Make sure to check the hood, the roof, and the rear cargo doors if you’re shipping a van, because those areas are easy to miss. If you notice anything wrong, make sure to point that out and make sure that the driver documents that in the bill of lading. The bill of lading is your safety net at both ends of the shipping process. Make sure to verify the VIN number located in the door jamb and compare that to your paperwork.
There have been times when auctions have had identical cars lined up in the same row. Make sure to verify that you’re not shipping the wrong car. Make sure that the car is even operational. If the car is not operational, you’ll need to get a winch to load the car, and that can get expensive. Make sure that if the paperwork says that the car is operational, you test the car before the driver even comes to pick it up.
Take photos with a timestamp. Make sure to get photos of every side, every corner, and even the inside if there is cargo space.
Understanding Per-Mile Rate vs. Flat Rate for Short Hauls
Short distances of less than 500 miles tend to drive up the rate per mile as opposed to long distances. It’s just the way things are done within the industry. If you think about it, when you’re crossing the country, you’re spreading those costs over 1,500 to 2,000 miles. So, the cost per mile will be less. But when you’re driving 300 miles, those costs are spread over much fewer miles, so the cost will be higher.
In the case of the trip from Wayland to Columbus, the cost of $2.16 per mile is simply the cost of those short miles. The industry standard for those distances of less than 500 miles tends to be around $0.80 per mile and up for standard cars. The cost of the high roof cargo van will be more as well, as there are fewer trailers designed to carry such a van.
There are some carriers that will provide a flat rate for these kinds of short distances. The flat rate is nice as you know what you’re getting into and don’t have to worry about any changes to the route affecting the final cost. The per mile rate is more transparent as you can check the math yourself to ensure that it’s accurate. For routes of less than 400 miles, you will see both options, so it’s worth asking what rate they’re using before you make the trip.
As you’re considering the cost of the trip, especially as it relates to the short distances of less than 500 miles, be aware of whether the carrier charges extra for fuel costs. They might be including those costs up front, but they might be tacking them on at the end as well. For such a short trip, the cost will be similar, but it’s nice to know ahead of time so that you’re not surprised when the bill arrives.
What to Expect at Delivery
When the van arrived in Columbus the buyer did a second walkthrough using the original pickup photos as a reference. No new damage. The bill of lading got signed off and the driver was on his way back north.
That’s how a clean auction delivery goes. The inspection on the front end made the delivery on the back end simple. Skipping the inspection at pickup is where buyers run into problems later since there’s no baseline to compare against when the vehicle arrives.
If you’re pulling a vehicle from an auction lot and need a hotshot carrier for a regional run, get the inspection done before the driver touches the vehicle. Confirm the VIN, photograph everything, and make sure the bill of lading reflects what you saw. The paperwork takes ten minutes and it protects the entire shipment.
