Our last delivery was that of a 1966 Ford Mustang from Madera, CA to Homestead, FL via open trailer delivery. This delivery involved moving the car a distance of 2,914 miles for a charge of $1,721.00 or $0.59 per mile.
The Mustang was delivered operational, which means it was able to start, run, and drive under its own power at pick-up. This delivery is the furthest delivery covered in this series at close to 3,000 miles and provides a good case study of the cost-per-mile concept on a coast-to-coast delivery.
The Route
The 2914 mile path from Madera to Homestead covers all of the Southern United States. The carriers generally depart from Madera, located in the Central Valley region of California, close to Fresno, then move south to connect with I-10 east.
After that, the carriers travel on I-10 for pretty much the whole time. This includes stops in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas via El Paso, San Antonio, Houston and into Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The last part of the journey involves traveling through Florida and connecting with I-75 heading south until reaching Homestead at the far southern point of Miami-Dade County.
This path connects eight states over one of the most heavily used long-distance routes in America.
Why Long-Haul Pricing Favors This Cross-Country Move
A transport involving 3,000 miles is one that enjoys the same type of pricing as found in a lengthy truck transport service. This is because the unit cost per mile decreases as the overall distance increases. Here, the expenses associated with positioning and route planning by the carrier are spread over a much greater number of miles as compared to a shorter local one.
This is partly the reason why this transport is priced at $0.59 per mile, which is very low compared to that charged for 300 or 500 mile shipments. Distance does not mean that the transport is less expensive in terms of total expense as a result of actual fuel and time expenses incurred over 2914 miles costing $1,721.00.
Why This Classic Mustang Shipped Open
The option of open transport is still very popular and reliable when talking about classic muscle cars, especially considering the journey that is thousands of miles long across the country, which makes the cost difference even more significant for open and enclosed options. Due to the fact that the Mustang was delivered already functional and didn’t have any clearance problems like the ones future sport cars had, it was loaded just like a regular car would be.
With the owner having a choice between cost and security of the car during such a long journey, open transport can be chosen without having the price become too high.
Transport Summary
- Origin: Madera, CA 93636
- Destination: Homestead, FL 33032
- Distance: 2914 miles
- Service cost: $1,721.00
- Cost per mile: $0.59
- Vehicle: 1966 Ford Mustang
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: I-10 east through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, then I-75 south into Homestead
