Recently, we concluded transporting a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice from Detroit, MI to Elmhurst, IL. This shipment entailed 291 miles via an open trailer and cost $550.00, equivalent to $1.89 per mile.
This vehicle was drivable when it was picked up. This is the shortest distance that we have published, with 291 miles being a five-hour drive. The most immediate question raised is why someone would pay for a drivable car to be transported such a distance. For a forty-six year old car, this is a simple issue.
The route
The drive between Detroit and Elmhurst covers 291 miles in one interstate traveling along the south end of Lake Michigan.
The 48235 code is located in northwest Detroit. Motorists enter the interstate and travel southwest from Detroit via I-94 and head across southern Michigan cities of Ann Arbor and Jackson, as well as Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.
The highway enters Indiana near Michigan City and heads through Gary in Indiana along the south end of the lake; here the industrial zone causes the longest delays on the route.
The route continues north along I-294 and reaches the western suburb of Chicago. Elmhurst is located in DuPage County, some 15 miles from downtown Chicago.
Why ship a car you could drive in five hours
We have laid out a straightforward rationale for choosing to drive the car yourself on a modern car on a long journey. On an old car on a short trip, the rationale is reversed.
Driving nicely in the neighborhood does not equate to driving 291 miles on the highway. An old car that fires up nicely and drives locally is asked to do something entirely different when it has to drive highway speeds for five straight hours. This is seen in the cooling systems, fuel delivery systems, and electrical charging systems.
The most likely thing to wear out is the tires, and their age determines this. Tires on an old car that only drives a couple of hundred miles annually might seem brand new but might be well overdue for replacement. Look at the date stamps on the tires rather than the tread.
The brakes on an old car are not like brakes on modern cars. Drum brakes, no assist system on the majority of old cars, and no anti-lock system.
Breakdowns cost more than the trip itself. Having the vehicle towed halfway, spending a night at an unknown location, and getting repairs by someone nearby are way cheaper than $550.00. This is the real comparison instead of the per-mile charge.
The fact that the mileage increases makes the difference with a car that is collected. Increasing 291 miles on a good condition car is no small thing, and especially with an old car, the mileage is what the future buyer is purchasing.
However, the per-mile charge looks really bad and is not relevant at all. With 291 miles on the vehicle, the fixed costs for the service fall on only a few miles, hence the charge of $1.89 is understandable. The important charge is $550.00.
What $1.89 per mile reflects
There is just one overriding factor.
Distance is that factor. This run is our shortest ever at 291 miles. The costs involved in pickup and loading are about the same regardless of whether you have a distance of 291 miles or 2,600. They are similar costs for securement and coordination and delivery. In this case, there is very little distance on which to spread out those costs.
The route is not the problem either. Interstate 94 is one of the most traveled trucking lanes in the Midwestern region. It features two important markets, namely Chicago and Detroit, located at both ends of the route.
Then again, the truck is not the problem either. It is long but takes up only one position during loading.
Open transport on a classic
Open is the sensible choice for this job given the distance – 291 miles – and good weather conditions. Enclosed shields a car from the dangers of the road and the elements throughout its entire journey and costs extra, but there is only 5 hours on the interstate to be exposed.
Winter changes that equation. As mentioned on a popular route through Minnesota, they salt like crazy, and salt finds its way underneath a car on an open trailer in a way rain cannot.
The 1979 vintage model has no engineering for tie down points, so the securing process was done with soft straps across the tires instead of chains looking for proper attachment points on the chassis. The vintage car was started once upon pick-up and once upon delivery, and left untouched in between.
Transport summary
- Origin: Detroit, MI 48235
- Destination: Elmhurst, IL 60126
- Distance: 291 miles
- Service cost: $550.00
- Cost per mile: $1.89
- Vehicle: 1979 Chevrolet Caprice
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Detroit, MI → I-94 west through Ann Arbor, Jackson, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo → Michigan City, IN → around the south end of Lake Michigan through Gary → I-294 north → Elmhurst, IL
