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
