Recently, we completed the relocation of a 2013 BMW 3 Series vehicle, traveling from Newhall, CA to Austin, TX. The distance traveled was 1,407 miles, enclosed in a trailer, costing $1,884.00, equivalent to $1.34 per mile.
The 3 Series was driveable at the time of pick-up and was driven up the ramp using its own power. In cases involving a mid-distance haul in an enclosed service, the cost of service is significant enough that clients will inquire about how and when the payment is made. This is not always clear within the industry.
The route
The journey of 1,407 miles from Newhall to Austin goes through the desert southwest and west Texas.
Newhall is located in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. Drivers therefore head south along I-5 via the San Fernando Valley before switching to I-10 eastwards across the valley.
I-10 takes you almost all the way, passing Palm Springs, crossing the Colorado River at Blythe, continuing to Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; after which the interstate passes through Las Cruces, New Mexico, and gets into Texas at El Paso.
From El Paso, the journey goes through the long distance from Van Horn to Fort Stockton and Junction until San Antonio. From there I-35 heads north to Austin. 78744 ZIP Code is southeast of downtown, hence the truck heads towards US-183 or Ben White Boulevard.
How payment actually works
Ask three car shipping firms about how payments work and you will probably receive three different answers. Here is the common business model and one important question.
No fee should be paid prior to carrier assignment. This is what needs to be understood. Nothing is arranged until the carrier takes the job. A company that charges you in full upon your selection of a price quote has received money for a service that is yet to be provided.
Some kind of deposit upon dispatch is quite common practice. Most of the time, the brokers will collect some part of the price after the carrier has been chosen since it pays for their arranging. The other part goes to the carrier.
The remainder is typically paid upon delivery. Directly to the driver and in cash or some other certified payment means, not by card. It is a carrier’s preference rather than a broker’s.
Figure out how the process works before the truck gets there. What gets written down on a card, what the driver gets, and in what form. A five-minute conversation at booking saves an awkward conversation at delivery.
Have all the details in writing as well. The deposit, remaining balance, acceptable forms of payment, and cancellation policy. A company that doesn’t send you this in an email is sending you a message.
There are also different terms from one company to another, even from ours. Ask for our terms as well as for the quote, and then ask for the other company’s terms as well. A comparison of quotes without comparing the payment process is like comparing half the deal.
What $1.34 per mile reflects
Two elements lie behind this number.
Firstly, there is the enclosed service. Enclosed trailers haul fewer cars each time and are also more costly to move around and form a smaller percentage of the fleet in action. The difference occurs for every enclosed job no matter where you go with it. If this car had been moved via open transport, the sum would have been significantly smaller.
However, distance pulls the other direction. With 1,407 miles of distance between origin and destination, the fixed expenses involved in picking up, loading, and securing the car and delivering it will be divided by quite a large mileage and keep this well under a short enclosed move.
Lane conditions are also favorable. Route I-10 from Southern California to Texas is one of the most stable corridors of freight transportation in the United States, with Los Angeles and Austin being major markets. The problem was not the capacity.
Enclosed transport
Choosing enclosed for a sports sedan of twelve years old is a good choice for the same reasons that we have discussed before. An intact car that is meant to be retained is worth preserving, and enclosed is not a special service only for exotic cars but any individual can choose this service.
Trailer sides stood up to the desert dust and road spray during the entire route. For securing the car, soft straps were used instead of chain around the tires due to the performance suspension parts.
It was easy to load the car since it could run and was a regular sedan in terms of ride height.
Transport summary
- Origin: Newhall, CA 91321
- Destination: Austin, TX 78744
- Distance: 1,407 miles
- Service cost: $1,884.00
- Cost per mile: $1.34
- Vehicle: 2013 BMW 3 Series
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Newhall, CA → I-5 south → I-10 east through Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix and Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso, TX → Van Horn, Fort Stockton and Junction → San Antonio → I-35 north → Austin, TX
