Recently, we finished the move of a 2016 Chrysler 300 that had been transported from Everett, Washington to Middletown, Delaware over a distance of 2,853 miles on an open carrier for $1,700.00. This comes out to $0.60 per mile.
The 300 was in working order upon loading and backed up the ramp using its own power. It costs sixty cents per mile is one of the lowest car shipping rates we have seen in a while, and this is a perfect example of how brokers do their job.
The route
The 2,853 miles from Everett to Middletown run along the northern tier of America, from Puget Sound to the Delaware Valley.
Since Everett is north of Seattle, travelers drive south on I-5 through the metro area and switch onto I-90 east. This interstate traverses Snoqualmie Pass and runs east through Washington State, through Spokane into eastern Idaho and through the mountains of Idaho into Montana past Missoula, Butte, and Billings.
It is I-90 that does the bulk of the driving. This interstate runs through Wyoming, through Sheridan; it goes through South Dakota past Rapid City and Sioux Falls, across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin to Chicago.
From there, the interstate continues eastward to Indianapolis and Toledo; it then switches onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and finally onto I-95 to Wilmington, Delaware, and DE-1 to Middletown.
What a broker actually does
In most cases, car shippers online are brokers, just as we are. It helps to understand this distinction since the industry doesn’t do well at making it clear, and there are some players who deliberately hide this information.
The carrier has the truck. The broker provides transportation services. The carrier usually runs a couple of trucks on familiar routes. The broker does not have any trucks, but it works with many trucks through the broker network; it is precisely why one broker can quote a lane such as Everett to Middletown.
Brokers have separate licensing with the FMCSA. Brokers have their own operating license and MC number, with federal law requiring a $75,000 surety bond. Surety bonds are in place to protect customers and carriers in case the broker stops paying out. Our broker surety bond numbers are USDOT #3117533 and MC #86120.
Vetting the carrier is where the work happens. Prior to the load shipping, we verify the carrier’s operating authority and current cargo and liability insurance certificates, as well as their safety profile. A customer never sees this part of the process, and it is the single most important distinction among brokers.
Size of the network is what generates a price such as this one. The carrier who works the fixed lane tells you what it costs him to operate. The broker with a big enough network locates the truck coming your way with empty space. On a 2,853 mile journey across the north corridor, it makes a difference.
Ask any broker for their MC license number, and then check it out yourself. It only takes two minutes on the FMCSA website, and a broker who does not want to give it to you has just told you something important.
What $0.60 per mile reflects
Three factors worked in the client’s favor.
Distance was the first one. For a transporter, the costs of pickup, loading, unloading and coordination will be the same for every order, regardless of distance travelled; these expenses do not depend on mileage. Splitting them up among 2,853 miles brings the cost of each mile very low. If they were split among a couple of hundred miles, the cost per mile would be three times higher.
Open transport was the second. Open transports have bigger capacity for a single ride and work much more frequently than enclosed ones, and when transporting over such a big distance this factor makes a significant difference.
Thirdly, the density of corridors played its part. Interstate 90 is the main transcontinental highway in the northern part of the country, and the Seattle metropolitan area as well as Philadelphia-Wilmington market are saturated corridors. There was no capacity issue here.
Open transport
300 was transported on an open trailer since most of the vehicles in this country get shipped this way.
This is a full-size factory clear coat production sedan. Enclosed shipping would be appropriate for those cars where rock chipping is an actual issue; for 2,853 miles, the cost of enclosed shipping would have been high because this is not needed by this vehicle.
There was no trouble loading. This car was in running condition and 300 sits at the regular sedan ride height, so the ramp angle did not become an issue. For the securement, we used soft straps over the tires as opposed to chains on the suspension.
Transport summary
- Origin: Everett, WA 98204
- Destination: Middletown, DE 19709
- Distance: 2,853 miles
- Service cost: $1,700.00
- Cost per mile: $0.60
- Vehicle: 2016 Chrysler 300
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Everett, WA → I-5 south through Seattle → I-90 east over Snoqualmie Pass → Spokane, WA → Missoula, Butte and Billings, MT → Sheridan, WY → Rapid City and Sioux Falls, SD → Chicago, IL → I-90 east across Indiana and Ohio → Pennsylvania Turnpike → Philadelphia, PA → I-95 south → Wilmington, DE → DE-1 south → Middletown, DE
