Recently, we concluded the transportation of a 2016 Honda Civic between American Fork, UT and Katy, TX. The route covered a distance of 1,395 miles by enclosed trailer for a total of $1,179.00, equating to $0.85 per mile. The client also transported personal belongings in the car, roughly at the 100 pounds allowed without extra charge.
What is important about this case is the use of the trailer. The 2016 Honda Civic is a common vehicle and the majority travel in the open air. Not so with this particular 2016 Honda Civic.
The route
This 1,395-mile trip starts off from American Fork and ends in Katy, crossing the Rocky Mountains and ending at the Texas southern plains.
American Fork is located in Utah County, south of Salt Lake City, where the truck will use I-15 south to Spanish Fork, followed by taking the east route using US-6 from Price to Green River where it meets I-70.
Using I-70, the truck will traverse eastwards over the Colorado River passing through Grand Junction. It climbs the mountain passes through Vail and Eisenhower Tunnel into Denver, Colorado.
From Denver, the route moves south using I-25 through Colorado Springs and Trinidad. From there, it passes through Raton Pass, enters New Mexico and picks I-40 east through Santa Rosa to end up in Amarillo, Texas.
The last part of the trip uses US-287 southeast through Wichita Falls to Fort Worth, then I-20 east to Dallas and I-45 south to Houston, where Katy lies west of the city.
When an ordinary car goes enclosed
Previously, we discussed when an exotic sports car will be better without enclosed transport. Well, it’s the exact opposite decision.
Enclosed service is not only available for exotic vehicles and collector cars; there are plenty of reasons for which someone who owns an ordinary car will opt for the enclosed service.
The first reason is recent painting or bodywork of the car. A car that has recently come out of the body shop has a new look that the owner has paid for and hasn’t had time to get used to. So, it makes sense to protect the look during the transport.
Another reason could be an exceptionally well-maintained car. There may be a case of an old car with no rock chips due to the owner’s care and diligence. But leaving such a car on an open deck during a 1,395-mile transport ride will ruin all the efforts in an hour.
One-time peace of mind matters, too. For a one-time mover, the difference between open and enclosed on a mid-distance trip just doesn’t add up to much in relation to all the rest of the moving costs. There are some customers who just won’t even want to worry about it.
And route conditions. The reason why this one goes through the Rocky Mountains. In any season, weather can change very quickly at altitude, and Interstate 70 through the mountains of Colorado is an open road indeed.
We don’t pressure anyone into choosing enclosed transport, and we’re upfront about a vehicle that doesn’t need it. However, if a customer chooses enclosed on a regular car, then that’s their right.
Personal items, included
Personal luggage weighing approximately 100 pounds will be carried for free in the car. This is the standard allowance that we have for all bookings.
This is quite straightforward. All items must be placed in the trunk or cargo space below the window level and properly secured in such a way that nothing moves on the way. No baggage on the seats and no items blocking the driver’s vision while loading or positioning the vehicle on the deck.
The weight limit is set because we cannot exceed the axle weight limit under which the carriers work. And as it is, a fully loaded trailer is close to it, adding another few hundred pounds per car is out of the question.
Just one more thing to mention here. Your personal belongings will not be insured. The cargo insurance covers only the vehicle and the contents are at your own risk.
What $0.85 per mile reflects
There are two reasons for this number.
Enclosed service boosts this figure. Enclosed trailer hauls less number of cars per trip and is more costly to be operated. It is also a lesser part of the fleet. This extra cost affects all bookings that are enclosed. Had this Civic not been enclosed, the average figure would definitely be smaller.
The distance pulls it down. Given the distance of 1,395 miles, the fixed cost of pick-up, loading, securing, and delivering gets distributed over a certain number of miles. On a shorter distance of enclosed transport, this fixed cost gets allocated over less miles making the per-mile cost exceed $2.40.
For the distance covered, the per mile rate of 85 cents looks good.
Enclosed transport
The Civic had been delivered enclosed, therefore it was the trailer’s walls that were responsible for dealing with the climate in the mountains and road debris along the entire route.
Loading was easy. The vehicle was functioning, so the driver drove it onto the ramp and then put it into place using its own motor. The Civic is a regular-sized sedan, thus the angle of the ramp was not an issue for it.
As to the securing process, we used straps and tied them around the tires of the vehicle instead of chains on the suspension system.
Transport summary
- Origin: American Fork, UT 84003
- Destination: Katy, TX 77494
- Distance: 1,395 miles
- Service cost: $1,179.00
- Cost per mile: $0.85
- Vehicle: 2016 Honda Civic
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Personal items: Around 100 pounds, no surcharge
- Route: American Fork, UT → I-15 south to Spanish Fork → US-6 east through Price → I-70 east through Grand Junction and Vail → Denver, CO → I-25 south through Colorado Springs and Trinidad → Raton Pass, NM → I-40 east to Amarillo, TX → US-287 southeast through Wichita Falls → Fort Worth → I-20 east to Dallas → I-45 south to Houston → I-10 west → Katy, TX
