Recently, we completed the shipment of a 2018 Cadillac CTS from Houston, TX to Fort Bragg, NC. This delivery took place over a distance of 1,188 miles via an enclosed trailer, and the price for the transportation was $1,697.00 or $1.43 per mile.
The vehicle in question was running when picked up and driven onto the deck by itself. One interesting fact about this shipment is the place of delivery. Transport to a military base is different from transport to a home, and this is the whole point of the business.
The route
The journey covering 1,188 miles between Houston and Fort Bragg goes through the Gulf South region and up through the Carolinas.
The 77041 region is found on the northwest side of downtown Houston and motorists take the beltway 8 to get to I-10 east. The interstate highway moves through Beaumont and enters Louisiana at Orange before heading through Lafayette to Baton Rouge.
From Baton Rouge, motorists use I-12 east to Slidell and take the north I-59 to Meridian via Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Then, motorists head east through I-20 via Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama before getting to Atlanta.
From Atlanta, motorists drive east through I-20 via Augusta into South Carolina where it stops at Columbia. The remaining journey goes through US-1 via Camden and Cheraw and Rockingham into North Carolina to Fayetteville. The All American Freeway heads into Fort Bragg.
Delivering to a military installation
The base delivery gives an additional dimension which the residential one lacks, and it is the place where shipments fail once the broker has never worked in this area before.
A driver cannot just arrive at the post office. To access a military facility, it is necessary to have certain documents which the driver does not have. Sometimes commercial drivers can get visitor passes, but it depends on the installation and current force protection conditions. This fact should not be taken for granted.
In practice, the solution becomes quite simple. We arrange delivery to an off-post point, where the service member would come to meet the driver. Usually, we use a large commercial lot near Fayetteville. The service member will just need to cover some distance, but the whole risk will be avoided.
The deployment and duty schedules are not negotiable. If a civilian client does not make their delivery during a window period, then they reschedule the time. It is not possible for a military person in the field or on a training rotation to do that.
When it comes to a PCS move, there is usually a firm deadline. A report date is not a suggestion; it is mandatory. If the client tells us that the vehicle needs to be moved prior to a certain date, then that influences the carriers that are available to us.
Our military discount
Tempus Logix also provides a military discount that ranges up to 10%, applicable to active military personnel and veterans and their families.
Bring it up during the quote request process instead of waiting until after you book. It’s simpler to incorporate upfront, and the team member assigned to coordinate your file will include it in the price you’re using to compare other providers.
We handle a lot of PCS and permanent moves for military personnel. Your orders might take you to or from Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, or any other destination. But the coordination around your report dates is nothing out of the ordinary.
What $1.43 per mile reflects
There are two main factors underlying this figure.
Enclosed transport is the first factor. Enclosed transport is less efficient than open transport both in terms of the number of cars per trip and cost of transportation. Premium is applied on each enclosed trip without regard for its distance.
The second factor is distance, which is favorable to the customer in this case. With distance of 1,188 miles the fixed costs of pick-up, loading, securing, coordinating, and delivering are distributed among quite a large number of miles traveled. In case of a 350-mile enclosed run the fixed costs mentioned above are distributed among fewer miles, increasing the rate per mile above $2.40.
Also the lane is in favor of the customer. Houston to the Carolinas through Atlanta uses some of the busiest freight lanes in the Southeastern part of the country.
Enclosed transport
Enclosed was chosen for the upkeep of a luxury sedan, something that’s a regular order when it comes to a car one wants to retain.
The trailer sides catch all the mud and rocks from 1,188 miles of Gulf South and Carolina road. The car remains clean, which is more noticeable on a dark sedan than many would think.
Securing the load was not difficult. Instead of chains, soft straps were used over the tires and because the car worked properly, it could be placed using it’s own wheels. As the CTS stands at normal sedan ride height, no ramp angle ever came up.
Transport summary
- Origin: Houston, TX 77041
- Destination: Fort Bragg, NC 28307
- Distance: 1,188 miles
- Service cost: $1,697.00
- Cost per mile: $1.43
- Vehicle: 2018 Cadillac CTS
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Houston, TX → I-10 east through Beaumont and Lafayette → Baton Rouge, LA → I-12 east → I-59 north through Hattiesburg to Meridian, MS → I-20 east through Birmingham and Atlanta → Augusta, GA → Columbia, SC → US-1 north through Camden and Rockingham → Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, NC
