The recent completion of a transport of a 2019 Cadillac XTS funeral coach, shipped by us from Waco, TX to Rio Rancho, NM, included travel of 686 miles on an open trailer, which cost $1,300.00, or $1.90 per mile.
A funeral coach is a work vehicle; its transportation from one funeral home to another is a normal procedure for the business. This cargo does not follow the rules of usual auto transportation, and this fact determined this job.
The route
The 686-mile journey from Waco to Rio Rancho takes one across central Texas, the Llano Estacado, and the eastern plains of New Mexico.
One leaves Waco and drives to the west on US-84, via Gatesville and Brownwood. The road takes one over the countryside through Snyder and up the Caprock at Lubbock.
From Lubbock, US-84 then heads to Clovis in New Mexico, where the journey shifts to US-60 to the west through Fort Sumner and Vaughn.
US-60 then merges with I-25 north at Socorro. I-25 travels along the Rio Grande River through Belen and Albuquerque, arriving at Rio Rancho on the western outskirts of the metro area.
This route travels mostly on two-lane US roads rather than interstate highways, which is an important consideration for a long truck but less of one for a regular car.
Shipping a coachbuilt vehicle
A funeral coach is not a Cadillac XTS. It begins its life as a XTS, but is then chopped and reassembled into something quite different.
It is much longer than the base vehicle. The XTS was delivered from GM in a dedicated professional vehicle chassis, which already had a long wheelbase, and the coachbuilder has made it even longer. When done, the vehicle will be somewhere above 250 inches long.
It is heavier than it might appear. The weight added by the rear cabin and casket table and rollers adds weight to the base XTS, just like the raised roof and additional reinforcements.
This has to be taken into consideration while designing the deck. The trailer design which takes nine vehicles into account will have a fixed overall length. The vehicle having length greater than 20 feet will not fit into the designated area meant for a sedan, thus, the driver has to consider the design around this.
The other thing is the rear overhang. Long vehicles will carry more loads past the rear axle, and thus, the driver will need to consider the position of this mass along with the clearance of the vehicle at the break of the ramp as well as the grade changes.
This is not really complicated stuff. It is simply that the name of the model will not tell us anything while placing an order for a carrier. Thus, we need to know about the dimensions and coachbuilder of the vehicle.
Why $1.90 per mile on an open trailer
Two things stand behind this rate, but none of them is the trailer.
The first thing is distance. 686 miles is a short haul, and a short haul always implies a high per-mile rate. Pickup and loading of the vehicle cost the carrier the same amount, be it 686 miles or 2,600, the same goes for securement and coordination and delivery. Fixed costs are the dominant factor for a short route, since there is little road space to spread them over. Total costs of $1,300.00 is what matters to the customer.
The second thing is vehicle size. Vehicle of this length takes the deck space that would normally accommodate several vehicles, therefore, the rate should cover losses in other areas of the trailer operation.
Route contributes a bit as well. Waco to Albuquerque is a route with few carriers, and a substantial part of it consists of US highways, not the interstate. Fewer carriers operate between these cities than operate on I-40 100 miles north of it.
Open transport
This coach moved on an open trailer, and that makes perfect sense given the dimensions.
Enclosed trailers have maximum dimensions inside, and this vehicle pushes the boundaries. Those willing to transport it on an enclosed trailer have to be prepared for such conditions. This coach will work for funerals and moving around funeral homes, so open is the right choice.
The loading was simple. This coach had its engine running, and therefore the driver just drove it up the ramp and set it there by itself. We do not use chains when securing vehicles, but soft straps over the tires.
Transport summary
- Origin: Waco, TX 76701
- Destination: Rio Rancho, NM 87124
- Distance: 686 miles
- Service cost: $1,300.00
- Cost per mile: $1.90
- Vehicle: 2019 Cadillac XTS funeral coach
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Waco, TX → US-84 west through Gatesville, Brownwood and Snyder → Lubbock, TX → Clovis, NM → US-60 west through Fort Sumner and Vaughn → I-25 north at Socorro → Albuquerque → Rio Rancho, NM
