We recently concluded the shipment of a 2019 Chevy Corvette from Interlochen, MI to Houston, TX. The distance covered was 1,367 miles by trailer and the cost was $2,192.00, which translates into $1.60 per mile.
The vehicle was drivable at the time of pick-up. The most important factor in determining this booking wasn’t the vehicle itself. Rather, it was the location of the vehicle. Interlochen is a tiny town in northern Michigan, far away from the closest freight route, and that makes all the difference.
The route
The journey from Interlochen to Houston covers 1,367 miles starting from Traverse City to south through the Midwest towards Texas.
Interlochen is located roughly fifteen miles southwest of Traverse City, and drivers will drive south through US-31 and M-115 until reaching US-131 south towards Kalamazoo.
At Kalamazoo, the road will follow southwards on I-94 around the bottom of Lake Michigan. At that point, it will move south through I-57 from Illinois passing through Champaign and Effingham until it gets to Sikeston, Missouri.
In Sikeston, the shipment follows I-55 south to Memphis and then I-40 for a while before turning south on I-30 and passes through Little Rock, Arkansas, and Texarkana. I-30 takes the shipment to Dallas, after which it moves south on I-45 via Corsicana and Huntsville to Houston. The address 77041 is situated northwest of the city; therefore, the shipment terminates at Beltway 8.
Why a rural pickup costs more
The fact is that Interlochen is far removed from the streets where carriers drive. The closest highway is an hour away at the least, and northwest Michigan has much less truck traffic than a metropolitan area.
It plays a bigger role in enclosed shipments than open ones. There simply is less supply in the former case and the carriers are mostly interested in shipping goods between big cities because it’s where the volumes are. Give them a pickup point that’s three hours out of the route and the supply becomes significantly reduced.
Now you have two choices in such a case. Either you run the extra distance with an empty load or wait until you get another one to justify your visit to northern Michigan. Whichever choice you make, you’ll pay for it by having an increased price.
There is also the question of time. We can give you the same truck within two days in case of a metro-to-metro shipment. The rural pickup will take longer, and we tell you beforehand rather than giving you some unrealistic deadline.
What $1.60 per mile reflects
There are three factors behind that rate which pull in opposite directions.
The first factor is the enclosed service. Enclosed trailers can accommodate fewer vehicles per trip and are more expensive to operate, and they account for a smaller portion of the fleet. This higher rate would apply regardless of the route on every enclosed booking.
Rural origin is the second factor. The rate would have been lower for an origin in Detroit or Grand Rapids on the same route.
Distance is the third factor, and it pulls in the opposite direction. With 1,367 miles the costs of pickup, loading, securing, and delivery get spread out over quite a few miles. For an enclosed trip of only 350 miles the costs are divided among far fewer miles and increase the cost per mile to over $2.
Loading a low-clearance car
This 2019 Corvette has approximately four and a half inches of ground clearance. The ramp on a normal trailer is steeper than the clearance allows, and so the splitter makes contact before the wheels do.
Transportation companies that transport sports cars use equipment instead of techniques. In such cases, the liftgate is used to raise the car up to the level of the platform and negate the ramp angle. Where there is no liftgate, extended and stacked ramps will be used to lower the ramp angle to a point where the car can pass over.
The securing procedure uses the same technique. The soft straps secure the car over the tires instead of using chains on the control arms. Because this car was able to run at one time, it means the driver was able to drive it on the platform.
Transport summary
- Origin: Interlochen, MI 49643
- Destination: Houston, TX 77041
- Distance: 1,367 miles
- Service cost: $2,192.00
- Cost per mile: $1.60
- Vehicle: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Interlochen, MI → US-31 / M-115 → US-131 south through Cadillac and Grand Rapids → I-94 west → I-57 south through Champaign and Effingham → I-55 south to Memphis → I-40 west → I-30 south through Little Rock and Texarkana → Dallas, TX → I-45 south through Huntsville → Houston, TX
