A few days back, we completed the transport of 2022 Tesla Model S from Modesto, CA to Wyncote, PA. The distance involved for this transport was 2,891 miles via open trailer and the charge amounted to $1,865.00, making the cost per mile $0.65.
Model S was drivable when picked up and hence it drove itself to the deck. This is a complete coast-to-coast movement and the cost of 65 cents per mile is the least per mile cost of all our recent transports due to the large distance involved.
The route
This drive takes the driver from Modesto to Wyncote with a total distance of about 2,891 miles covering much of the nation from California’s Central Valley to the Philadelphia suburb area.
Driving from Modesto on CA-99 towards Sacramento, the driver continues on Interstate 80 heading to the east direction. Interstate 80 does most of the drive in this trip as it passes through the Sierra Nevada via Donner Pass, Nevada through Reno and Elko to Utah via Salt Lake City.
After passing through Utah, it proceeds eastwards via Wyoming through Rock Springs and Cheyenne, then to Nebraska through North Platte and Omaha. This road also passes through Iowa and the northern part of Illinois just near Chicago.
The eastern part of the drive is still done on Interstate 80 to Indiana, Ohio and northern part of Pennsylvania. In the vicinity of Stroudsburg, the driver drives southwards on the Northeast Extension of Pennsylvania Turnpike to reach Philadelphia. The suburb town of Wyncote is located just north of the city of Philadelphia in Montgomery County.
Shipping an electric vehicle
Electric cars ship in the same manner as gasoline-powered cars do. The trailer does not care what kind of propulsion system you have, and there are no specific carrier systems required by a battery.
There are two details you should always know. One of them is charge level. We request somewhere between 20 and 50 percent. This amount of charge is enough to start and finish the movement on and off the trailer, as well as drive by itself at both ends without the danger of having your car charged for a week of travel time.
Another one is the transportation mode. The car will go into parking brake if it is not set into the transportation mode. This is a fact that everyone who is moving Tesla on a trailer knows. For those who do not, this is a reason why we flag a vehicle type on a manifest.
Another thing that should be taken into account is weight. Tesla Model S is about 4,500 pounds, which is heavier than an average gasoline-powered sedan of the same size because of the battery.
What 65 cents a mile means
This is the lowest per mile cost we have seen in any of our recent case studies, and not because the haul is any exceptional. This is because it is long.
The cost of pickup and loading does not change much from one haul to another. Same is true for the cost of securement, coordination, and delivery. These costs are fixed. If divided among 2,891 miles, then the portion of the cost that falls on each mile will be very low. However, when these costs are divided among 400 miles, then the cost per mile will be at least three or four times more than what it should have been.
Another reason why the cost is lower is that of corridor. I-80 is the major east-west freight corridor of the US. This corridor is very well traveled from California to the Northeast and vice versa.
Open transport
The delivery took place using an open trailer. This is because this vehicle is not a classic or exotic model and therefore does not need the services provided by an enclosed trailer.
This represents a significant financial saving on a journey of this length. This is because open trailers can haul more cars than enclosed trailers in a single trip and make many more trips than enclosed trailers. Using an enclosed trailer on this particular journey would definitely have increased the total.
There were no issues of ground clearance since this is a production sedan at normal sedan ride height.
Transport summary
- Origin: Modesto, CA 95351
- Destination: Wyncote, PA 19095
- Distance: 2,891 miles
- Service cost: $1,865.00
- Cost per mile: $0.65
- Vehicle: 2022 Tesla Model S
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Modesto, CA → CA-99 north → I-80 east over Donner Pass through Reno, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Omaha and Chicago → across Indiana, Ohio and northern Pennsylvania → PA Turnpike Northeast Extension south → Wyncote, PA
