The move of the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS, moving the car from Eugene, Oregon to Surprise, Arizona, is completed recently. It moved over a distance of 1,129 miles inside an enclosed trailer at a price of $1,493.00, which is $1.32 per mile.
The car was operational at pick-up. Under our usual assessment of open or enclosed, a car produced in the last two years, a coupe, would easily be shipped open. But this car was shipped enclosed because of its status as a discontinued model by Chevrolet.
The route
The 1,129 mile drive between Eugene and Surprise stretches across the entire coast of the western United States and then east across the Sonoran Desert.
Eugene is located in the Willamette Valley, an origin location that we have used before. From Eugene drivers take I-5 south past Roseburg and Medford, crossing Siskiyou Pass into California.
I-5 follows its course through Redding and Sacramento then south through the Central Valley, passing through Stockton, Fresno, and ending in Bakersfield.
From Bakersfield, the journey heads east on CA-58 through Tehachapi Pass, continuing to Barstow where it joins I-15 on the way to the Inland Empire. From there, I-10 leads the way east through Palm Springs and Blythe into Arizona.
Surprise is located just northwest of Phoenix, and the journey concludes with a trip along US-60.
When a mainstream car stops being mainstream
Chevrolet concluded production of the sixth generation of Camaros in 2024 model year. The corporation said it was possible that the name would be revived in one way or another, but the car in question belongs to a batch that is already discontinued.
The owners begin to act differently towards the car, and it needs to be stated clearly what it implies.
Discontinuation of production marks the end of supply. Whatever quantity has been produced is the final number. This applies to every discontinued car model, and is the only thing that is not subject to forecasting.
Owners begin to take care of their cars much sooner. People who would simply shake off a stone chip from their car start taking things more seriously after the model gets its last year.
We are not predicting any values; many discontinued cars will never appreciate, and we don’t need to predict that one will. But what we can say is that the decision to protect it was rational and that it was up to the owner.
Enclosed is available to anyone. As we have noted before in regard to the Civic as well as the new Range Rover Evoque, enclosed is a service available for purchase rather than a level for exotics. We neither sell it nor argue when someone wants it.
And what we can say straightforwardly. For a two-year old car with a modern clear coat, the open option would have been quite adequate on this route under those conditions. The customer has made a conscious choice, which is the right approach.
What $1.32 per mile reflects
Two key forces drive this number, and they work against one another.
Enclosed service drives it higher. Enclosed trailers transport fewer vehicles per haul and represent a smaller portion of the trailer fleet, and they command a premium on each enclosed shipment.
Distance works to lower it. At 1,129 miles, the fixed costs of pick-up, load, secure, and delivery have enough mileage to be covered. We quoted a 518-mile enclosed job at $3.71 for precisely this reason.
The route is simple enough. I-5 and I-10 are both primary trucking routes, and Phoenix metro area is a good market.
Ground clearance was not a consideration like it would be with a Corvette. The Camaro had ground clearance below that of a normal coupe, but within the capabilities of the normal ramp so no liftgate premium was required.
Enclosed transport
The sides of the trailer coped with the desert dust that was characteristic of the I-10 section of the route, because this is where the open platform would have helped out the most.
Securement was done using soft straps over the tires and not chains over the suspension to avoid the wheel faces. This is significant for the vehicle equipped with low-profile tires on big wheels, as such a vehicle can easily get curb rash.
Transport summary
- Origin: Eugene, OR 97401
- Destination: Surprise, AZ 85374
- Distance: 1,129 miles
- Service cost: $1,493.00
- Cost per mile: $1.32
- Vehicle: 2023 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Eugene, OR → I-5 south through Roseburg and Medford → over the Siskiyou Pass → Redding and Sacramento, CA → Central Valley to Bakersfield → CA-58 east over Tehachapi Pass to Barstow → I-15 south → I-10 east through Palm Springs and Blythe → Phoenix, AZ → US-60 northwest → Surprise, AZ
