Recently, we finished moving a 2024 BMW 7 Series from Aurora, CO to Newark, NJ, which involved a distance of 1,780 miles, using an open trailer at a total cost of $1,095.00 or $0.62 per mile.
A price of $0.62 per mile is a rather cheap price at this distance. As there have been recent articles about factors influencing a price upwards, an article about this unusually low price seems to be in order. Both origin and destination of this move are important freight centers.
The route
The drive from Aurora to Newark goes all the way across the plains and the Midwest before terminating in the New York metropolitan area.
Since Aurora is on the eastern side of Denver, the driver begins his journey on I-70 East right away and sticks to it all the way out to the eastern part of Colorado passing through Limon, then going into Kansas past the towns of Colby and Salina.
From there, the Interstate 70 leads through Kansas City and Missouri to St. Louis, then proceeds eastward through Indianapolis and the Ohio cities of Columbus and into West Virginia where it touches Wheeling and passes into Pennsylvania.
After that, the driver goes east again using the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Harrisburg and then heads towards I-78 in the Lehigh Valley region, eventually reaching Newark.
Why hub-to-hub routes cost less
We have described a pickup in Bemidji, Minnesota, as well as a delivery in Ennis, Montana, which were both charged a premium for their remoteness from the lanes carriers run regularly. In this particular route, however, the situation is reversed, and we should look at the reason why.
First of all, the destinations of the route are freight hubs. Denver is a distribution center for the entire Rocky Mountain region, while the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area is the most intense freight market in the whole country. The trucks are continuously coming and going from both hubs.
Your vehicle would not require any detours for carriers in this situation. On a rural pickup, carriers need to make a decision on whether it is worth making a detour specifically to pick up your vehicle.
The same goes for competition, which is working to your advantage here. The more options for carriers to haul the load, the more bidders are competing to win it. This kind of pressure does not exist for a lane through which only three trucks travel each week.
Then there is no deadhead cost included in pricing. The empty mileage that is incorporated in the rural pricing does not exist in this case at all.
Also, I-70 is a major route. The route follows a major east-west interstate highway route throughout its entire length without any minor roads or mountain passes in between.
All in all, this is how you get a rate of $1,095.00 for a 1,780 mile move with an open trailer.
The one thing metro delivery does add
Urban dense delivery also has its limitation and it is not price but access.
An eighteen-wheel trailer is about 75 to 80 feet in length. At Newark and all over the surrounding metro area, this particular carrier will not be able to make its way to some of the residential roads or enter some apartment complexes or go below certain bridges due to low bridges which is a common issue in Northern New Jersey.
The solution to this issue is a meet point, where we deliver to a nearby commercial area where the truck can turn around and the client picks up their package from there. It may add an extra few minutes to the delivery but it also takes out the risk of the carrier coming to the destination but not being able to deliver.
It is brought up at booking time and not at delivery time, since at booking time, the client accepts it as a small issue but during delivery time, it becomes a bigger one.
What $0.62 per mile reflects
Three items align in the same direction in this situation.
The density of lanes ranks as the top item, considering all of the reasons stated previously.
Second is distance. Being 1,780 miles means that the costs associated with pickup, loading, securing, and delivering become lower per mile compared to those for a shorter haul.
Thirdly, it is open transport. Open transporters haul more cars per mile compared to enclosed transports.
Open transport
The 7 Series is the top-end model from BMW, but it still moved on an open trailer since that was what the client wanted.
It’s a logical decision. It is an active production sedan with modern factory paint, not a collector or exotic car where a rock chip can make a difference in its value. Open transport is the preferred method for most cars in this country, even quite expensive ones.
Enclosed transport can be arranged on any car, and we always let the client know when it is needed. In the case of a two-year-old production sedan moving to a garage, we did not pressure them about that.
Loading was easy. The car was running and the 7 Series is built at typical sedan height, so ramp angle was not a problem. Securement was done using soft straps over the tires, not chains over the suspension system.
Transport summary
- Origin: Aurora, CO 80017
- Destination: Newark, NJ 07114
- Distance: 1,780 miles
- Service cost: $1,095.00
- Cost per mile: $0.62
- Vehicle: 2024 BMW 7 Series
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Aurora, CO → I-70 east through Limon, Colby and Salina → Kansas City, MO → St. Louis → Indianapolis, IN → Columbus, OH → Wheeling, WV → Pennsylvania Turnpike east → Harrisburg, PA → I-78 east across the Lehigh Valley → Newark, NJ
