If you are looking for safe transportation and great value to get your vehicle from one location to another, you might be tempted to choose the cheapest way to ship a car. However, auto transport involves more than just picking the least expensive car transport service. Prices for shipping your car can fluctuate based on factors such as the size of your vehicle, drop-off destination, and the time of year. Additionally, many carriers may end up charging more than their initial quote. As a result, finding the cheapest car shipping option while ensuring quality service can be quite challenging.
The Cheapest Way to Ship a Vehicle
Currently, there are two options to transport your car: shipping either by open or enclosed transport trailers. In the case of open hauler auto transport, weather conditions, such as rain, snow, or mud, may affect your car’s exterior, thus reduce its resale value. All the same, open transport remains the cheapest way to ship your vehicle across the country. Car haulers like open-air trucks make up more than 80% of cross-country car shipments. Even most dealerships transport their brand-new cars using open carrier auto shipping.
There is a less affordable car shipping method known as enclosed transport. However, it adds more protection to your vehicle during the trip. When you ship your vehicle in a fully enclosed trailer, it reduces the risk of damages/losses not covered by shipping insurance.
Things to Consider for Low-Cost Car Shipping
Checking for Car Condition
If you are looking to transport a car for a reasonable price, make sure your vehicle runs and drives. The price can be significantly less than shipping the inoperable vehicle. It’s always better to invest a little money to ensure your vehicle is drivable before shipping it rather than shipping it in a non-drivable condition.
The Pickup Window
If your pickup window is flexible, you are more likely to get the cheapest way to ship a car. Instead of scheduling your car shipment for a specific date, you can offer a flexible window, such as within five business days, and allow the carrier to choose a pickup day within that period. So make sure you are flexible with your schedule if you are looking to get the cheapest car shipping.
The Time of the Year
Being flexible on car shipping and considering it during the off-peak auto-shipping season may guarantee the lowest prices near you.For instance, shipping your car in the winter can be more expensive because not all truckers are comfortable making such a challenging journey. If you’re not pressed for time, you can take advantage of off-peak shipping to save hundreds of dollars on your car transport.
How to Get a Car Shipping Discount?
If you are shipping multiple cars together, you can expect your carrier to offer a discount depending on how many vehicles you have. Make sure you have your cars at the same time from the exact pickup location to the same drop-off location. Nevertheless, most likely, a discount won’t be offered if you are shipping, for example, five cars from different addresses at different times of the year. Another option to acquire a discount is to find a company, like Tempus Logix, that offers a price reduction to its returning customers, college students, or military personnel.