Shipping a 2018 Cadillac CTS from Houston, TX to Fort Bragg, NC

Recently, we completed the shipment of a 2018 Cadillac CTS from Houston, TX to Fort Bragg, NC. This delivery took place over a distance of 1,188 miles via an enclosed trailer, and the price for the transportation was $1,697.00 or $1.43 per mile.

The vehicle in question was running when picked up and driven onto the deck by itself. One interesting fact about this shipment is the place of delivery. Transport to a military base is different from transport to a home, and this is the whole point of the business.

The route

The journey covering 1,188 miles between Houston and Fort Bragg goes through the Gulf South region and up through the Carolinas.

The 77041 region is found on the northwest side of downtown Houston and motorists take the beltway 8 to get to I-10 east. The interstate highway moves through Beaumont and enters Louisiana at Orange before heading through Lafayette to Baton Rouge.

From Baton Rouge, motorists use I-12 east to Slidell and take the north I-59 to Meridian via Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Then, motorists head east through I-20 via Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama before getting to Atlanta.

From Atlanta, motorists drive east through I-20 via Augusta into South Carolina where it stops at Columbia. The remaining journey goes through US-1 via Camden and Cheraw and Rockingham into North Carolina to Fayetteville. The All American Freeway heads into Fort Bragg.

Delivering to a military installation

The base delivery gives an additional dimension which the residential one lacks, and it is the place where shipments fail once the broker has never worked in this area before.

A driver cannot just arrive at the post office. To access a military facility, it is necessary to have certain documents which the driver does not have. Sometimes commercial drivers can get visitor passes, but it depends on the installation and current force protection conditions. This fact should not be taken for granted.

In practice, the solution becomes quite simple. We arrange delivery to an off-post point, where the service member would come to meet the driver. Usually, we use a large commercial lot near Fayetteville. The service member will just need to cover some distance, but the whole risk will be avoided.

The deployment and duty schedules are not negotiable. If a civilian client does not make their delivery during a window period, then they reschedule the time. It is not possible for a military person in the field or on a training rotation to do that.

When it comes to a PCS move, there is usually a firm deadline. A report date is not a suggestion; it is mandatory. If the client tells us that the vehicle needs to be moved prior to a certain date, then that influences the carriers that are available to us.

Our military discount

Tempus Logix also provides a military discount that ranges up to 10%, applicable to active military personnel and veterans and their families.

Bring it up during the quote request process instead of waiting until after you book. It’s simpler to incorporate upfront, and the team member assigned to coordinate your file will include it in the price you’re using to compare other providers.

We handle a lot of PCS and permanent moves for military personnel. Your orders might take you to or from Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, or any other destination. But the coordination around your report dates is nothing out of the ordinary.

What $1.43 per mile reflects

There are two main factors underlying this figure.

Enclosed transport is the first factor. Enclosed transport is less efficient than open transport both in terms of the number of cars per trip and cost of transportation. Premium is applied on each enclosed trip without regard for its distance.

The second factor is distance, which is favorable to the customer in this case. With distance of 1,188 miles the fixed costs of pick-up, loading, securing, coordinating, and delivering are distributed among quite a large number of miles traveled. In case of a 350-mile enclosed run the fixed costs mentioned above are distributed among fewer miles, increasing the rate per mile above $2.40.

Also the lane is in favor of the customer. Houston to the Carolinas through Atlanta uses some of the busiest freight lanes in the Southeastern part of the country.

Enclosed transport

Enclosed was chosen for the upkeep of a luxury sedan, something that’s a regular order when it comes to a car one wants to retain.

The trailer sides catch all the mud and rocks from 1,188 miles of Gulf South and Carolina road. The car remains clean, which is more noticeable on a dark sedan than many would think.

Securing the load was not difficult. Instead of chains, soft straps were used over the tires and because the car worked properly, it could be placed using it’s own wheels. As the CTS stands at normal sedan ride height, no ramp angle ever came up.

Transport summary

• Origin: Houston, TX 77041

• Destination: Fort Bragg, NC 28307

• Distance: 1,188 miles

• Service cost: $1,697.00

• Cost per mile: $1.43

• Vehicle: 2018 Cadillac CTS

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Route: Houston, TX → I-10 east through Beaumont and Lafayette → Baton Rouge, LA → I-12 east → I-59 north through Hattiesburg to Meridian, MS → I-20 east through Birmingham and Atlanta → Augusta, GA → Columbia, SC → US-1 north through Camden and Rockingham → Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, NC

Shipping a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban from Carlsbad, CA to Orange Beach, AL

We recently completed a move of a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban that originated in Carlsbad, CA and terminated in Orange Beach, AL. The distance between the two locations was 2,017 miles with the cost being $2,459.00 for a total of $1.22 per mile.

The Suburban was in operating condition when it was picked up and was driven by the driver up the ramp using its own power. This particular booking differs from most others because of the vehicle that will be moved. The SUV is one of the largest vehicles we will load on our trailer.

The route

The 2,017-mile trip from Carlsbad to Orange Beach traverses the southern part of the United States from coast to coast – from the Pacific to the Gulf.

The city of Carlsbad is located near the coast, north of San Diego; therefore, motorists use I-5 to the south, after which CA-78 or I-8 are taken east to cross the coastal mountains. I-8 takes over the task across the Imperial Valley and Yuma, passing into Arizona, where it meets I-10 at Casa Grande.

Further on, the task is performed by the I-10. It moves east through Tucson and New Mexico past Las Cruces, to El Paso, Texas. From here begins the long section of Texas, passing through Fort Stockton, San Antonio, Houston, to Orange, Louisiana.

Further I-10 goes through Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans to cross into Mississippi through the Gulf coast along Biloxi. In Mobile, Alabama, the trip turns southward on AL-59, passing through Baldwin County peninsula to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Shipping a full-size SUV

The Suburban is one of the heaviest automobiles that continue to travel on an automobile trailer and it counts for much more than what the average buyer realizes.

Firstly, let us look at the statistics. The 2021 Suburban is estimated at roughly 5,800 pounds and a length of over 225 inches. It is also more than a foot longer than the Tahoe, which is the same model but with a shorter wheelbase, and almost four feet longer than a smaller automobile.

The length and weight limitations of a nine-automobile trailer are not changeable according to the Federal Axle rules. Not only does it occupy two slots but also occupies more due to its weight, which limits the weight capacity of other parts of the trailer deck. The driver needs to plan the loading of such an automobile.

The other one is height. The Suburban is around 75 inches tall and this affects where the vehicle can travel. For example, on a double-decker transport carrier, the upper deck will have less space to accommodate an oversized vehicle and thus it will only fit on the lower deck. None of the above is an issue, but that is the reason we ensure we know the model of the vehicle and not the manufacturer when placing the order.

What $1.22 per mile reflects

There are two conflicting forces here that must be reconciled.

Distance favors the customer. For 2,017 miles, the fixed cost associated with pickup, loading, securing, coordinating, and delivering is divided among many miles traveled. This cost does not vary greatly from job to job; the more miles involved, the lower the average per-mile charge becomes.

Vehicle size takes it the opposite direction. A carrier hauling nine cars on its trailer charges nine fares. Hauling a Suburban cuts into space available for vehicles to a significant degree, so the extra fare charged covers this loss of capacity. The premium charge holds true for any full-size SUV, truck, or van regardless of the route taken.

The route is favorable. Interstate 10 between Southern California and the Gulf Coast is one of the most reliable routes in the nation; it is constantly trafficked both ways. There was no issue of capacity at play here with this job.

By contrast, a standard-sized vehicle traveling this exact same route in this exact same trailer would be far less expensive.

Open transport

Suburban was towed via an open trailer. It’s a modern vehicle and does not require the protection of an enclosed trailer that classic and exotic vehicles do.

This type of trailer is also more practical for this type of towing because of the restrictions in length and interior height on the enclosed trailer that would fit such a vehicle. And it cost additional dollars for all those extra miles.

Ground clearance was not an issue because the Suburban is raised and therefore the angle of ramps was never a consideration for either side of the load/unload process.

Transport summary

• Origin: Carlsbad, CA 92008

• Destination: Orange Beach, AL 36561

• Distance: 2,017 miles

• Service cost: $2,459.00

• Cost per mile: $1.22

• Vehicle: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Open

• Route: Carlsbad, CA → I-8 east through the Imperial Valley and Yuma → I-10 east through Tucson, Las Cruces and El Paso → San Antonio and Houston, TX → Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA → Biloxi, MS → Mobile, AL → AL-59 south → Orange Beach, AL

Shipping a 1956 Ford F-100 from Montana to Michigan

Recently, we have finished the transportation of 1956 Ford F-100 truck from Missoula, MT to Livonia, MI. The distance of this shipment was 1,870 miles in an enclosed trailer and the cost amounted to $2,931.00, that is $1.57 per mile.

The car was operational when we received it and it was driven on board by itself. There were two factors influencing the pricing for this shipment. First of all, this truck is seventy years old and secondly, it started its journey in western Montana that is far off from the regular routes of enclosed carriers.

The route

It is an 1,870-mile drive that travels through the northern Rocky Mountains, the plains, and the Great Lakes region.

Located in Western Montana along the I-90 highway, Missoula is the starting point for this journey; in addition, the highway plays a major part in this journey. Drivers travel eastwards across the Continental Divide at Homestake Pass, pass Bozeman and Billings until they get to Sheridan, Wyoming.

From here, the drivers continue with the Interstate 90 until they get to Gillette, then enter South Dakota, where they pass Rapid City, the Badlands, and Sioux Falls; the highway then touches southern Minnesota and enters Wisconsin through Madison, where they reach Chicago, which is located at the southern end of Lake Michigan.

The final stage of this journey sees the Interstate 94 moving eastward around Lake Michigan through Gary, Indiana, through Southern Michigan via Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. Livonia is located in the western area of Wayne County in Detroit, Michigan.

Shipping a seventy-year-old truck

An F-100 built in 1956 is very different from an F-150 built today, and the distinctions come in small packages.

First there’s the driveline. The truck is operational, and that’s what it means when we say “operational” on the order, but a car seventy years old being operational is different from a car built today being operational. Old fuel systems have a tendency to vapor lock. Carbs flood. Points and condensers are selective about their timing. We tell the customer to expect a driver to start this classic car twice – once when picking it up and once when delivering it. And that’s exactly what happened with this vehicle.

Next the brakes. An F-100 built in 1956 came out of the factory with four wheel drums and no power assist. Why does it matter? Because when a driver needs to position a vehicle in a trailer, the ability to brake precisely at low speeds is crucial. Drum brakes on a seventy-year-old truck mean more pedal pressure and more stopping distance.

The weight is about 3,300 pounds – lightweight for a pickup, at least in terms of today’s standards. A lighter truck will feel more affected by movements of the trailer, and therefore the securement will be inspected more frequently during a long-distance drive.

The next point is the tie-downs. Today’s trucks are designed with proper tie-down points as an integral part of the vehicle frame; however, a truck built in 1956 was not. The frame of the vehicle is sturdy, but tie-down points are based on experience and not listed in manuals, and soft straps over the tires eliminate that issue completely.

What $1.57 per mile reflects

There are three underlying elements here.

The first one is enclosure. Enclosed trailers haul less trucks per trip, cost more, and form a smaller percentage of the fleet. This premium applies to all enclosed trips.

Second, there is the source. Missoula is a real constraint. The West of Montana has a fraction of the traffic the metropolitan area has, and enclosed haulers are specialized in hauling trucks from big cities to big cities. The truck must be either deadheading to Missoula, or it needs another load in the area to make the trip economical. And those miles will be factored into the price.

Finally, there is distance. In this case, it plays against the price. When the distance is 1,870 miles, the fixed costs of the haul (pickup, loading, securing, and delivery) fall on many miles. On a 350-mile trip, the very same costs will fall on fewer miles, making the cost of haul exceed $2.40 per mile.

Enclosed transport

There really wasn’t any other open option worth talking about in this case. Here you go for the standard on any old vehicle, and the path ends the discussion.

I-90 that goes from Montana to Wyoming to South Dakota is located in mountainous terrain, where the weather can be very changeable all year round. In addition to all this, gravel, road spray, and hailstones will fall onto the open bed unimpeded, as far as more than a thousand miles. Seventy-year-old paint and chrome will not withstand that the same way as a fresh clear coat will.

Here chrome is particularly important when it comes to a vehicle of such type. It is known that the grille, bumpers, and trim of a restored F-100 account for a considerable part of its value.

Transport summary

• Origin: Missoula, MT 59808

• Destination: Livonia, MI 48152

• Distance: 1,870 miles

• Service cost: $2,931.00

• Cost per mile: $1.57

• Vehicle: 1956 Ford F-100

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Route: Missoula, MT → I-90 east over Homestake Pass through Bozeman and Billings → Sheridan and Gillette, WY → Rapid City and Sioux Falls, SD → Madison, WI → Chicago, IL → I-94 east through Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor → Livonia, MI

Shipping a 2013 Lexus LS 460L AWD from Colorado to Illinois

We have just finished the transport of the 2013 Lexus LS 460L AWD from Commerce City, CO to Elgin, IL. The route totaled 957 miles on an open trailer for $950.00, or $0.99 per mile.

The car was driveable at the pick-up point and was driven onto the trailer under its own power. There is not much cleaner than this for a load booking. It is a driveable car, standard trailer, and metro-to-metro on the most popular route in the country.

The route

The 957 miles journey from Commerce City to Elgin passes over the high plains and the corn belt region in a straight easterly line.

Commerce City is located to the northeast of Denver and thus the route starts from Denver and follows I-76 northeast towards Big Springs, Nebraska, passing through Fort Morgan and Sterling along the way. Here, I-76 joins I-80.

The next leg of the journey involves following I-80 all the way to Illinois. I-80 takes us to Omaha via North Platte, Kearney, Lincoln and the Missouri River into Iowa and then we travel to Des Moines, Iowa City and the Quad Cities.

Finally, at the border with Illinois, we turn into I-88 that leads us into Elgin through DeKalb via the Reagan Memorial Tollway. Elgin is located in Kane County in the eastern part of the corridor and hence the delivery would take place from either I-90 or Randall Road.

A straightforward booking

There is not always a complication to mention for each particular case. It may sound like a truism, but the fact is that the vast majority of case studies we analyze here have something special to focus on.

The car started without any problem, which means that its loading did not take hours but a few minutes, as the winch was not needed. The vehicle has the average sedan size, which means that the angle of the ramp was not an issue. Denver and Chicago are the important freight centers, which meant that there were no problems finding the appropriate carrier for these routes. The customer decided on the open transport as a type of transport service, which is the most common choice for such vehicles.

LS 460L stands for the long wheelbase model, which means that it is about five inches longer than the standard model. The carrier knows this difference when preparing the deck for the vehicle, as there is the limited size of the trailer able to carry up to nine cars at a time.

What a dollar a mile looks like

The numbers are the same as usual; the pickup and loading cost a trucking company roughly the same regardless of the job, as do securement, coordination, and delivery – the fixed expenses. Fuel consumption, time, and tolls increase according to the length of the route. With the length being 957 miles, the fixed portion will have enough distance to share to become insignificant but not enough to be non-existent.

Compare it to a route of 350 miles costing well above $2 per mile, or a coast-to-coast open trailer move for 65 cents per mile. The same costs but a different quantity of the road to divide it by.

Also, the corridor plays a role in this; Denver to Chicago is a regular lane running in both directions and I-80 is one of the major corridors for transcontinental freight transportations within the northern part of the country. Here, capacity was not the issue.

Open transport

The Lexus was loaded onto an open trailer. Yes, the vehicle is in good condition and can be considered luxurious, but it is just a regular car and does not require services offered by enclosed trailers to classics and exotics.

The cost difference is significant too. Open trailers haul more vehicles per trip and operate many more times than enclosed trailers, and this difference is clearly seen in all quotes we get. If you choose enclosed trailers for this very route, the difference will be noticeable.

Ground clearance was never a problem too. The LS rides at normal sedan height, and this allowed quick loading and unloading at any end of the journey.

Transport summary

• Origin: Commerce City, CO 80022

• Destination: Elgin, IL 60124

• Distance: 957 miles

• Service cost: $950.00

• Cost per mile: $0.99

• Vehicle: 2013 Lexus LS 460L AWD

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Open

• Route: Commerce City, CO → I-76 northeast through Fort Morgan and Sterling → I-80 east at Big Springs, NE through North Platte, Lincoln and Omaha → Des Moines and Iowa City, IA → I-88 east through DeKalb → Elgin, IL

Shipping a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette from Michigan to Texas

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

Shipping a 1972 Lotus Elan from Bend, OR to Sussex, WI

Recently, we concluded the transportation of a 1972 Lotus Elan that traveled from Bend, Oregon to Sussex, Wisconsin. The transportation took place in an enclosed trailer and covered a distance of 2,032 miles. The cost of transportation was $2,259.00 or $1.11 per mile. Our client is a military serviceman, thus, we provided him with a $50 discount on the order.

The Elan was driveable when picked up. Moreover, the vehicle is older than 50 years and weighs almost as much as a half of a motorbike. These three factors influenced all the decisions regarding the shipment.

The route

It is a distance of 2,032 miles from Bend to Sussex. The road passes through the high desert region, the Rockies, and the plains regions before terminating in Milwaukee suburbs.

Bend is located in central Oregon far from any interstate highway. Cars follow US-20 eastbound from Bend through the high desert to Ontario where the road will meet I-84.

Further, I-84 passes southeast of Boise, Twin Falls in Idaho, and Ogden in Utah. From Echo Junction, I-80 is followed eastbound all the way to Ogden before taking I-80 again until North Platte. In Wyoming, it passes Rock Springs and Cheyenne. It further heads to Nebraska passing North Platte and Omaha.

In Nebraska, it passes Omaha before joining I-80 again at Sioux City and continues eastbound to Des Moines and Davenport in Iowa. I-80 ends at Moline near the Quad Cities when the driver will join I-88 leading to Chicago and then I-90 heading north to Milwaukee.

Shipping a 1972 classic

Classic cars do not travel the same way as new cars. A perfect example of such a car is the Lotus Elan.

To start with, weight is an important aspect. A Lotus Elan has about 1500 pounds. This is about one-third of the Range Rover Sport that was transported recently. Lighter things are usually easier, but this makes the car more sensitive to trailer movement hence making the loading process more intensive.

Then there is the body. The Elan body is made of fiberglass that is mounted on top of a steel backbone chassis. Fiberglass cannot dent, it can only crack. There is no flex in fiberglass, which makes all strap and tie-downs impossible, another reason the car will never travel open.

Finally, age of the vehicle is a consideration. Fifty-year-old car has fifty-year-old rubber, wiring, and seals. A well-maintained car could also leak and have problems starting especially when cold. We advise the customers to expect the driver to treat a classic as gentle as possible once it has been loaded, which is exactly what happened here.

Enclosed transport

The choice was always going to be a closed one here. Enclosed you’ll find the only reasonable method of transporting this vehicle given its age and its value, and the route speaks for itself.

It goes through high desert country and up over Wyoming, down across the plains. Dust and mud and hail come in unimpeded into a fully exposed trailer bed, as well as whatever else Mother Nature dishes out at seven thousand feet above sea level. Fiberglass and paint work very differently to a modern clearcoat finish after being assaulted like that.

The Elan is also a low-riding vehicle, but not as much so as a contemporary sports car. This means it rode with soft straps over the tires instead of chains over the suspension to avoid any weight on a chassis it wasn’t meant to carry.

The military discount

A military discount worth $50 was used in this reservation. The offer is open to all service men and women, active or retired and their families regardless of whether the move will be a PCS, a personal one, or a collector’s car moving to a new location.

Something that you can discuss during the quotation request rather than after making the reservation as it is easy to include at the beginning.

Transport summary

• Origin: Bend, OR 97701

• Destination: Sussex, WI 53089

• Distance: 2,032 miles

• Service cost: $2,259.00 after a $50 military discount

• Cost per mile: $1.11

• Vehicle: 1972 Lotus Elan

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Route: Bend, OR → US-20 east through Burns to Ontario → I-84 southeast through Boise and Twin Falls → Ogden, UT → I-80 east through Rock Springs, Cheyenne, Omaha and Des Moines → I-88 east → I-90 north to Milwaukee → Sussex, WI

Shipping a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette from Tempe, AZ to San Diego, CA

We recently finished transporting a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette from Tempe, Arizona, to San Diego, California, and the trip involved 358 miles of travel via a covered trailer, at a price of $867.00, for $2.42 per mile.

The Corvette was operational when picked up, and the client packed personal belongings, not exceeding 100 pounds of weight. This rate per mile is the highest that we have reported recently, but it is important to explain why, and that’s due to the small distance and not anything special about the vehicle.

The route

The 575-mile trip from Tempe to San Diego goes through the Sonoran Desert from the Phoenix metropolitan area all the way down to the Pacific Ocean.

The journey starts at Tempe, taking I-10 west towards Phoenix, and then turning to AZ-85 south from Buckeye to Gila Bend. From there, I-8 west takes care of the job.

I-8 is used for traveling the long desert portion to Yuma and entering California via the Colorado River. The road further travels to El Centro, Imperial Valley, and climbs up In-Ko-Pah Gorge through Laguna Mountains, which is the only piece of terrain encountered on the route, going from sea level up to 4,000 feet and down to East County San Diego.

The 92120 region is located in the Grantville/Del Cerro part of San Diego; thus, the truck arrives right at the door via I-8.

Why a short enclosed run costs this much per mile

That seems high at $2.42 per mile compared to a cross-country trip at 65 cents per mile. Both figures are standard but they are not the same.

The cost for a carrier has two categories: the first one is fixed (includes pickup, loading, securement, coordination and delivery). These expenses do not change according to the mileage; the fuel consumption, driver time and tolls depend on the mileage of the route.

In case of long haul, the fixed part is diluted on several thousand miles and virtually disappears from the per-mile calculation. In case of 358 miles, there is very little distance to divide these expenses and they make up a large part of the cost. $867.00 is the number that really matters for the client.

The enclosed transport increases the costs in addition to that. The enclosed trailers load less cars and constitute less of the total fleet.

Loading a low-clearance car

The Corvette has about a four-and-a-half inch ground clearance. The standard trailer ramp has a slope which exceeds the ground clearance; the splitter hits the ramp before the wheels do and catches up on the break.

Professional carriers of sports cars get around the problem with equipment. A hydraulic liftgate lifts the car to the same height as the deck and eliminates the ramp slope altogether. In cases where a liftgate is not an option, extra or stackable ramps reduce the slope sufficiently to allow clearance.

Wheel strapping is the solution for securing the vehicle in this case. The wheel straps are placed over the tires and not chains on the control arm; there is no load on the suspension system. The loading process in this case was quite simple because the car started and could be driven into position.

Personal items

Personal belongings were transported in the car, and the total weight was below 100 pounds, and it does not incur any additional cost.

It all comes down to some basic regulations. The items should be put into the trunk, beneath the window line. They need to be secured so that there will be no shifting during the trip. No items on the seats and nothing that could obstruct the view of the driver when loading. The space in a Corvette is restricted anyway, so usually, it is the weight that limits the transport capacity.

And the last thing to mention is that personal belongings are not covered by the cargo insurance policy of the carrier. It only covers the vehicle.

Transport summary

• Origin: Tempe, AZ 85280

• Destination: San Diego, CA 92120

• Distance: 358 miles

• Service cost: $867.00

• Cost per mile: $2.42

• Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Corvette

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Personal items: Under 100 pounds, no surcharge

• Route: Tempe, AZ → I-10 west through Phoenix → AZ-85 south at Buckeye → Gila Bend → I-8 west past Yuma, El Centro and the In-Ko-Pah Gorge → San Diego, CA

Shipping a 2022 Tesla Model S from Modesto, CA to Wyncote, PA

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

Shipping a 2018 Chevrolet Corvette from La Grange, KY to Henderson, NV

A recent shipment included the transportation of a 2018 Chevy Corvette from La Grange, Kentucky, to Henderson, Nevada. The distance travelled was 1,886 miles using an enclosed trailer for a total charge of $1,941.00, equaling $1.03/mile.

The Corvette was road-worthy at pick-up time. However, it was shipped with more precaution than a standard vehicle due to the lowered ground clearance required to load a vehicle onto a deck. That is what is important to understand about this reservation.

The route

This 1,886 mile journey from La Grange to Henderson stretches across the country from the Ohio Valley to the Mojave’s edge.

Since La Grange is northeast of Louisville, the vehicle will have to travel south along the I-71 freeway and then pick up I-64 westwards. This I-64 freeway stretches all the way to St. Louis, where the vehicle joins I-44 southwest, going through Springfield, Missouri, and into Oklahoma City.

From Oklahoma City, the vehicle takes I-40 west. This is the interstate freeway that makes up most of the journey. It stretches across Amarillo, through New Mexico and over Albuquerque, then through Arizona via Flagstaff.

At Kingman, the journey switches to US-93 northwest, which climbs up the Colorado River via the Hoover Dam bypass, descending into the Las Vegas valley. Henderson is located at the southeast of the valley, so the vehicle travels to the destination on I-11 and I-215.

Loading a low-clearance car

The Corvette rides about four and a half inches from the ground. A standard trailer ramp is steeper than that clearance allows. It could mean the vehicle would catch the front splitter or damage the underside by driving it up the ramp like a regular sedan.

Carriers that transport sports cars use technology instead of techniques to avoid any potential problems. A liftgate will raise the vehicle at the level of the deck, completely eliminating the ramp angle. In case there is no liftgate available, extended ramps or race ramps can be used to make the approach flat.

The driver will position the low-riding car correctly. The upper deck of the enclosed trailer will always have a shallow approach compared to the lower deck. Thus, Corvettes are always loaded on the upper deck. The wheel straps are placed over the wheels, not the chains under the control arms.

Nothing here is out of the ordinary. It is routine for people who have been moving sports cars before. That is precisely why we always ask our customers about ground clearance in case of a performance car, not just assume it will fit.

What $1.03 per mile says about this run

A little above a dollar a mile is a good bid for an enclosed load, and distance is the reason.

Loading and pickup costs would be about the same for the carrier no matter what. Securing and coordination and delivery would all go down similar lines. In case of an enclosed haul that has to be done on a short route, the fixed costs fall on a few miles and increase the rate significantly. But the 1,886 mile distance means that the rate per mile decreases even though there is an extra charge for the type of trailer.

Lane also helps. Interstate-40 is one of the primary east-west routes, and there are regular enclosed trailer deliveries to Las Vegas. The limiting factor was not capacity.

Enclosed transport

Sports cars offer one of the clearest cases where enclosed transport is required. The Corvette sports car includes a front splitter and wide low profile tires along with paint that the owner sees every scratch on. All of those would be exposed to road debris and the weather over the entire 1,886 miles.

These walls shield them instead. The car arrives spotless because the alternative would be 1,886 miles of highway dust and any road debris that could be thrown up by vehicles ahead.

Enclosure solves the problem raised earlier of having a liftgate. Enclosed transporters specializing in sports cars are the most likely ones to have a liftgate.

Transport summary

• Origin: La Grange, KY 40031

• Destination: Henderson, NV 89012

• Distance: 1,886 miles

• Service cost: $1,941.00

• Cost per mile: $1.03

• Vehicle: 2018 Chevrolet Corvette

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Route: La Grange, KY → I-71 south → I-64 west to St. Louis → I-44 southwest through Springfield to Oklahoma City → I-40 west through Amarillo, Albuquerque and Flagstaff → US-93 northwest at Kingman → I-11 / I-215 → Henderson, NV

Shipping a 2026 Cadillac CT5 from Bemidji, MN to Houston, TX

Recently we completed transportation of a 2026 Cadillac CT5 from Bemidji, MN to Houston, TX. We transported it using an enclosed trailer over a distance of 1,392 miles, and the rate was $1,943.00, making it $1.40 per mile.

The car was operational when picked, so it was loaded by driving it through the ramp. There were two main factors that dictated this particular job. The first one was that the car went enclosed, and the second is that the pickup location was Bemidji, which is far away from any major carrier route.

The route

The 1,392 mile trek starts in Bemidji and travels directly south to Houston through the middle of America.

Bemidji lies in north central Minnesota, far away from any major interstate highway. The truck travels down US-71 from Bemidji, through Wadena and Willmar to get to the Interstate-94. From here, the truck takes I-94 south to the Twin Cities and switches onto I-35 south.

I-35 is the main carrier of the route from here. I-35 goes south through Des Moines, Iowa, and down through Kansas City, Kansas. In Oklahoma, I-35 travels through Oklahoma City before crossing into Texas at the Red River and continuing on to Dallas/Fort Worth.

In Dallas, the truck makes the switch over to I-45, traveling through Corsicana and Huntsville and reaching Houston. 77041 is an address on the west side of the city, therefore Beltway 8 is where the truck ends its journey.

Why the pickup location matters

Bemidji is about a three-hour drive from the Twin Cities, and even farther away from any freight traffic lanes. Most enclosed carriers transport loads between larger metros because that is where most of the volume comes from. It means there are fewer carriers that would pick up your freight on a route like this.

The cost reflects that as well. The carrier will either travel the extra distance up to Bemidji with an empty space, or wait for another load in the area to justify the extra distance traveled. Whatever the case, the deadhead needs to be accounted for somewhere.

The timeline is also different. Metro-to-metro loads can usually be found within two days or so. Loads that have to be picked up from a rural area can take longer, and an enclosed carrier limits the number even more. We inform our customers of that fact beforehand instead of providing an unrealistic time frame.

What $1.40 per mile reflects

Two things contribute to this number.

First, there is the issue of enclosed service. Enclosed trailers transport less volume per trip and cost more to purchase and operate. Moreover, their percentage in the fleet is much smaller. It does not depend on the route taken but affects every enclosed shipment.

Second, the place of origin plays an important role. Deadhead miles, which the pickup from Bemidji entails, add extra cost that would not have been incurred in the case of Minneapolis pickup. For the same enclosed metro-to-metro trip of comparable distance, the price would have been lower.

Distance helps to reduce the price per mile. With the distance being 1,392 miles, there will be many miles between the fixed costs of pickup, loading, securing, and delivering.

Enclosed transport

CT5 is a new vehicle, and this alone should be sufficient grounds to select the enclosed transport option. At this point, there is no paint wear, no rock chips on the hood, nothing that could make an owner indifferent to a brand-new car.

The enclosed trailer eliminates the risk of external damage. The walls shield from road splash, from the salt, gravel thrown up from the road surface by the traffic, not to mention weather effects on the way there, which is definitely important when the trip starts in northern Minnesota.

Securement procedure of the car in an enclosed trailer is standard. Soft straps around the tires rather than chains around the suspension so that nothing stresses the chassis and scratches the wheels. Transport loading was simple as the car had engine power and CT5 sits at typical sedan level.

Transport summary

• Origin: Bemidji, MN 56601

• Destination: Houston, TX 77041

• Distance: 1,392 miles

• Service cost: $1,943.00

• Cost per mile: $1.40

• Vehicle: 2026 Cadillac CT5

• Condition: Operable

• Trailer type: Enclosed

• Route: Bemidji, MN → US-71 south → I-94 southeast → I-35 south through Des Moines, Kansas City and Oklahoma City → Dallas, TX → I-45 south through Huntsville → Houston, TX