The transport of a 2018 Hyundai Tucson from Adamsburg, PA to Newark, NJ was recently completed. This delivery was done in an open trailer, and the distance covered was 340 miles, at a total cost of $550.00 or $1.62 per mile.
At the time of pick-up, the vehicle was fully operational. The picture seen above this text is the pickup condition picture that was captured at pick-up. It is important to understand what the picture represents.
The route
The 340 mile journey from Adamsburg to Newark involves traveling west to east across Pennsylvania.
Adamsburg is located in Westmoreland County, east of Pittsburgh and near Greensburg. Travelers will take the Pennsylvania Turnpike traveling east, passing over the Allegheny ridges from Somerset to Bedford.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike carries travelers further to Harrisburg, where they merge onto the I-78 going east towards Allentown, through the Lehigh Valley into New Jersey.
Newark is located at the eastern end of that corridor. Since we have discussed the New York metro area previously, the last few miles can be the toughest part of the entire trip.
What the pickup condition photo is
All our deliveries create images at the point of pick-up. These are stamped with the time and place and attached to the order form. Most people see them and forget about them. They deserve more than that.
The images are the graphical half of the condition report. While the Bill of Lading documents the damages in writing, the pictures document them visually, in a way that cannot be disputed at any later stage. Taken together, the two documents prove what the car looked like when it was delivered.
The stamp is as important as the picture itself. When the date, time, and location appear right in the picture, it is clear that the photo could not have been taken yesterday or anywhere else. In the case of this particular delivery, the line says 9/1/2026, Adamsburg, PA 15611.
Pay attention to the surroundings rather than just to the car itself. The picture of this Tucson clearly shows the industrial area where the car was picked up: gravel ground, wheel loader, other cars and equipment. It means that this was not a residential street but a business premises with space for maneuvering.
Everything that happens to your vehicle needs to be documented. The use of machinery for moving your car in the yard, this will be noted. Presence of machinery in a picture does not mean the presence of machinery that moved your car, and this should be made clear in the documentation.
Review them right away, and not after delivery. If there is anything in the pictures that you do not expect, this is the time to raise it, while the car is still close to its place of origin.
Also make some of your own. Our pictures are taken by the driver during pickup. Your pictures are taken before the arrival of the truck and document the period from the last time you saw your car and till the arrival of the carrier.
What $1.62 per mile reflects
One factor stands out.
It is Distance. With a distance of 340 miles, this is one of our shortest distances and hence very costly on a per mile basis. The cost incurred by the haulage company in terms of pickup, loading, coordination, and delivery does not change whether it’s a 340 or 2600 mile trip, and thus, with such a small distance, those costs become the dominant factors and add up to $550.00.
Corridor is straight-forward. The Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-78 are well established freight highways and Newark is a big market, so carrier availability is not an issue.
Vehicle is neutral. A compact SUV occupies one single unit position.
Open transport
The Tucson was shipped in an open trailer, as the majority of vehicles shipped in this country are.
It is a factory-finished compact SUV with a clear coat, and on a 340-mile drive, the enclosed rate would be money wasted on a coating this vehicle doesn’t need.
Ground clearance was never a consideration. The Tucson was high enough off the ground that ramp angle was never an issue. The securing of the vehicle utilized soft restraints over the tires instead of chains over the suspension.
Transport summary
- Origin: Adamsburg, PA 15611
- Destination: Newark, NJ 07104
- Distance: 340 miles
- Service cost: $550.00
- Cost per mile: $1.62
- Vehicle: 2018 Hyundai Tucson
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Adamsburg, PA → Pennsylvania Turnpike east through Somerset and Bedford → Harrisburg → I-78 east through Allentown → Lehigh Valley → Newark, NJ
