Hiring an auto transport company is more affordable than driving the vehicle to its new destination. Although transporting a car on a carrier can sound costly, it is not as expensive as you think, especially if you consider our top 8 money-saving tips for transporting vehicles in this article.
1. Smart Timing
Every business has a high season where orders and prices increase. The same applies to the car transportation industry, as the peak season from May to September significantly impacts the costs. In addition, the fall and spring seasons experience heavy traffic in the car shipping business.
Avoiding these peak seasons helps you avoid extra expenses. However, if you are locked into a specific season, try to book your shipment in advance, months before the desired date; you might save a little money.
2. Have Flexible Pickup and Drop-off Dates
Setting a schedule for your shipment is straightforward in every car transportation company. They offer the chance to choose the pickup and drop-off dates according to your convenience and availability. On the other hand, having a flexible schedule presents a cheaper option, as the carrier could offer you a discount for a different delivery date that is compatible with their plans.
3. Terminal to Terminal Transportation
It is easier if you let the carrier load your vehicle from a specific location and get it delivered to your desired destination without having to drive it yourself. This door-to-door service is expensive as it is comfortable; thus, if you do not mind driving the vehicle to and from the car transportation company’s site, ask for terminal-to-terminal transportation, as it saves you a lot of money.
However, try not to keep your vehicle long at the terminal, as most of them will charge you extra as a daily storage fee. In addition, not all terminals are highly secured; therefore, your vehicle could be subject to theft and vandalism.
4. Open Transporters are Cheaper
There are different types of car carriers, and each has its specifications, occasion, and disparate prices. If you are less interested in the perks they offer and more concerned about car transport costs, the open carrier is the right call for you. It does not offer much privacy and protection, but it does the job of transporting your vehicle from point A to point B.
Moreover, open car carriers are more common, and their availability is not a problem compared to closed transporters, where you will have to wait a long time to get a closed carrier.
5. Make Sure Your Vehicle is Running
When loading the vehicle on the carrier, the car is driven on trails carefully, then set in place and fixed with ropes and fixing hocks. Special tools and machinery are used to load and unload the vehicle if it is not operational. Thus, additional costs will be charged. Ensure your vehicle is running and maintained before the transportation to save some expenses and facilitate the car transportation process.
Read more about non running car shipping.
6. Ship Multiple Automobiles at Once
Contrary to expected, transporting more than one car at once is not that expensive because the carrier will not have to go to multiple locations or terminals, and you might get a great deal. So, if you own or purchase multiple cars, try to transport them all in one shipment to limit your expenses and get a reduced price.
7. Smaller is More Economical
The number of places on a transporter is limited and rounds depending on the vehicles. Big cars that occupy a lot of space can cost more money because they can take up the space of two normal-sized vehicles and are much heavier to transport.
On the other hand, small cars are lighter and could save space on the carrier, providing more room for extra cargo and saving the transporter the trouble of moving a heavy shipment. Therefore, it is cheaper to transport a small car as it saves the company one more place for another vehicle and needs less power to transport.
8. Enquire About Quotes
Although you are looking for an affordable solution regarding car transportation, do not rush to choose the lowest bid. When a quote is too good to be true, it is probably a scam; therefore, take your time researching the company and ask for reviews.
Moreover, enquire about the prices from different companies to fully understand the car shipping market.
Ultimately, it will not matter how cheap the transport was if your car was delivered dented, broken, or stolen. Ensure the quality and reputation of the company first, then reach out for possible discounts.
Tempus Logix offers a free car shipping calculator to estimate the quote for your transfer within seconds.
The Bottom Line
With our top 8 money-saving tips when transporting cars, you might not get your vehicle shipped for free, but we promise you will enjoy a remarkable decrease in the transportation bill.
Tempus Logix offers affordable auto transport services all over the United States. The company has already serviced tens of thousands of clients and collected over a thousand positive online reviews. No matter where you want to ship your car, Tempus Logix has the required trailers and professional teams to organize the entire process and deliver your vehicle safely and cost-efficiently.
