Shipping a car is a big investment, whether you’re moving for a job, shipping a car to a family member, or buying a car from out of state. The cost to ship your car varies greatly, depending on a number of factors, such as how you’ll be transporting your car and when you want to ship it.
In this article, we offer up what are arguably the most important aspects of car shipping prices. However, we will talk about how the type and size of your vehicle, the distance of transport, the pickup and delivery locations and the type of transport you wish (open or enclosed) will all contribute to the cost. We’ll also be taking a look at how seasonality, fuel prices, vehicle condition and your flexibility in scheduling can all affect pricing. And in the final part, we’ll introduce you to how you can use uShip’s platform and see what quotes you can get, and how you can book the best rates.
Knowing these pricing factors will help you plan a car shipment within your budget. It helps you decide when and how to ship your vehicle in a way that is both cost and convenience efficient. When you know what affects pricing, you can adjust certain variables to save money and avoid being surprised.
Top Factors That Affect Car Shipping Prices
There are many factors that affect shipping costs, and some you can control to save money.
Vehicle Type and Size
The largest and the biggest influence on your shipping cost are size and type of vehicle. Heavier larger vehicles like SUVs, trucks and vans take up more space on a carrier, and are therefore more expensive to transport. For example, shipping a compact sedan tends to cost less than shipping an SUV because the sedan is smaller and weighs less than the SUV.
Now it isn’t just size that matters; the make and model of your vehicle makes a difference too. As with all transport, luxury or high end vehicles will come at a higher cost, particularly if an enclosed carrier option is chosen to provide an additional layer of protection during transit. For example, a Toyota Corolla will generally cost less to ship than a luxury Porsche or an oversized Ford F-150 because of size, weight and value.
Distance of Transport
There are other primary factors such as distance that affect th shipping costs. The longer the distance between the pickup and delivery locations the higher the cost; however, longer distances result in lower cost per mile, so cross country transport can sometimes be a cheaper per mile than a shorter trip.
For example:
For distances less than 500 miles, the per mile cost can be as low as $1 or as high as $2.
For long trips, this rate might be around $0.60 to $1 per mile, or even less per mile, for trips between 1,000 miles and more. Knowing what your cost per mile is going to be on the specific route you’re choosing helps you get a better grasp of overall cost and what you can budget for.
Pick Up and Delivery Locations
The larger network of available carriers makes locations in urban areas more affordable for car shipping.. However, rural or less accessible locations could mean higher costs due to fewer carriers traveling those routes or that reaching such remote areas demands more fuel and time.
Urban vs. Rural Areas
If you are wishing to ship a vehicle to a major city like Los Angeles or New York then this will be more economical than shipping a vehicle to a small rural town in Montana. The reason for this is carriers are often set up to move cargo over the high traffic routes, and so rates are lower for urban locations.
Popular Routes vs. Less-Traveled Routes
Because high demand and carrier availability drive up competition on high traffic routes—the likes of which might run between two large cities, for example—the pricing on those routes is typically more competitive. For example, shipping from Miami to Atlanta is cheaper than from Boise, Idaho, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota; that’s less common.
Open vs. Enclosed Transport Type
Open or enclosed – the type of transport you choose will impact not only cost but the level of protection for your vehicle.
- Open Transport: Enclosed shipping is by far the most expensive option of transport, and it’ll cost you anywhere from 30-50% more than open transport. While vehicles on open carriers are exposed to the weather, road debris and other elements, open transport is often safe, and is widely used for standard vehicles.
- Enclosed Transport: An enclosed transport is a very premium option, as it protects vehicles in a fully enclosed trailer. It’s perfect for luxury, antique or high value cars. And though enclosed transport is more expensive because of its restrictiveness and protection, it is available less often.
Seasonality and Timing
Car shipping demand and pricing depend on the time of year. Demand picks up on certain seasons, which drives up costs, and reduces carrier availability.
- Summer and Winter Peaks: Car shipping is at peak season during summer as people move, or go for vacation and, accordingly, demand and prices are higher. Holiday moves and difficult weather in many areas also drive up winter costs. Shipping in January may be more expensive in northern regions because of delays caused by snow and ice.
- Snowbird Season: These popular routes also lead to higher prices during snowbird season (when retirees move between northern and southern states in the fall and spring). The routes that are seeing the greatest demand spikes are in states where snowbirds migrate: New York to Florida, for example.
Fuel Prices
Shipping costs are directly tied to changing fuel prices, as fuel prices change so do shipping costs. Carriers then will pass on this increase to customers by raising shipping costs when fuel prices go up. For instance, let’s imagine that gas prices go up dramatically; in this case, you’ll see a price hike in your shipping quote. Seeing fuel trends can help you know when these cost fluctuations and budgeting may occur.
Vehicle Condition
Shipping cost of vehicle is dependent on their operational condition. Special handling equipment is needed when transporting a non-operational vehicle, and therefore transport is generally more expensive.
Operational vs. Non-Operational Vehicles
This keeps costs low as operational vehicles are easier to load and unload. However, non operational cars that cannot run on and off the carrier will need things like winches or lifts. The extra labor and equipment however, add on to shipping costs of non operational vehicles.
Expedited Shipping Needs
Expedited shipping is an option that could get your vehicle to you quickly, but it’s expensive. Expedited shipping guarantees your shipment in a faster way. If you’re working with a tight schedule, this service is perfect but it’s a more expensive option than standard shipping. Let’s say you want to ship a car from one city to another in three days, instead of a week, and expedited shipping is your best option but it will cost you.
Additional Factors That Can Influence Shipping Costs
Other factors besides the core ones can also affect car shipping prices. Let’s understand:
Insurance Coverage
Many carriers include basic insurance in their shipping quotes but you may choose to add on additional coverage for better peace of mind, particularly if you are shipping high value vehicles. It will raise your shipping costs but provides extra insurance in the event something goes wrong during transit.
Pickup and Delivery Flexibility
If you’re flexible with your dates of pickup and delivery, then it can help you cut down shipping costs. However, if you can allow for a little broader time window, carriers can find a way to fit your vehicle into their existing schedules and therefore often lead to savings. However, if you are looking for your car picked up or delivered on a particular date, it becomes costlier due to scheduling constraints.
Seasonal Demand Peaks
There are certain times of year that have specific demand peaks, such as college move-in and move-out days, military PCS (Permanent Change of Station) season and snowbird migration. The more of these events that occur, the more car shipping demand, and the higher the price. For example, car shipping rates tend to go up in August as college students make the trek from their homes to their campuses throughout the country. Carrier pricing and availability are also dictated similarly during the military PCS season in summer.
Shipping between Terminals vs. shipping from Door to Door
There are two types of car shipping services—terminal to terminal and door to door—and each of these different ways of shipping cars will affect the price and convenience.
- Terminal-to-Terminal: It requires you to drop off and pick up your vehicle at a specific (and usually big) terminal. This is generally cheaper because it saves service carriers time and distance they have to travel. But it might not be as appealing, particularly if terminals are a distance away from where you’re picking up or dropping off.
- Door-to-Door: The advantage of door to door shipping is the convenience of pickup and delivery at the specified address. This service is also more expensive since carriers have to reach specific places that are less accessible. Although the cost is higher, door to door shipping is good for anyone who wants a hassle free experience.
How to Find the Best Car Shipping Prices on uShip
Find the best car shipping rates by comparing multiple carriers and accessing real time pricing info with a powerful uShip platform.
Using uShip’s Quote Comparison Feature
With uShip, you can compare quotes from providers operating throughout the US all at once and find the best priced option. You will input your shipment details to get quotes from carriers competing to work on your business, and can choose the best trade-off between price and timing; uShip’s comparison tool saves you time and guarantees you get competitive rates.
Real-Time Pricing Insights
With uShip, you will know real time pricing and price per different factors like distance, transport type and timing. It helps in making an informed decision as you can see how you weight the element in pricing. It provides real time updates so you know if fuel prices go up or down or if there’s seasonal demand, so that you can get the lowest possible rate.
Finally, understanding the different factors that play a role in car shipping price takes away the anxiety of not knowing what to do about car shipping. uShip has tools that will show you competitive quotes and the least expensive and most convenient way to ship. Whether you’re shipping during peak season or when costs are at a low, all you need to know is these factors before you ship your automobile.
