People always talk about gas prices when they are thinking about shipping their car to a new place. If you are paying for your things to be moved to your new home, then it is okay to wonder if gas price can affect the cost of shipping your car to your new home. It is wise to think about fuel prices when you are planning for your move but don’t be totally scared off by the cost of fuel at the time of your contract.
There are various factors that can go into the process of choosing the right price for a shipping job, and fuel costs are only one of the factors that are used to determine the rates that customers are offered. Other factors can also impact your shipping. Although fuel charges are always going to have something to say about the cost you are offered for your contract.
To learn more about how fuel prices can impact the cost of car shipping, you need to read on!
What Factors Are Used to Determine the Cost of Car Shipping?
Various factors can be involved in considerations when companies offer you a rate for transporting your car for you. You might not have realized that there are so many things that can impact the cost of your car’s relocation. Hence, why you should not see fuel as the only reason for the cost of your quote.
Fuel can be a big factor when there are significant hikes in fuel prices. Nevertheless, shipping rates and quotes are often more impacted by other factors that you might want to avoid. Some major factors will always impact the cost of your shipping quote, no matter what the cost of fuel. Knowing what makes a quote expensive helps you guess what the quote costs when fuel prices are also high.
The Season Can Have A Big Impact on the Cost Of Car Shipping
The weather can have a big impact on the cost of the shipping job that you are looking into. Trailers that are not entirely full combined with weather delays and increased fuel use to get over mountain passes that are not totally ideal for driving on can all come into play and drive up the cost of your quote. You will also need to remember that this is a riskier time to be relocating cars to new places, so some of the cost is likely going to go to an adjustment for expected claims costs related to winter driving.
The Trailer You Pick Can Also Increase Your Car Shipping Cost
The kind of trailer that you choose for your shipping job also impacts the cost of the job. You will have to pay more when you choose a fully enclosed trailer because there will likely not be many other cars on the trailer with yours. When you choose an open trailer, this will make your cost much less overall, no matter what season you are shipping your car during.
Car Shipping Costs can Increase Because of Distance
Very long trips are going to cost more than local hops from state to state regardless of the season. Shipping your car across the entire country will be cheaper than driving it yourself. Nevertheless, expect to pay more for the trip as just a few companies will drive across the country. This is a bigger endeavor for the drivers, thereby making it more expensive than a one or two days trip.
Type of Car Can Also Affect the Cost of Shipping
If you are shipping an exotic car or a classic car, work with a specialty carrier though it’ll cost you extra as these companies carry more insurance to help with costs if there is a need to file a claim for damages to your vehicle and this is a big factor in their increased costs. This is also a shipping arrangement that demands that you handle your car carefully and with extra skill.
How Much Does Fuel Impact Costs of Car Shipping?
The cost of fuel does come into play even if there has been a fuel cost hike in recent months. Seasonal changes in fuel costs are normal every year, and you will pay more during the peak travel season. Trailers that are not shared by many vehicles for a trip charge more for fuel per each customer as well.
When there is a big spike in fuel costs, this can be handed down to you as the customer, but you will feel these changes the most when the season is wrong for affordable car transportation and when you use a specialty carrier or an enclosed trailer. This is a complexity of considering fuel as a major factor for the increased costs that you might have quoted.
While big changes in fuel costs can be handed down to customers. When the trip is split many ways on a large trailer, you might not notice much of a difference. However, you will notice increased fuel charges and their impact on your quote when you are looking into an enclosed trailer or a small trailer that is not shared by many people. The season that you plan your trip has a bigger impact than fuel cost sometimes, but both considerations can lead to an expensive trip for you.
How Can I Help Offset Fuel Cost Hikes and Improve Car Shipping Cost?
You might be wondering how you can combat the increased cost of fuel that you have no control over. There are a few ways that you can actually improve your shipping quote. This might make the difference for you to offset fuel prices and how they are impacting your quote for the job. When you explore other options, you can almost always come up with a good solution to offset fuel charges.
Terminal to Terminal Car Shipping is the Best Way That You Can Offset Increased Fuel Costs
This is the best way that you can offset increased fuel costs. Terminal to terminal shipping requires you to drop off your car at a pick-up hub for the company. Then you will pick your car up at a terminal at the end of the trip. While this can be hard if you are not near a terminal, It will help to shave some costs. If you have a faulty car, this might not be an option for you. Nevertheless, still take your faulty car to the terminal location on a trailer and drop it off for loading.
Terminal to terminal drop-off and pick-up is cheaper for the shipping company because they do not have to send the truck around to lots of unique areas to drop off cars. This saves driver time and fuel. Cut costs off the trip by working with this shipping despite the small inconvenience it imposes on you. You might also find that this is a better fit for your needs if you are not happy about the idea of your car having to potentially be unloaded and then reloaded onto the trailer when other cars are dropped off.
This is not always an option for classic cars and for exotic vehicles, but you should always ask if you can use this option to save some money. This way, you can get a cheap transport job booked and deal with fuel costs impacting your shipping costs.
Catch a Partially Full Trailer to Reduce the Cost of Car Shipping
To save some money on a superb shipping job, ask if there are any trailers that are partially full. Then, you can get your car onto with short notice. These slots can be open for a much-reduced cost in some cases. If you are able to be flexible about pickup and delivery dates you can often save a lot of money.
This may mean that your vehicle will travel for a while before reaching you, but overall it’ll save you money. When you are willing to be less picky about the details of your trip. When you are about to send your trailer down the road, save yourself time and money by getting quotes beforehand. However, this may not be the best solution if you need your trailer until you move.
Wait For Better Dates to Save Money on Your Car Transport Job
If the quoted cost of your move is too high, ask about future dates that might be more favorable. This may mean leaving your car with friends or family for a shipping company to pick it up. It’s probably worth it if you’re worried about increased fuel costs impacting shipping costs. These future quotes may not be entirely accurate for fuel prices during your trip, but you will not be charged for additional fuel price changes that occur thereafter.
This is an easy way to save on your transportation job, but it may be more convenient for your needs. You can save money on your car transport job through other means if you can accept the inconvenience. If you have anyone who can help you out, you will get a better deal on your shipping job.
Fuel Prices Can Impact Car Shipping Quotes But so Do Other Factors
There are many factors and considerations that can impact the cost of your shipping quote. You should remember that you can explore options like a terminal-to-terminal transport job and pick upcoming trips to join at the last minute if you want to save some money that will offset the cost of fuel. Summer travel and peak season trips can cost more to adjust for normal fuel price hikes, so this is something that you can expect no matter what the baseline cost of fuel is at the time.
Regardless of when you plan to ship your car, make sure to get multiple quotes and ask about ways to reduce the cost of your trip. You should consider using a shipping company to help you afford and get your car across the country. Remember to factor in the cost of driving your car yourself, as this is often more expensive than using a shipping company.
