Don’t Ship Your Vehicle Until You Read These Cost-Saving Tips

budgeting for an exotic car

 

The cost to ship a vehicle depends on different factors, like mileage and vehicle type, and may fluctuate depending on your needs

Key takeaways:

  • Several factors determine car shipping rates, from distance to vehicle type
  • There are different ways to lower your shipping cost, like using open carry transport
  • Mercury Auto Transport is your reliable and affordable vehicle transport service

Do you need to transport a car from one place to another? Maybe you just purchased a car online from another state or are relocating for a job? How can you figure out how much it should cost to send the vehicle there?

Shipping a vehicle isn’t an everyday expense, and the actual amount you pay can vary. Differences like seasonality, type of service, and mileage can bring your bottom line up or down. When it comes to the cost to ship a vehicle, here’s what you can expect, as well as tips for bringing the cost down. 

Factors that determine the cost to ship a vehicle 

Car transport is a service that moves vehicles from one location to another. The average cost to ship a vehicle is anywhere from $500 for short trips across the state to $1,500 for cross-country transports. 

Of course, the final price depends on many factors, such as: 

  • Distance traveled: Mileage is the #1 factor in the cost to ship a vehicle. The average cost to ship a vehicle is $1.00 per mile for short distances (1-500 miles), $0.75 per mile for medium distances (500-1000 miles), $0.50 per mile for long distances (1,000-2000 miles), and $0.40 per mile cross-country. Per-mileage pricing includes labor costs, fuel charges, and tolls. As you can see, longer distances cost more overall but less per mile. 
  • Route: The highways and roads a carrier takes when transporting your vehicle affect cost. For example, routes through big cities with more traffic congestion can impact the transport time. Additional route considerations include physical road conditions, street construction, and bad weather. 
  • Vehicle Type: The size and weight of your car matter, as does the model. For example, carriers have limits on the number of cars and weight they can carry, thus, a heavier car is more expensive to move. Luxury, antique, and collector cars usually require an enclosed carrier, which also impacts rates. 
  • Seasonality: The time of year your vehicle will be transported is important. Pricing increases in the summer during peak car-shipping season and slows down in the winter. 
  • Shipping dates: It’s best to book your transport service as far in advance as possible because shipment date figures into the cost. If you leave your car pick-up dates flexible, you can often save money. 
  • Transport type: You have a choice between open and enclosed car transport. Open transport is cheaper and the more popular choice among consumers. Customers shipping luxury or vintage cars that need more protection usually choose the more expensive enclosed type. 
  • Vehicle condition: A running vehicle is easier to manage and therefore qualifies for better rates. If your car isn’t in working condition, it will require extra accommodations to be loaded and transported, which increases the cost. 
  • Car characteristics: Vehicle details such as height, length, and curb weight will affect the trailer type needed for transport, and thus the cost. They may also require certain accommodations, like being held in a specific place on the trailer. 
  • The number of vehicles: Two cars cost more than one. 
  • Car bidding process: A carrier will bid on how much your shipment will cost, which can be a little unpredictable. 
  • Location: Metro areas usually have a lot of trucks available to carry out shipping orders, whereas small towns may be more limited.

 

Tips to bring down the cost to ship a vehicle

There are two types of auto transport carriers that ship cars – open car transport and enclosed car transport. Open transport carries vehicles uncovered on the hauling truck whereas enclosed transport covers the vehicles. Open car transport carriers are cheaper and more popular because many people don’t require their car to be covered, even though they will be exposed to weather and possible debris. 

There are two delivery options for your car – terminal-to-terminal car shipping and door-to-door transport. Terminal-to-terminal shipping requires taking the car to a drop-off location and picking it up from another. Door-to-door transport is when the carrier picks up your car from a convenient location (like your house) and delivers it to your desired destination. Terminal-to-terminal shipping costs more money because it is much more convenient for the customer and racks up daily terminal storage fees. Door to door is cheaper because it requires more work for the customer.

You can save more money by shipping your vehicle during the off-season (late fall to late spring), instead of summer to early fall, which is the most popular time to ship a vehicle. 

Another way to lower the cost is through discounts. Many auto transport companies offer discounts for a variety of situations. These include: 

  • Military discounts
  • Student discounts
  • Senior discounts
  • First-time customers
  • Return customers
  • Multi-car shipments
  • First responders
  • Early birds
  • Vehicle fleets

At Mercury Auto Transport, we do not charge a service fee until you choose your carrier, unlike other auto transport companies, and the carrier is not paid until they safely deliver your vehicle. 

Choose Mercury Auto Transport for secure, inexpensive vehicle shipping

Many factors go into the cost of shipping a vehicle, from distance traveled to time of year. Depending on what you need, several options can lower your price, such as choosing to ship open-carry terminal-to-terminal. There are also a variety of discounts to leverage depending on your situation. 

Mercury Auto Transport is a nation-wide, full-service auto shipping company that can transport your vehicle safely and securely from anywhere in the country. Our process is transparent and trustworthy, and we’re always working to get you the best deal. Call us today for a quote and let’s get started.  

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What Our Customrs Are Saying

FAQs

We feel it’s important for you to know how we determined your quote. Quotes are based on what the market demands for cars to be moved at a given time. Each quote is compared with the current rates on the National Load Board before being sent to our customers and will be reviewed periodically through the process.

Other companies might offer you a lower price to obtain your business. This method is ineffective because if the car does not pay the correct amount of money, it will run the probability of not getting loaded or transported on time. You will not get this information from our competitors. Truck drivers always take the loads that pay the most first, leaving the loads that are mispriced to be moved last or not at all. We try very hard to avoid this with our customers by quoting a fair but realistic quote up front. Visit our How we determine your quote page for more information.

Understanding auto transport insurance is important and we think it’s valuable to explain how it works. As part of providing a great car transport service, it is our job to guarantee that the carrier we assign to pickup your vehicle is licensed and insured. Click here to check out our license.

When you go with Mercury to ship your vehicle, you can rest assured that the carrier assigned to move your car is fully insured and licensed with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier and Saftey Administration).

Your vehicle is covered by the carrier’s insurance policy that is doing the shipping. Depending on the type and size of the truck/trailer that is shipping your car, the insurance policy can cover from $100,000 to $1,000,000 of damage.

We have also provided a checklist to explain what you need to do at both pickup and delivery in case there are any issues so, you can file a claim and know that everything will be taken care of.

It is rare but, time-to-time there may be accidental damage while in transit and it is good to know that your carrier’s insurance will protect your auto shipment in that event.

To view a sample BOL (Bill of Lading) and learn what to do in case of accidental damage, please check out our Condition Report and Procedure checklist.

When comparing auto transport companies, keep in mind that low-priced quotes often result in delays in getting your vehicle loaded. Choosing the right broker is vital to getting a reputable carrier for the lowest price possible.  

We feel it’s important for you to know how we determine your quote.

When you’re looking for a car shipping rate, you want to understand how auto transport works. Prices are based on seasonal market demands for cars to be moved at any given time. Each quote is prepared based on the season and the current national rates.

When comparing auto transport companies, keep in mind that low-priced quotes often result in delays in getting your vehicle loaded. Choosing the right broker is vital to getting a reputable carrier for the lowest price possible. Not all brokers are created equal in this talent.

Mercury does a thorough background check with each carrier for every shipment. We verify their ratings, references, and in addition, we obtain a certified copy of their insurance certificate, directly from the government agency that it is on file with.

You can have peace of mind knowing that the carrier shipping your vehicle is the very best and that there are no surprises guaranteed.

Mercury Auto Transport is licensed, Bonded and Insured. Our FMSCA Motor Carrier Number is MC647319.

While we do our best match your auto shipping needs with the most responsible carriers with the best track records, from time-to-time there may be accidental damage while in transit, it is good to know that the insurance of the carrier we locate for you will protect your auto shipment in that event.

Shipping a vehicle can be stressful if you don’t know what to do.  This is why we believe it is paramount to have our highly trained agents be your main point of contact from start to finish.

They will go over everything you need to know so you can relax.  In the meanwhile, we prepared this checklist.  This includes everything from pickup to delivery and how to make sure your car is ready for pickup.

When it comes to car moving, we want you to be ahead of the game!  For any questions and further assistance our agents are standing by, (800) 553-1828.  Please read our checklist to prepare your vehicle to learn more.

There are several ways you can ship a car.  The options include enclosed trailer, open carrier transport, flatbed truck, door-to-door shipping services, and to or from a terminal as well.  The most popular of the options is a 7 to 10 car open carrier.  These large trucks can accommodate almost any size vehicle including carsSUVstrucksjeeps, and vans.

Open car transport, door to door is also the best way to get the cheapest auto transport rate possible.  To learn more and see what transport method is best for you, please fill out our free quote form and one of our representatives will respond to you within minutes.  You can also call us at (800) 553-1828.

We present offers from FMCSA Licensed and Insured Carriers. When you accept an offer, we send your service agreement that guarantees the price, door-to-door service, and 100% bumper-to-bumper insurance. There are never any hidden fees or charges, guaranteed.