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Car Shipping Distance
The distance between the pickup and delivery locations will be one of the main factors in determining how much it will costs to ship a car. The longer the distance, the higher the expense for the carrier in terms of fuel, wear and tear on the truck, and time. The price per mile goes down with distance, but the overall car shipping rate is higher. The rule of thumb is that the average single driver truck, will travel an average of 500 miles per day. The Smart Auto Moves quote calculator is the best in the business at determining an accurate car shipping rate for distances short and long.
Length of Vehicle being Shipped
The length of the vehicle affects the car transport cost. The average sedan or car is about 189 inches long. Any vehicle less than that becomes more desirable to a car carrier because it may allow him to also transport a longer one for more money. In that vein, longer vehicles over 196 inches start to squeeze a car transporter and he needs to carefully consider how to fit it. Vehicles over 200 inches should certainly be priced higher to help compensate for the presumed loss in carrier space to accommodate other cars, trucks, vans and SUV’s. Our original first in the industry car shipping calculator adjusts for length.
Shipping Vehicle Height
Height matters. Most sedans are about 57 inches high, midsize SUV’s 67 inches and larger SUV’s 73 inches on average. SUV’s are typically priced higher to transport than sedans. And taller SUV’s are still more than the regular SUV’s because it forces a lower paying sedan to fit over or under it. To compensate for the loss in revenue, the carrier needs more money from the shipping rate of the much taller SUV’s. And that’s why height matters in car shipping. You can count on our free car transport quote calculator to factor height of the vehicle.
Clearance of Vehicle being Shipped
Smart Auto Move makes sure all vehicles are insured while on the transport carrier. Not everybody is as diligent. The last thing a car transporter wants is a damage claim. The lower the vehicle ground clearance, the more prone to damage, especially when shipping Open transport. A good rule of thumb would be that any vehicle with 4 inches ground clearance and lower should ship Enclosed, where it can be treated with kid gloves. Any vehicle over 5 inches ground clearance should be safe to go Open. It is that middle inch between four and five that vexes brokers and carriers. It can go Open, or to be safe Enclosed. The latter is more expensive by about 40-50%, sometimes more.
Weight of Vehicle Being Shipped
All car transport carriers are cognizant of the weight scale stations they must pass through. Nobody wants to be told to remove freight, in this case a vehicle, because he is overweight. Heavier vehicles are also a drag on fuel consumption. That is why vehicles that approach 4,500 pounds and heavier start commanding higher and higher car shipping rates, which is reflected in the quote.
Vehicle Condition
Is your car operational? Does it run at least well enough to drive it on and off the carrier? Good. You just saved $150 on the non-running fee. It matters to a carrier because it is hard to wrestle non-operational vehicles on and off. The carrier prefers to have the option of repositioning his load, and non-runners put a damper on that flexibility. Finally, there are a limited number of carriers with a wench to handle the non-runners, and that means they don’t ship nearly as fast as running cars despite the extra $150.
Open or Enclosed Car Shipping
Almost 97% of all car shipments go Open transport. That means exposed to the elements. It is the same type of carrier that you often see new cars being delivered to dealerships. Open transport is the most cost effective way to ship a car. The alternative is Enclosed transport. It is the luxury way to ship a vehicle but costs significantly more. The average Enclosed transport price is roughly 40-50% higher. Part of the reason is that an Enclosed carrier can fit only six vehicles, whereas an Open carrier can accommodate nine or ten. Both types of carriers (Open & Enclosed) travel the same distance and have similar expenses. The six vehicles on an Enclosed transport, therefore, must make up the difference in revenue from the Open carrier’s nine or ten.
Seasonal Car Shipping
There are seasonal fluctuations that may affect the car shipment cost, sometimes dramatically. The “snowbirds” from the colder northern states flock to the warmer southern states in the Winter, driving up the price to places like Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Florida. They return home by the tens of thousands in the Spring, and then vehicle shipping rates in that direction escalate. Our best car shipping quotes calculator reflects market conditions during seasonal fluctuations.
Car Shipping Location
Location has a big effect on faster car shipping service. According to the 2010 United States Census, 80.7% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. That concentration of people makes it easier on car transporters to amalgamate full loads of several vehicles and get on the road. Even still, it is not every day a full load is leaving any city for another. But the chances of it happening sooner rather than later are higher for routes that have higher populations. No personal information is required to use the Direct Express quote calculator.
Why Us
Credentials
We are Licensed, Bonded registered with both the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Adminstration & U.S Department Of Transportation & are Accreditted by the Better Business Bureau
passion & Integrity
We offer our clients an individual customized approach to their order. you'll be provided a personal dedicated advisor who'll be happy to assist from the begining to the very end.
Handle With Care
Our carrier network is the best in the business so vehicles are delivered safe & undamaged. Our carriers are vetted through the most extensive background checks in the industry.
Timely delivery
We'll get your vehicle to you where you need it, when you need it. The dispatch dept at Smart Auto Move focus on the smallest details to make your auto relocation go smooth.
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Smart Auto Move the Smart Choice in Car Shipping
