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Auto Transporter.com - Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
Answers
- How much is it going to cost to ship my vehicle?
Providing you with a cost is one of the major points of this site. In order to get the cost for your auto transport please fill
out the Quote Form.
Prices generally range between $400 and $1500 depending on several significant factors:
- Distance & Milage - Car carriers are lucky to get 10 miles to one gallon of diesel fuel. Diesel fuel varies in
price like all fuels but prices are typically between $2.40 and $3.00 a gallon. Add in all the other per-mile costs like insurance,
driver salary, taxes and you can begin to calculate the variable per-mile costs.
- Carrier Type - Open car carriers are the standard form of auto transport. If you choose to use the more
premium enclosed car carrier your price will typically increase $200 to $500. For more on carrier types click here.
- Location Special Factors - Most companies specialize in door-to-door service, or as close to your door as a large
car carrier can get. In some cases getting close to your door may incur significant additional costs due to toll roads and/or the
general hassle associated with getting to some locations. Two places in particular are Long Island in New York and San Francisco, California.
With Long Island tolls and traffic can add $150 to $250 to your transport cost. In San Francisco some carriers are flat out unable to
travel on some of the steep hills leading to costs to tranfer the vehicle to a smaller carrier or towing company.
- Vehicle Condition and Value - For non-running vehicles you will incur an inop charge. This is a fee charged
to winch or push a vehicle onto a truck. Inoperable vehicles will often cost an addition $150 to $300. You may also be charged additional
fees if you have a collectors car or custom car with excessive value or special needs. All of these factors should be mentioned to your
transport company.
Now that you have an idea on how pricing is done feel free to get your custom price quote by clicking here.
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- How long will it take to ship my car?
Time to ship a vehicle depends on many factors which you should discuss with your transport company. We recommend that you leave at minimum
three weeks for transporting of your vehicle but transport time can be from one day to 60 days.
Factors that will determine how long your vehicle will take to ship include:
- Market Forces - In most cases the price you pay for transport is the "market" rate to ship a vehicle from
the origin and destination you specify. The markets go up and down so if you are under or overcharged for transport you vehicle
may quickly catch the attention of a truck or sit on the back burner until higher paying moves are taken.
- Distance - This is the distance between point A and point B. The number of hours a truck driver can drive in one day
is limited by law. So the distance of the move is the most important factor in determining how long it will take to move your car.
- Size of Carrier - If the car carrier your vehicle is on is small chances are your vehicle will be delivered
once the driver has covered the distance from point A to point B since he has few pick-ups and deliveries during his trip. The
opposite is true for large carriers. Some trucks will transport 7 to 10 vehicles at once meaning that they have 10 pickups and deliveries
in addition to your move.
- Unpopular or Popular Routes - The fact is some states and cities have more vehicles going to and coming from them
than others. It is very likely that a move from San Diego, California to New York City will be much faster than a move from Big Bear, California
to a corner of North Dakota. If you have an "off-the-beaten-path" type move you should be willing to pay more for a slower service because chances
are the truck that moves your vehicle is going out of the way just to serve you.
Brokers may be able to provide you with more timeline estimates based on your move factors but due to the many variables inherent
to moving your vehicle a specific date is usually only able to be provided if you pay extra for a guarantee service.
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- Can I place boxes and personal items in my car?
Chances are if you are asking this question you are relocating and looking to take advantage of every extra inch of space. The problem
is the answer to this question is not an easy one due to legal and insurance issues involved. We recommend that you not
place items in the car that would not normally be in your vehicle at the time of transport.
Trucks have weight limits and items placed in vehicles are never insured by the trucking company. If you place items in your vehicle you
should at minimum keep them light and out of site. Only use the trunk or cover items so they don't draw attention to your vehicle. And remember
the that the truck will have the option or may be required to pass your vehicle up if it turns out to have items in it. The fact is
the risks out weigh the rewards.
If you are looking for a moving company to transport household good or a place to store items please visit our partner site MovingRoo.com.
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- What is the difference between open and enclosed truck types?
There are two types of trucks that serve the auto transport industry, open and enclosed carriers.
- Open Carriers are your typical car carrier that you likely see pretty frequently
on the highway. They have trailers where the vehicles are visible and open to weather and other conditions
that you would experience while driving like rocks off the road. Customer commonly comment on how dirty their
vehicle is when they ship on open carriers.
So with that said you may be saying why would anyone ship on an open carrier? Well, for one the costs is significantly less
so the reward in this case may be worth the $200 to $500 you save. You also have to remember that a large portion of new cars are transported by
vehicle manufactures on open carriers, so if it works for new cars can it work for yours?
- Enclosed Carriers are the more expensive means of transporting a vehicle. The trucks will either look more like a normal
truck trailer or have a trailer that is more of a thick vinyl. The benefit of closed transporting is that your vehicle is protected from weather,
most dirt and most road hazards. The down side is that they costs around 33% more than an open carrier. Ouch!
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