Distance traveled, trailer choice, and the season you decide to pick are the biggest contributors to how much it costs to ship your car. If you want to ship your car on the cheap, it’s best to look into these factors to keep your costs down. The good news is that there are ways to save money when you need to ship your car, and with a little know-how and some proper planning, you could save tons of money on your car shipping. If you are looking for the cheapest way to ship your car, you can set up your transportation and not even need to negotiate.
The Cheapest Way to Ship Your Car is Always Open Transport
There are two main ways to ship your car: enclosed transport and open transport. This is the choice of what kind of trailer your car will ship on. An enclosed trailer offers a canvas or hard shell covering that surrounds the trailer to offer more protection for the vehicles. You’ve probably seen an open transport trailer on the highway as they are the more common option. They’re the double-decker trailers stacked with six to ten cars. These types of trailers are always the cheapest way to ship your car. This is because 90% of all trailers are open transport trailers. With higher availability, it is much easier, quicker, and cheaper to ship your car on an open transport trailer.
Even new car dealers use open transport trailers. It’s safe and reliable. The only issue is that your car may come back a little dirty after driving through the country exposed to the elements. A car wash is much cheaper than the difference between opting for enclosed transport.
Pick a non-peak season to ship
If you really want the cheapest way to ship your car, check the calendar. Everyone moves during the summer months, which means it’s going to be harder to find a shipping trailer from June to August. Higher competition means that drivers often raise their prices. On the flip side, the winter months offer harsh weather and unexpected road closures. If a truck needs to make a detour that adds more miles, then that’s going to add more dollars to the price. If they are snowed in and take an extra day or two, that’s going to add an extra dollar or two to the price.
The best time to ship is in the spring or fall, with the fall being slightly better than the spring. The best time to find the cheapest way to ship your car is right before the holiday breaks and before the heavy snowfall. This is right before Halloween in late September or early October. Drivers are plentiful and offer better rates in order to fill their trucks with cars.
Keep the Distance limited
Car shipping prices fluctuate greatly due to gas prices. There is one certain thing in car shipping prices, and that is, the farther the trip, the higher the price. If you could limit the miles in any way possible, that could help you save tons of money. For instance, if you’re buying an out-of-state car, you may look into states that offer no sales tax. If you live in Indiana and see that Oregon has no sales tax but it’s clear across the country, it may be better to look for cars in New Hampshire. They also offer no sales tax on vehicles and is much closer. You could literally save thousands by limiting the mileage of your shipment. The cheapest way to ship your car is not to ship it across the country.
Get Multiple quotes to find the Cheapest Way to Ship Your Car
The last thing is probably the most obvious way to find the cheapest way to ship your car is to get multiple quotes. Be aware that the cheapest option is not always the best option. Get multiple quotes to compare the pricing of the industry at this time. However, you more than likely want to ship with an open trailer for the better pricing, but that means you definitely want to make sure the shipper offers insurance. If the company doesn’t include insurance in their quote, that is a huge red flag. Any issue will end up costing you much more than what you would pay in insurance. To get an instant quote with a reputable auto shipper with insurance built right into the quote, call Indianapolis Car Transport today. They are a fantastic option that offers amazing rates all year long.
