Cheap Car Transport | Ship A Car For A Minimum Price And Max Value

Are you wondering what the most affordable way to ship a car is? Well, the answer to Cheap Car Transport is pretty simple; it depends on the type of car you are moving. There are two types of carriers used for transporting standard or luxurious cars, and the cost depends on which one you use. Let’s discuss them below:

• Open Container: The open carriers can accommodate up to 10 cars in just a single truck, and just one driver is needed for delivery. This means that fewer resources and manpower are used to transport more cars making open containers the cheapest way to move a car.
• Enclosed Container: If you are looking to transport an exotic, collectible, or luxurious car, then the cheapest way for you to ship it would be an enclosed container. Although the enclosed container will be more expensive than the open one, it will ensure that your vehicle is safe from the environmental elements, including water, dirt, or smoke coming from other vehicles. Plus, your car will be safe from accidental dents or scratches than can decrease its resale value.

Now that we are done with types of trucks used for transportation, let’s see the different cheap methods to transport a vehicle.

Cheapest Method of Auto Transport:

There are two forms of shipping methods that you can use to save as much as you can depending on your circumstances and your specific needs. Almost all car transport service providers offer both of these transportation methods so let’s check them out:

• Terminal to Terminal Vehicle Transport: If you are really tight on budget, then the most viable way for you to get your car across is via the terminal to terminal shipping. It is a great way to save some cash because you won’t be charged money for vehicle pickup or drop off as you will be responsible for these things.
• Door to Door Shipping: This one is a little bit expensive because your car will be picked from your door and will be dropped to its final destination. However, if you have a standard vehicle that you are shipping in an open container, then you can really bring down the cost. Plus, all Transporters are required by the law to be insured with a minimum of $750,000 dollars so your car will be secured from point A to B.

How To Ship A Car For A Minimum Price And Maximum Value?

Get a Binding Price Quote:

A binding price quote is simply the estimated price that the shipping company gives you before transporting your vehicle. The company is then bound to that price until the end of the shipping procedure, which means they cannot change it later on. Only a handful of car shipping companies will offer you the binding quotes, and most of them will provide non-binding prices that usually go up later on. The issue is that a majority of the companies offering you the low prices at the start do not tell you that it is a non-binding quote unless an additional expense comes up.

For instance, a company might tell you that the total shipping price will be $700, but then, later on, they might change it to $900, saying that they found a carrier that is asking for $200 more. Now in this situation, if your vehicle has already reached their terminal or if you have already wasted a few days with them, you might pay an extra $200 to save further time.

So you will have to confirm whether the price is binding or non-binding beforehand. Plus, you will need to scout the internet and read reviews about the company on Google and social media. See if anyone is complaining about the prices getting increased later on in their shipping process. Make a list of all companies offering binding prices, read reviews about them, and go with the one having the highest credibility.

Make Sure it’s an Official Website:

When you are searching the internet for the best vehicle transport company, you will come across several websites with very appealing pages and professional looks. You might even contact them and find a real person on the other side. However, what you might not know is that there can be a middle-man behind the phone who will contact a vehicle transport company to receive the quote, add his/her commission, and then tell you the inflated rates.

These people design landing pages that look just like the professional auto transport company website, but they are not. A simple way to tell a landing page from an official car transport service provider’s website is by looking for the MC or Motor Carrier number, which is only given to the federally licensed car shipping companies. If a website has that, then they are the real deal, and you can expect a much lower price because there will be no middle man between you.

Make Sure They Make Up For Delays:

A professional Transport Service will always make up for the mistakes made on its end. This means that they should provide you with a guarantee of free car rental if there is any delay on their side.

If they do not do that, then you will be paying for any extra days your car stays in their compound, you can get the best value for your money this way.

Make Sure They Offer a Damage Free Guarantee:

Damage to the cars during transit is very rare and doesn’t really happen quite often. However, even if your vehicle sustains damage during transportation for any reason, then you will have to make an Insurance claim on the insurance of your carrier.

Now, if this claim is turned down due to any reason, then you will have to file a claim on your own car Insurance policy. And if that claim is approved, then you might have to pay a deductible, which can go up to $500 or more.

Therefore, you need to ask the transportation company to offer a guarantee for damage-free delivery or payment for the deductible that will be charged from your Auto Insurance policy.

Make Sure They Offer 24/7 Availability:

Almost all of the transportation businesses operate seven days a week as different vehicles come and go, so their facility needs to be open all the time. If you contact a company and they say that they do not open all seven days of a week or they do not provide 24/7 customer support, then you should be very careful dealing with them.

This is because if you have any issues with the transport driver or if he is not updating you regarding the status of your vehicle, then you should be able to reach someone in a timely manner. So check the website and the Google listing of the company you are going to work with and make sure that they have mentioned 24/7 availability.

Some FAQs Regarding Cheap Auto Transport:

How Much Can It Cost To Ship My Car?

Getting the most affordable price to move a car depends on various factors. These include the kind of vehicle you have, where you are shipping it from and where it is going to, and when you need it to be shipped. The heavier and bulkier your vehicle is, the higher the cost will be.

Furthermore, the more distance needs to be covered for transportation, the more costly it will be. Plus, if you have made any modifications to your vehicles, depending on the things you have added, the price can also go up. Lastly, the time of the year also plays an important role where autumn is the cheapest time to ship.

When Will the Vehicle Be Picked Up?

This heavily depends on the service type you choose. If you are not in a hurry, then the basic package will be better for you. However, if you need priority basis service, then you will have to pay a few hundred bucks on the standard cost. Priority is for people who need their vehicles to be picked up quicker than the standard service time.

Then comes the Expedite pick up where your vehicle will be picked up within one weekday. This will add a few hundred dollars on the priority pickup cost. People who need their vehicles to be shipped on a specific day should use Expedite pick up.

The method for vehicle transport you choose will depend on your overall budget. If you are not time-bound, then getting the standard one is the viable option. However, if you need higher value in the form of fast transport, then Priority and Expedite are most viable.

How to Pay for Vehicle Transport?

When you finalize the car transport service, you will pay a small sum of money as a down payment to lock in on a price if you are working with a binding quote.

When we make a schedule and assign a carrier to you, you will be provided with the details of the truck driver, such as his name, number, and dates for pickup and delivery. You can then pay the remaining amount to the truck driver upon delivery.

Can My Personal Belongings be put in Car When Moving it?

You can store up to 100lbs of stuff in the storage or trunk of your truck, SUV, or car, and the rest of the vehicle should be empty.

The reason behind it is that personal belongings are not covered under the carrier’s insurance. So in case of any theft or accident, you won’t be able to make a claim.

How Does the Car Transport Insurance Work?

The car shipping industry is regulated by the Department of Transportation’s Motor Carrier Division. Their requirement from every carrier is to have insurance coverage. The minimum coverage for cargo is $250,000, and for liability insurance, it’s $750,000.

At the time of pickup, your car will go through an inspection where the driver will take some pictures of your car, fill a form, including all details of any dents, scratches, and overall condition of the car. Both you and the transport truck driver will sign the form, and a copy will be given to you as well.

Once the car is delivered, the same form will be presented to the person on the receiving end. He/she will then inspect and match the condition of the car with the report.

If there are any new marks, dings, scratches, or dents, then they will be added to the damage claim and noted in the delivery form, which then will be signed by both parties.