First and foremost, shipping cars is all about timing your car shipping services. If you are not in a hurry to have your vehicle shipped and can wait for the busy car shipping season to pass, you can save some money on your car shipping services. Auto transport carriers that operate coast to coast are busiest between May and September. On the other hand, fall and spring are when car transport carriers running north-south routes have the most workload.
Other ways to make your car transport services as cost-effective as possible include:
- Select terminal-to-terminal car shipping services – Nearly all car transporters will come and get your car from its current location and deliver it to the end destination. This is door-to-door service, and so far – at least, as far as cheap auto transport services go – it’s pretty cheap. It’s not as cheap as terminal-to-terminal car shipping, but cheap auto transport services are relative. If you do opt for cheap terminal-to-terminal car shipping services, be aware that leaving a vehicle at a car shipping terminal for too long can result in daily charges. Terminal car transportation services, however, are not as common as they used to be, so make sure to speak to one of our car shipping representatives to learn more.
- Be flexible with car shipping drop-off and pick-up dates – Most car transport carriers will let you select the dates that work best for you (both regarding the pickup and drop-off of the car). Do not hesitate to ask for less expensive options, especially if you are not eager to get the car picked up and delivered on particular dates. You may also qualify for a discount. Some auto transport carriers offer price discounts for allowing them to schedule the pickup and drop-off in a way that makes more sense to them logistically.
- Go with open car transport – As already discussed, open car shipping on a door-to-door auto transport route is cheaper than enclosed shipping by around 50%-60%.
- Compare price with reputation – While it may be tempting to go with the lowest car shipping price you find, that auto transport company will not always be your best shot. Cheap auto transport services are rarely the best, as the car shipping industry is a “you get what you pay for” type of industry. This is why it is best to do as much research as possible before choosing your car shipping company. In addition to avoiding “cheap” auto transport prices, you should also read online reviews of the different car shipping companies you’re looking at. What are other customers saying about them? Did their vehicle get moved on time? How was the price? Do they have a lot of good auto transport reviews? Some car shipping companies give off a “too good to be true” vibe, so if you feel that, then your gut feeling is probably right. We recommend choosing an auto transport company with a long-standing reputation first and then discussing any discounts or offers you could benefit from.
Use our free online auto shipping price calculator or call us at (224) 955-7788 to go through your options and see how you can gain significant savings on your next car shipping services!