Hiring a reliable shipping company to transport your vehicle safely and quickly to the desired location can save you a lot of trouble. You don’t have to go on a long and exhausting road trip, you save money that you would have spent along the way, and you have more time for doing other stuff.
Choosing a shipping company isn’t easy, given the large number of providers. Of course, you need to find someone reliable, reputable, and niche experienced. It’ll take some time, but it’s worth a shot. A guide on this page can help you with your quest.
One of the critical items for choosing a transportation provider is the shipping quote. The service price will depend on where you are transporting the vehicle and under what conditions, but it’s not set in stone. It means you can negotiate a better deal, especially for long-distance hauling. And here’s how.
Get Multiple Quotes
To start negotiating with the shipping company, you must have certain information. You must know the market as much as possible, that is, the competitors’ rates and quality of service. Most companies charge per mile, so you can roughly calculate how much it will cost to ship your four-wheeler.
Or you can simply contact several shipping companies and ask for cost estimates. Explain which vehicle it is, what kind of service you need, to which location you need hauling, and when. These are details that can significantly affect the final price. Feel free to ask about discounts you can’t see on providers’ websites, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer lower rates.
Contact at least three companies, and based on the offered prices and quality of service, try to negotiate better deals. However, before you start negotiations, it is good to know what factors influence the formation of a shipping quote and what you can do about it.
Factors Affecting Shipping Price
When asking for a quote, you must provide the necessary details to help the service providers give you the most accurate cost estimate. The final price can be affected by many factors, allowing you to lower it a bit. But you should know which clauses are negotiable and which aren’t.
Of course, you choose between open and enclosed transportation, and you can find their comparison below:
https://www.retirementliving.com/open-vs-enclosed-car-shipping
Location
As said, car shipping companies charge transportation services per mile. The further you go, the more you pay because it’s necessary to cover fuel, tolls, drivers, etc. However, if you plan to haul long distances, there is a chance to negotiate a lower price-per-mile, something like a quantity discount.
Speaking of location, whether you have decided on terminal or door-to-door transport can make a big difference in price. The first option can bring significant savings, and it’s even better to find a shipping company with pick-up and delivery spots near you. You will have to drive the car there and pick it up from the delivery terminal, but it’d cost less than if a truck would haul your vehicle directly to your address.
Car Weight, Size, and Condition
Vehicle size and weight is an important factor because it affects the carrying capacity of the hauling trailer and the number of vehicles it can accommodate. The bigger the car, the more space it takes up, so shipping providers have to make certain changes to accommodate the other vehicles safely, especially in open trailers.
You can’t influence the vehicle’s dimensions, but you can do several things to reduce its weight. For starters, remove accessories such as bumpers, additional lighting, and a tail. Then, take out all the things from the cabin, from personal belongings and documents to a kid’s car seat and spare wheel. That can make your four-wheeler lighter and thus lower the shipping price.
The shipping price is also affected by whether your car is in driving condition. Correct vehicles are cheaper to transport, while broken ones may require additional services such as hauling to and from the delivery spot and another truck or a forklift to bring it into the trailer. All this carries additional costs. So if possible, get your car in operational status to cut costs.
Shipping Period
If you’re not strictly bound to a specific date, you can get a more favorable car shipping rate. The transportation companies give car shipping quotes online and an approximate period when the vehicle will be at the delivery terminal or your address, depending on the selected service.
Also, you can lower the price if you decide on vehicle hauling out of busy times such as summer or holiday seasons, when companies raise their rates due to increased work volume. Transporting your four-wheel drive off-peak season is much cheaper.
Car shipping is a handy service that doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Get necessary information so you can negotiate a lower rate and get the best service for the price you pay.
