How Expensive is Car Shipping?

So, how expensive is car shipping? It depends on a lot of things, but basically it is less expensive than you think. On average, shipping a car from one coast to the other could cost you from about $600 to $1,000. But this is not a fixed price since it can easily go up or down based on the following factors.

Distance. Obviously, the farther away you are sending your car, the more expensive the price will be. Expect to spend more than $1,000, therefore when shipping overseas. Shipping internationally has its challenges since there are additional expenses to consider. Importation/and exportation fees, levies, taxes and Customs rates could easily jack up your expenses.

There could also be unforeseen costs that even your car shipping company did not see coming. Reliable car shippers, however, will make sure to see you through until your vehicle reaches its final destination and make sure that there is little hassle along the way.

Car size. This affects the cost of shipping because a huge vehicle requires more care, manpower and equipments. This also applies to the condition of your car. A poorly conditioned vehicle may need to be towed or hauled, which means additional costs for the use of equipment and manpower hours.   

Car shipping service. This, of course, is exactly what you are paying for: the actual procedure of taking your vehicle from the point of origin to the point of destination. There are two ways of doing this: open car shipping and enclosed car shipping. Open shipping is more common and less expensive. This is the typical way of transporting automobiles on board a double-decker carrier truck, which can carry up to 10 cars at a time. Multi-car shipping makes this method less expensive. Overseas, the norm is to ship on board a RORO (roll-on roll-off) vessel. 

Enclosed car shipping is about 70% more expensive. This is most appropriate when shipping sports cars, as well as shipping expensive, luxury, classic or sports cars. It offers 100% protection and safety via exclusive transport inside a closed and locked freight container, which is why this method is a bit costly. It is worth it, though, when shipping a Ferrari, Rolls Royce, or McLaren.

Aside from the method, there is a number of car shipping services, such as door-to-door pickup and delivery, which require additional costs. These costs can be avoided, though, when such services are not really necessary. For instance, if the shipping terminal was not that far away, door-to-door pickup becomes unnecessary.

Lastly, vehicle shipping rates will vary depending on the shipper you’re hiring. Some companies charge higher based on the quality of service and amount of experience they are putting into each delivery. On the other hand, newer companies may lower their costs to win you over. It is best that you gather and compare several free car shipping quotes from different companies before you choose your shipper.

If you are shipping for the first time and find the process too complicated or you simply don’t have time to work on it, you might want to consider spending a little more money to hire a car shipping broker to help you out.