Customer Reviews

What Is the Cheapest Way to Ship a Car?

Posted on 12/12/2022


what-is-the-cheapest-way-to-ship-a-car
 

 

The factors that determine the price of car shipping

 
One of the first questions that typically get asked by someone who is shipping their car is “What is the cheapest way I can ship my car?” It is a bit of a complex question to answer but first, we should redefine the question. A better phrased question would be “How can I save the most money while shipping my car and still get excellent service?”
 
If you were dry cleaning a very important and expensive suit or dress, would your only concern be “What is my absolute cheapest option?” and not worry about the experience of the dry cleaner nor the quality of service? Likely not. You would want to ensure that your suit or dress was properly dry cleaned without being damaged. However, it’s not out of the ordinary to want the proper service while saving as much as possible. You should look at shipping a vehicle in the very same way. If you are comparison shopping for your auto transport needs, you should be a bit suspicious of any prices that are much lower than all other providers. Often these companies that undercut others are able to do so by sacrificing service quality and/or by using an inexperienced transport driver.
 
When it comes down to the determination of the price for a particular vehicle transport, there are multiple things influencing the price all at once. These are the physical distance of the shipment, what time of year that you are shipping, what type of vehicle that you are shipping and the specific method of transport that you choose.
 

What you can do prior to booking to get cheap car shipping

 
Planning your shipment well ahead of time will go a long way in terms of ending up with a cheap vehicle transport. First, if it is possible, you should avoid shipping your car during the busiest auto transport times of the year. Consider the simple concept of supply and demand. When demand is high, supply is lower than it normally is. Thus, the price increases. With auto transport, the busiest shipping times during the year tend to be from April through the middle of September. January is also typically busy because of the post-holiday rush being combined with a high demand for college car shipping. This means that demand tends to be at its lowest during the fall. February is usually also a particularly slow month for vehicle transporters. November and December can be hard to predict due to the holidays. So, the best months to schedule your shipment for are definitely October, February and March.
 
On top of planning to ship during a much less busy month of the year, you can also plan to officially book your shipment at least two months ahead. Car shipping rates tend to increase as you book closer to the date that you need to ship your vehicle. This is due again to the supply of availability decreasing. Once that happens, shippers can increase prices as they know remaining spaces on carriers will be taken by someone who will pay almost any price. If you can book further ahead than two months that will work as well.
 
You also must figure out how you are transporting any personal items, furniture or luggage ahead of time. The vast majority of auto transport companies will not allow you to ship personal goods in your car or trunk under any circumstance. Although some might tell you it is up to your driver. If that is the case and the driver happens to allow it, they will definitely charge you what they call a “step-up” fee. This will likely be at least fifty if not a hundred dollars or more. All so you can put two or three things in the trunk. Save yourself the money and uncertainty and ship these things through the mail or with a moving company.
 
Lastly, ensure that your vehicle is operational and completely ready to be driven. This is so that when the time comes for it to be shipped, it can easily be driven on and off the car carrier truck. If it is not, you risk having to ship your car as an inoperable vehicle which means a special car carrier truck will be needed which has a winch that can physically attach to and pull your car onto the carrier. This will cost you several hundred additional dollars.
 

What you can do at booking to secure the cheapest auto transport

 
When you have selected a vehicle transportation company such as RoadRunner Auto Transport and you are ready to officially book your shipment, you can definitely save money during this part of the process. This is because you can elect to skip upgraded shipping options including enclosed car shipping and top loading. Almost all upgraded shipping options will tack on at least a hundred dollars to your shipment if not several hundred dollars.
 
You can sometimes choose to have extended pickup and/or delivery windows as well. Delivery windows are usually ranges of two to three days where your car will be picked up or delivered. If you give a car shipper flexibility with this, you can sometimes end up saving a few dollars.
 
You can also save money on your shipment at booking by booking the shipment of two or more cars at once. We know that this usually is not the case but there are occurrences where a couple or family is moving, and one of the two adults is staying behind to finish time with a job or for another reason. If that family transports both vehicles in the same shipment, they will save themselves hundreds of dollars in the process. Finally, if you have a choice between cars that you can ship, you should always choose to ship the smaller or more compact vehicle. Larger cars weigh more so they cause the car carrier truck to burn more fuel. Larger cars also take up more space which means with a certain amount of them in one shipment, the carrier can lose one or more spaces. Thus, they need to make up the lost money by charging a bit more for each vehicle over a certain size threshold.
 

Conclusion

 
There are more than a half dozen ways for you to save on your car shipment. They are all pretty simple yet when combined can help you save several hundred dollars on your shipment. Be smart and plan ahead so you can avoid shipping during busy season if possible and so that you can book your shipment two months ahead of your pickup date. Skip any upgraded shipping options and be sure that your car will be running correctly when the time comes for it to be picked up by your auto transport driver. Regardless of your specific future car shipping needs, you can always “kick the tires” with a free instant quote by filling out the form on our homepage!

Instant Car Shipping Quote

Calculate your car shipping rate in 3 easy steps!

1Shipment Details

What Is the Cheapest Way to Ship a Car?

Posted on 12/12/2022


what-is-the-cheapest-way-to-ship-a-car
 

 

The factors that determine the price of car shipping

 
One of the first questions that typically get asked by someone who is shipping their car is “What is the cheapest way I can ship my car?” It is a bit of a complex question to answer but first, we should redefine the question. A better phrased question would be “How can I save the most money while shipping my car and still get excellent service?”
 
If you were dry cleaning a very important and expensive suit or dress, would your only concern be “What is my absolute cheapest option?” and not worry about the experience of the dry cleaner nor the quality of service? Likely not. You would want to ensure that your suit or dress was properly dry cleaned without being damaged. However, it’s not out of the ordinary to want the proper service while saving as much as possible. You should look at shipping a vehicle in the very same way. If you are comparison shopping for your auto transport needs, you should be a bit suspicious of any prices that are much lower than all other providers. Often these companies that undercut others are able to do so by sacrificing service quality and/or by using an inexperienced transport driver.
 
When it comes down to the determination of the price for a particular vehicle transport, there are multiple things influencing the price all at once. These are the physical distance of the shipment, what time of year that you are shipping, what type of vehicle that you are shipping and the specific method of transport that you choose.
 

What you can do prior to booking to get cheap car shipping

 
Planning your shipment well ahead of time will go a long way in terms of ending up with a cheap vehicle transport. First, if it is possible, you should avoid shipping your car during the busiest auto transport times of the year. Consider the simple concept of supply and demand. When demand is high, supply is lower than it normally is. Thus, the price increases. With auto transport, the busiest shipping times during the year tend to be from April through the middle of September. January is also typically busy because of the post-holiday rush being combined with a high demand for college car shipping. This means that demand tends to be at its lowest during the fall. February is usually also a particularly slow month for vehicle transporters. November and December can be hard to predict due to the holidays. So, the best months to schedule your shipment for are definitely October, February and March.
 
On top of planning to ship during a much less busy month of the year, you can also plan to officially book your shipment at least two months ahead. Car shipping rates tend to increase as you book closer to the date that you need to ship your vehicle. This is due again to the supply of availability decreasing. Once that happens, shippers can increase prices as they know remaining spaces on carriers will be taken by someone who will pay almost any price. If you can book further ahead than two months that will work as well.
 
You also must figure out how you are transporting any personal items, furniture or luggage ahead of time. The vast majority of auto transport companies will not allow you to ship personal goods in your car or trunk under any circumstance. Although some might tell you it is up to your driver. If that is the case and the driver happens to allow it, they will definitely charge you what they call a “step-up” fee. This will likely be at least fifty if not a hundred dollars or more. All so you can put two or three things in the trunk. Save yourself the money and uncertainty and ship these things through the mail or with a moving company.
 
Lastly, ensure that your vehicle is operational and completely ready to be driven. This is so that when the time comes for it to be shipped, it can easily be driven on and off the car carrier truck. If it is not, you risk having to ship your car as an inoperable vehicle which means a special car carrier truck will be needed which has a winch that can physically attach to and pull your car onto the carrier. This will cost you several hundred additional dollars.
 

What you can do at booking to secure the cheapest auto transport

 
When you have selected a vehicle transportation company such as RoadRunner Auto Transport and you are ready to officially book your shipment, you can definitely save money during this part of the process. This is because you can elect to skip upgraded shipping options including enclosed car shipping and top loading. Almost all upgraded shipping options will tack on at least a hundred dollars to your shipment if not several hundred dollars.
 
You can sometimes choose to have extended pickup and/or delivery windows as well. Delivery windows are usually ranges of two to three days where your car will be picked up or delivered. If you give a car shipper flexibility with this, you can sometimes end up saving a few dollars.
 
You can also save money on your shipment at booking by booking the shipment of two or more cars at once. We know that this usually is not the case but there are occurrences where a couple or family is moving, and one of the two adults is staying behind to finish time with a job or for another reason. If that family transports both vehicles in the same shipment, they will save themselves hundreds of dollars in the process. Finally, if you have a choice between cars that you can ship, you should always choose to ship the smaller or more compact vehicle. Larger cars weigh more so they cause the car carrier truck to burn more fuel. Larger cars also take up more space which means with a certain amount of them in one shipment, the carrier can lose one or more spaces. Thus, they need to make up the lost money by charging a bit more for each vehicle over a certain size threshold.
 

Conclusion

 
There are more than a half dozen ways for you to save on your car shipment. They are all pretty simple yet when combined can help you save several hundred dollars on your shipment. Be smart and plan ahead so you can avoid shipping during busy season if possible and so that you can book your shipment two months ahead of your pickup date. Skip any upgraded shipping options and be sure that your car will be running correctly when the time comes for it to be picked up by your auto transport driver. Regardless of your specific future car shipping needs, you can always “kick the tires” with a free instant quote by filling out the form on our homepage!

ready to ship

Ready to Get Started?

Calculate your instant car shipping cost and view carrier availability in your area.

"You can trust this company to provide excellent service and set your mind at ease with the delivery of your vehicle."

Trish A.

Miami, FL

5 stars
google reviews

"When I bought a car out of state I was unsure what to expect with the shipping. RoadRunner made everything so easy!"

Jenna D.

Lufkin, TX

5 stars
shopper approved reviews

"Everything with RoadRunner went smooth and seamless. They gave me a great rate and provided excellent service!"

Owen A.

Hartford, CT

5 stars
transport reviews

"My car arrived in mint condition. The service was great and the personnel very courteous. Great job guys!"

Victor B.

Fresno, CA

5 stars
better business bureau reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the vehicle shipping process.


When determining your car shipping cost, there are a few factors that we take into account in order to provide you with an accurate price quote. The mileage between the origin and destination is the biggest factor that contributes to your total rate. In addition to the distance of your relocation, another factor is the type and condition of the vehicle being shipped. The final factor is the date that your vehicle will be ready for transport. There are also additional options, such as enclosed carrier and top-load service that can be added to your shipment at the time of booking for a higher level of service. Read more about how much it costs to ship a car.

To get a quote for shipping your vehicle, you can either use our instant online car shipping quote calculator or you can call (888) 422-7584 to receive a quote from one of our car transport pricing specialists. In order for us to calculate your quote we will need to know the location you are shipping from and to, the type of vehicle you would like to ship, and the date your vehicle will be ready.

The transit time for your shipment is based mostly on the mileage between the pickup and delivery location. Generally, every five hundred miles will add one day to the transit time - so for a 1,000 mile transport, the transit time would be 2-3 days. Check out our estimated transit times for a detailed view of approximate delivery times.

Yes, online tracking is available to you 24 hours a day and is updated in real time. Upon scheduling your shipment, you will receive a unique booking number that will allow you to track the status of your shipment online. Your tracking portal will also give you the ability to live chat with a shipping agent that can answer any questions you may have regarding the status of your shipment.

All shipments include basic liability coverage during transit. Comprehensive insurance options are available for an elevated level of shipment coverage during transit. You will be able to select a level of coverage during the booking process. If you have further questions regarding insurance options give us a call.

We accept all major credit cards, electronic transfer, postal money order, and bank/certified check for the deposit or full pre-payment of your shipment. If a balance is due upon delivery, it can be paid directly to the driver and can be paid in either cash, bank/certified check, or postal money order.

Yes, there must be someone present to release and accept the vehicle, provide keys to the driver and sign the initial and final inspection reports. This person can be anyone over the age of 18 that you trust with releasing or accepting your vehicle.

You may transport personal belongings in your car, as long as their total weight does not exceed 100 pounds and they are stored in the trunk or back seat (below the window line). Please keep in mind that personal belongings are not covered by insurance if they are reported as damaged or missing.

To get a quote for shipping your vehicle, you can either use our instant online car shipping quote calculator above or you can call (888) 422-7584 to receive a quote from one of our car transport pricing specialists. In order for us to calculate your quote we will need to know the location you are shipping from and to, the type of vehicle you would like to ship, and the date your vehicle will be ready.

The further in advance you schedule your shipment, the more likely we will be able to meet the time requirements you desire. For best results, we suggest scheduling your transport at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Expedited shipping options are available in order to accomodate shipments that require . You can always give us a call and ask one of our car shipping experts what your options are in terms of the schedule for your car transport.

The driver will get the car transporter as close to your door as he can legally and safely get. In most cases, the driver will be able to pickup and deliver directly at your door. Some cities may have restrictions on large trucks that prohibit them from driving into residential areas. Auto transport trucks are large and need lots of room to maneuver and turn around, so if access to the pickup or delivery location is restricted by narrow streets, low-hanging trees or tight turns, the driver may ask that you meet at a location nearby with a large parking lot, such as a grocery store.

Open transport is the most common car shipping method. There are two types of open-air transporters. The Majority of shipments are be made with 8-10 car carriers. Smaller carriers which hold 2-3 cars are used for shorter more local moves. There is broader network of carrier availability for open-air carriers since they are used more often. We suggest choosing enclosed shipping methods when shipping classic, luxury or exotic vehicles. Enclosed transporters guarantee maximum protection from exposure to any open-air elements on the road. We suggest booking your enclosed transport in advance since there is limited carrier availability. Read more about the difference between open and enclosed transport

RoadRunner Auto Transport specializes in shipping all types of vehicles such as sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, minivans, oversized vehicles, antiques, classic cars, motorcycles, construction vehicles, inoperable cars and boats. If you are not sure whether or not we can ship your vehicle, you can give us a call to find out what we can do for you.

You should have about a quarter of a tank of gas in your car at the time of shipment. This leaves enough for the car to be loaded and unloaded but doesn't add much additional weight.

The Bill of Lading is a very important document used by car shipping companies that documents any pre-existing damage on the vehicle during the time of pickup. It also serves as a record of your contact info and the official agreement for transport. If you want to file any insurance claim regarding your shipment you will need the Bill of Lading.

Top load service is when your car is placed on the higher deck or level of an open auto transport trailer. This is considered to be preferable to the bottom load because the cars on the lower deck are at risk of possibly having fluid from the cars above leak on them.

Make sure your car has been completely cleaned, both inside and outside. This is particularly important because this will help the driver conduct their inspection in order to assess any pre-existing damage on your vehicle. You will also want to make there are no additional personal items in the vehicle unless you intend to ship those with the vehicle (remember those items must total less than 100 pounds combined and be kept below the window-line of the vehicle). Be sure to inform the driver of any special circumstances concerning the vehicle. Finally, make sure there is a quarter tank of gas in the car at the time it is picked up for shipment. Visit our car shipping checklist to make sure you are prepared for your vehicle shipment.

Yes, we can ship vehicles that are in non-running/inoperable condition. When inoperable cars are shipped, a special auto carrier is required that makes use of a winch which is connected to your car and slowly and safely pulls your vehicle onto the carrier. There is an additional fee for inpoerable vehicles because of the special equipment and extra work involved with securing the vehicle onto the transporter. You can select the inoperable option on the online booking form or inform your shipping agent if you make your reservation by phone so that the proper arrangements can be made to accomodate a non-running vehicle.

We offer open car shipping and enclosed car shipping services. Open car shipping is used much more frequently and is the type of auto transport that you see on the highway where carriers are hauling vehicles on two decks that are exposed. Enclosed car shipping is when your vehicle is shipped in a trailer which has walls and a roof, they look like a larger version of a regular eighteen-wheeler. This method is recommended for luxury, exotic or classic cars.

Door-to-door car transport is the full service delivery of your vehicle directly from the door at the pickup location to the door at the delivery location. Our drivers do their best to get as close as physically and legally possible to the pickup and delivery locations, but in certain instances there may be restrictions preventing them from being able to safely reach your door. Our transporters need ample space to maneuver and load/unload your vehicle. If your street is too narrow, or if there are hazards such as low lining trees or power lines, drivers may ask that you meet them at a location nearby where they can safely load or unload your vehicle, such as a large parking lot or shopping center nearby.