A Guide to Finding Fast Auto Transport That Won’t Break the Bank
If you’re moving to a new town, need to transport your vehicle, and are on a tight schedule, the last thing you want to do is get to your destination and spend several more days waiting for your car.
If that’s the case, not only are you paying for car transport, but you’re likely spending extra money renting a vehicle at the new location. So, of course, you’ll want to shorten the car transport waiting time as much as possible.
Expedited car shipping is the answer to this issue. However, it might also be a costly option that ends up straining your budget. The question then becomes: Is there a way to save time on auto transport while not spending too much?
Luckily, the answer is: yes. And this article will tell you how to find fast auto transport without breaking the bank.
How Does Expedited Transport Work?
Expedited transport is essentially a service that gets your vehicle delivered to a new location within a designated time frame. It allows you to circumvent many common factors that would otherwise hinder the carrier’s speed.
Under regular circumstances, car shipping can get prolonged due to various road, weather, and traffic conditions. Additionally, the carrier itself might not be available to ensure the fastest transport.
When you ask for expedited shipping, the transport company takes extra steps to ensure your car gets to its destination without hindrances. This mostly comes down to loading your car onto a dedicated auto speed shipping rig.
This is where the differences between transport companies comes into play.
Some companies will simply load your car along with other vehicles. To shorten the travel time, they might fit your car on a truck that leaves earlier or has more convenient drop-off points.
While this method can get your car delivered faster, it’s accomplished mainly by prioritizing your vehicle over others during regular transport.
On the other hand, true industry professionals offer something more. They make a small, one-car truck available for your shipment specifically. This step can mean all the difference.
A large hauler will have issues getting through dense traffic and even traveling certain roads where vehicle size and weight limitations are imposed. But a small truck will make it through those conditions much faster.
Besides being more maneuverable, the smaller truck will also be able to travel at higher speeds than a massive, 10-vehicle rig. After all, there’s less load for the one-car truck to haul, contributing to faster shipment.
Most importantly, a dedicated single-car truck won’t need to make frequent stops to pick up vehicles and drop them off.
When all those factors combine, the smaller truck will be more capable of same day auto shipping. At the very least, it will deliver your car two or three days sooner than the regular hauler.
However, there’s even more that the company can do to expedite the shipment.
Along with securing a small flatbed truck, your transport company can ensure there’s a team of drivers handling the job. A team in this case simply means two drivers who take turns behind the wheel.
With a pair of drivers, the transport can be on the road nearly nonstop. This might be the fastest way to get a car from one point to another, as the drivers can cover more than 900 miles within 24 hours. A single driver will have to comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) standards and cover no more than 400-500 miles per day. But the driver team method overcomes the DOT limitations on the daily mileage per driver.
This covers the basics of how fast auto transport works. In addition to the essentials, companies may offer further services for expedited shipping.
First, you can opt for enclosed expedited transport. This means that your vehicle will not only be shipped with the fastest speed possible but will be transported in an enclosed trailer.
Enclosed shipping is another premium service. It ensures no road debris, dirt, dust, or water gets to your car. It’s worth noting that the additional cost of enclosed transport might not be justified in all cases. In fact, this transport option would be a good choice only if you need fast car transport for an especially valuable vintage or exotic model.
Second, you could ask for expedited shipping for an inoperable car. Most people don’t need to get a car that won’t run to the destination with haste. However, it’s good to know that the option is there.
It’s also worth mentioning that loading an inoperable car onto a hauler is more complex and will require a special carrier.
Now that you know how fast auto shipping works, let’s look at how much it could cost, and which factors could affect the price.
The Final Cost of Expedited Auto Transport
It would be best to answer the core question first: Can you get expedited shipping cheap? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
You can have your car shipped fast for less money, but the service likely won’t be the cheapest possible. This should come as no surprise since you’re getting extra service and a guaranteed delivery. However, the total expense will depend on particular factors.
It should be noted that some shipping companies might charge for expedited transport as a flat rate, but most will calculate it as a percentage of the initial cost. In the latter case, the final price could be determined by the transport price.
One of the major factors that will influence how much it will cost to ship your car will be the distance. This is a very straightforward consideration: the further your car gets transported, the more the company will charge.
Of course, different auto transport companies vary in rates – the pricing is nowhere near uniform. A 1,500-mile trip could cost anywhere from $900 to $1,800, depending on the dealer.
In addition to distance, the starting location and destination will also play a role. If you’re transporting your car to or from a rural are that isn’t frequented by carriers, the cost will probably go up.
Unlike distance, this is a factor that you can influence. For example, you could drive your vehicle to the nearest shipping terminal or have it delivered at a terminal. You should calculate if the drive is worth the price reduction, but keep in mind that city-to-city transport that utilizes highways will usually be more cost-effective.
Since we’ve mentioned terminals, you should be aware that door-to-door transport is costlier than terminal-to-terminal. If you need same day car shipping or next day auto transport, driving your vehicle to a terminal might not get it delivered faster, but it could reduce the initial cost.
The door-to-door option will be more viable only if the nearest terminal is too far from your destination. Additionally, some companies might not have terminal shipping available.
The next factor that can play into the total price will be something we’ve already talked about: the choice between open and enclosed shipping. In most cases, open transport will do the job just fine, and you should opt for enclosed only if necessary.
Finally, you could spare a portion of your budget by carefully selecting the time of year for transport. Shipping prices will be at their highest during seasons with the greatest demand. This is usually at the start of the year and in the summer. If you can select a different season for the move, you’ll most likely reduce the cost.
When you opt for the fastest car shipping, the additional cost will generally be between 20% and 60% of the regular price. Depending on what you’ve started with, this could amount to several hundred dollars to a few thousand.
How to Reduce the Cost of Fast Auto Shipping
As described above, the first step towards a more affordable transport service will be to reduce the initial shipping expenses. To do that, you should cover several aspects:
- Opt for terminal-to-terminal service, if available
- Choose open transport
- Don’t take extra services like expedited enclosed shipping
- Transport your car off-season
In addition to these steps, you can also make sure to book the transport well in advance. It would be best to do this at least a week before you need to send the vehicle. Whatever you do, try not to book last minute shipping, as that will bloat the expense even further.
Aside from the mentioned, the best way to find a budget-friendly option for quick car transport would be to shop around for multiple transport company options.
We’ve already mentioned that different companies will have different rates. And even if their rate per distance is the same, their pricing for extra services likely won’t be. That’s why it would be ideal to get at least three or four quotes from different companies.
This method will help you find the most favorable offer and get a better idea of what constitutes a fair price.
Understanding regular prices might even be the most important part. While you want to find the fastest way to ship a car for the least amount of money possible, you don’t want to get the absolutely cheapest option available.
If a company is offering absurdly low prices, that might be cause for concern more than anything else. In fact, it could turn out that you’re dealing with an unlicensed or even fraudulent organization. Bottom line, this might end up costing you more than the money you were supposed to save.
In that sense, staying away from suspiciously low prices is also a way of getting the job done cheaper.
After all, there are reasons why, to ship fast, auto transport companies charge more. The premium aspect of the service reflects the additional work and costs that the company needs to invest. That’s why it would be best to stick to prices that gravitate towards the market average.
An overly cheap service might mean unreliable delivery, less insurance coverage, poor customer service, and everything in between. Think of it this way: If the offer is so low that it doesn’t make sense for the company’s bottom line, it’s probably too good to be true.
Another way you could reduce your expenses would be to go through a transport broker. Brokers are transport companies that work with carriers as an intermediary. Good transport brokers collaborate with hundreds or even thousands of carriers.
What this means for you as a customer is more choice. You can use the broker’s network to gain access to the best deals available.
Finally, you should consider one crucial question: Do you really need expedited shipping?
When Do You Need Extra Speed?
Getting your car transport fast isn’t always necessary, even though it might seem like the best option.
For example, the route that your vehicle is supposed to traverse might make the expedited method obsolete. Certain routes are more frequented by carriers because they are fast and usually congestion-free. In fact, if a carrier uses such a route, your vehicle could be picked up and prepared for shipping well within the first 24 hours from the moment you place your order.
A professional company should be willing to check this for you and inform you if expedited transport is truly necessary. Otherwise, you could end up paying for overnights car shipping without a good reason.
The most common situations where you should consider fast transport would be if you need the car for work at your new location as soon as possible. Such situations might include transporting your vehicle to a car show or an auction within a limited time frame, or when you’re going on a short vacation or trip and its important have your car there as soon as you arrive.
Get the Best Expedited Transport for Your Money
In most cases, getting the best deal for expedited car shipping will boil down to finding the best transport company. If you’re dealing with seasoned professionals who put their reputation above all else, you can rest assured you’ll get the most budget-friendly offer at no additional risk.
Luckily, there are companies that can offer you just that, and we include ourselves among them. Visit Cross Country Car Shipping now to get a quote on your expedited transport and discuss all options with us.