You can get top quality car shipping for $495 with National Express (and without sacrificing value. Here’s how:

Use Our Open Transport / Open Carrier Shipping

Shipping a vehicle via open Transport will save you the most money. It is the most commonly used method and there are more of these around than any other type. The abundance of these carriers and since so many use them helps contribute to the cheap price tag. An auto carrier that is going from your area and traveling through to your destination will take that vehicle and add it to a group of up to 10 others heading in that same direction. Thereby reducing the cost of shipping as it is divided by the all the vehicles onboard.

Ship Your Car at The Right Time Of The Year

Keep it cheap by taking advantage of your flexibility with dates. Like most others, the shipping industry has a high season and a low season. If you’re a little more flexible with your schedule, and you don’t mind waiting a while to see your car on the other side, you might want to wait until the low season to ship your car at a lower cost.

Shipping prices are usually highest during the summer and early fall. This is the high season for the shipping industry. Most people will be looking to ship their cars at this time, and the higher demand will drive up the price. So if you want to be thrifty, wait until the winter or spring to ship your car so you can take advantage of the lower costs.

Use Populated Cities and Towns

Also keep it cheap by taking advantage large cities in your area. Live in a small town or suburb? That can make for nice quiet living, but expensive car shipping. If you aren’t near cities and highways, consider selecting a location near those to keep cost low.

Questions:

Is it Safe?

A possible misconception about open transport is that it’s some sort of bargain basement option. This can’t be further from the truth. It can be compared to economy class on a flight. It’s the way most people travel. The same can be said about open transport. Over 4,000 open auto carriers ship cars throughout the country. Even dealerships contract a transport company to send a car the most cost effective way possible. This is because they may have one vehicle that is going to a buyer. Open carrier will be more cost-effective than just moving one by itself using flatbed shipping, for example.

It’s important to note that this is typically the most money conscious and common way to ship a car, however it does not mean that the Lowest Rate among the estimates you are receiving will be the best option for you. We have seen almost first hand what you get when you pick the lowest rate without looking into that choice further. If your focus is finding the cheapest way to ship a car, it is obviously because your intent is to make it as affordable as possible within your budget. It’s very common that the company coming in with the lowest rate compared to all the others will usually be the company that will have the most customer complaints. Google reviews.

Can I Ship it Myself?

This can be done by renting a trailer and doing it yourself or just filling up the tank and getting on the road.  You might be surprised to know that both towing and driving your car to your new location might not be the cheapest way to get it there. The amount that you end up spending on fuel, motels, and food when driving all that way in a truck or your car can easily be much more than you would spend on a shipping company.

That’s not factoring in the amount that you would lose in lost productivity by spending all those hours on the road. Take the number of hours you would spend driving your car to the destination and multiply it by your hourly rate. Is it really less expensive than what you would spend on a car shipping company?

Besides, driving your car over so many miles will spike up your car’s mileage. And all the money you think you’re saving on shipping, you’ll have to waste on repairs later when your car starts breaking down much sooner than its depreciation years.

Tip: Avoid Flat Bed Shipping / Wreckers

This is the least economical and provides the least value. Sure they will be there likely same day, but it is very expensive.  Think of taking a flight and buying all the seats on the plane just he could be by yourself. Doesn’t make much sense. But for emergency transport, or expedited “rush” it is useful. Wrecker  companies come within hours or even minutes but are extremely expensive because they work just for you. They also only travel short distances. They typically use flatbed trucks and hook-on tow trucks. A great post explaining the difference between tow companies and transport companies can be found here.

Most people view door-to-door shipping as the more convenient method. You’ll get to have the trucker pick up your car at your home, workplace, or garage, and have them drop it right at your doorstep on the other end. But it’s the more expensive option.

Recap

• Open Carrier is the cheapest way to ship a car as it splits the cost.
• Save more money on Open Carrier by using more favorable locations.
• Time of year decides the rates.
• Flatbed Service / Roadside Tow Truck is the fastest but most definitely the lesser value compared to open and even enclosed.

We hope this helps you differentiate the different ways of shipping a car and help you sort out which is the most cost efficient way to move a car for your budget and type of vehicle. If you have any questions you can always contact us at 800-284-7177.

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