By far the most important concern to anyone looking to Ship a car is the price. Safety and reliability of course are also important to you but the deciding factor on whether you going to move forward or not is finding out how much the cost will be to ship a car and if what you have to pay fits your budget. By now if you may have also have read our post on how to ship a car you have a more solid idea of what to look for when getting rates. And of course, everyone wants to save money.

What Factors Determine the Average Rate

Shipping a car can set you back as little as $150 if it’s really nearby or be as much as $2000 if going all the way to Hawaii from the East Coast. But as logical as it may seem the distance has everything to do with how much it is to ship a car, that’s not always the case. There are a lot of factors such as proximity to major areas, highways, the overall volume of traffic in area, and even the time of year. That does not take into account oversized vehicles or shipping a car that doesn’t run.

Proximity to Major Highways Affects the Price to Ship

There is very little chance that someone else is shipping a car to your exact neighborhood. If you are miles from the highway, chances are that truck driver has to make their way back to continue on towards the next pick up or drop off location. The farther you are from the highway the higher the chances are that you are in a residential neighborhood with narrow roads and streets. The carrier has to be maneuvered through these areas to make your delivery as everything is done door-to-door. The time and effort involved in each stop the carrier makes will affect cost.

Big Cities and Populated Areas Determine How Much

The larger the population in your area, the higher the chance of other vehicles will need to be picked up or dropped off. Making it easy fuck you Auto transport is much bigger than you think and thousands of people are shipping their cars daily. Though a nice big road in an open area makes it really easy for the trucker to park and unload your vehicle, it’s the densest and most populated areas make the most money for them. Which means distances will be smaller between stops and many vehicles that are available.

Time of Year Influences Cost

Not many people also are aware that different times of the year can influence the price when trying to figure out how much to ship a car. An easy is example we see year after year is something like New York to Florida or New Jersey to Florida routes. During the summer rates are as low as $450 to come down. But decide to ship your car when winter is coming and you’ll be paying double. Why? Because, this is known as a Snowbird route. Hundreds of vehicles come down from the north as the fall season starts for those avoiding the cold winters in the Northeast. This makes truck space hard to come by and it’s just a matter of supply and demand.

Inoperable Vehicles Will Have a Higher Rate

A vehicle that doesn’t run can cost on average and additional $150.00 or more. This is because of the extra effort involved in moving them. From special equipment to extra time and planning that is needed to accommodate a vehicle that does not run or drive. It’s important to know that the degree of it’s inability to move will greatly affect price. For example, if the vehicle cannot roll, brake, or steer it can cost hundreds more if there is no forklift or other loading and unloading assistance provided if it can’t move at all. This happens with rolling shells or salvage/wrecked vehicles.

How Much the Average Car Will Cost to Ship

A standard sedan like a Nissan Altima, Ford Focus, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry will average from $0.45 to $0.75 per mile when it’s state to state. Then your local short distance move around 350 miles can cost anywhere from $0.90 a mile to $1.50 a mile.

For a standard SUV like a Nissan Murano, Honda CRV, Lexus RX the price per mile will average from $0.50 to $0.82 cents a mile and then $1.00 to $1.65 a mile for short distances of around 350 miles.

Again, the above named factors will have a large influence on where the final price ends up. To present you with an idea of pricing, here is a simple state to state rate sheet (major city to major city; regaular sedan)

Oversized Cars or Other Large Vehicles Will Be More Expensive

Oversize vehicle such as ambulances, large commercial trucks, cargo vans, all have a much higher price tag. This is because a conventional 10 car carrier won’t be able to load them and you lose the discount you have for multiple vehicles together sharing the cost of the shipping. So that means is that with less cars able to fit large distances can range to almost a dollar a mile for something the size of a medical van or ambulance to $2.50 a mile for a large commercial truck that needs to be loaded up on a step deck, lowboy, or flatbed. It doesn’t always have to be that much and it all really varies from area to area and what is being transported. There isn’t a set schedule to go by if you’re trying to figure it out just by what you’re reading here. Your best bet is to get a rate.

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