Car transportation is one of the largest auto related industries in the US. It’s also one of the most controversial ones, especially when it comes to services charging their customers far too much, without actually guaranteeing the safekeeping of property and deadlines.
The goal of this text is to lift the veil and show you how car transportation companies actually form the prices of a job and what to avoid when booking such a service.
What auto-transportation companies don’t want you to know about their prices
Transportation companies are known for providing low, extremely attractive quotes, only to increase the end price on vehicle delivery. Why does that happen? Because 98% of auto transportation companies are not directly responsible for the actual transportation, but are simply contracting your move to a different, smaller company.
This means that there is a serious disjunction between the quoted price and the actual cost only hands on professionals can provide you with. Here’s what the price of your vehicle transportation is actually based on.
Based on the size of the vehicle
The size of the vehicle is one of the deciding factors for the cost of transportation. If a vehicle is too large or high for a regular 8 vehicle transporting flat bed, then a 3-4 car trailer will be the only way to transport it – in order for a company to make financial sense of losing the space of 2 cars, for the price of one, they charge more for larger vehicles.
What auto-moving companies don’t mention is that they actually work on a route basis and travel from a location to a location, based on the amount of cars they have to pick up along the way. If you vehicle is taking up the space of 2-3 other cars, then the company won’t be able to make the same amount of money, if your vehicle was regular-sized.
Based on the deadline
The deadline is important for both the owners of vehicles and for the auto-transportation companies. Some low cost companies are simply too small to actually manage the pick-up or delivery and postpone the deadline.
If there is a hard deadline that absolutely must be upheld, companies with accommodate your needs, but will have to forgo other pick-ups along the way, which the end customer will cover.
Based on the location of the vehicle
The location of the vehicle is also extremely important, not only for the pick-up, but also for the delivery. If you are based in a rural, hard to reach area, the price of the service will greatly increase, whereas if you are based in a city or a town which is no more 100 miles away from a major highway, the end price will be much lower.
The same goes for the delivery of the vehicle – rural or hard to reach places cost a lot more, whereas locations with major highway access allows the company to drop-off other vehicles in the area without wasting too much time on round trips.
Based on condition of the vehicle
The condition of the vehicle is important for the actual pick-up process. Vehicles which are in working condition and can be driven, are a hassle-free pick-up. Those which have movement issues and are not operation, require specialized equipment so they can be put on the transportation trailer.
This is why you need to check the condition of the car or to have proof that the vehicle is mobile if you are buying it from a dealership or a seller. Distance shopping for vehicles always hides risks, because the seller can promise that the vehicle is in great condition, only for the transportation company to realize that the car cannot be moved.
Why does this increase the cost of transportation? Because it causes the delay in the schedule of the delivery of other vehicles and requires that specialized equipment be acquired, which will cost the end user money.
USTrans.com can assist you with finding the best transportation company, for the best prices and a secure, hassle free job. Give us a call if you are experiencing issues with prices and want to find the best, lowest rate for any US city to city transportation job.