Whenever we feel the need to ship our car; it is not just about the loading, pickup, and delivery. It is rather a wholesome experience because those who keep cars for the love it really what it takes to care for it. As a classic lover, you have to find someone who also understands your pain, which is to handle the car with love; no bruises, scratches, dust, dents etc. Because car shipping has its own challenges whether at your end or at your provider’s end. Everything matters about car shipping; choosing an auto transport company, their services and insurance, and your classic car shipping cost.
In this detailed post on classic car transport cost, you will get to know about the nitty gritty of classic car shipping, the factors that influence the cost, considering different options of car shipping prices, which transport method to choose; open or enclosed, and how to effectively reduce costs. Further to the key factors, learning how to plan, matching costs from various sources, seasonality and discount factors. Sticking till the end will solve your queries relevant to classic car shipping and its cost.
Classic auto shipping has many key influencing factors that need to be understood to make smart and informed decisions. Here are those factors discussed:
Most carriers have certain limits for carrying vehicles in a single shipment. Big and heavy vehicles of certain makes and models may cost more because they typically take up an unusual space.
The classic cars included valuable vehicles are handled with extra care and safety protocols. For such classic cars the insurance cost is also more, and may be transported in enclosed transport methods.
A long distance shipment generally costs more because more fuel is burnt on the way. However, the cost per mile is less for longer trips and more for shorter trips.
The vehicle has to be in a working condition so it can be loaded easily, a non-working car will probably cost more to load and unload at the time of pickup and delivery.
Enclosed Car Shipping is specially offered for classic vehicle shipping because it completely protects the vehicle, but is also the costliest transport method.
The delivery or transit time is dependent on the length of the route, the more the transit time, the costlier it will get.
The costs go up when the pick or delivery location is situated in a remote area or it is hard to reach due to narrow roads and streets where trailers cannot get in.
What time of the year you are shipping can significantly reduce or increase the cost because peak seasons like summers, and winter holidays are very costly for vehicle shipping.
So for longer trips the cost per mile is decreased while for shorter trips it is increased. This is applicable for any kind of shipment.
There are two types of shipment methods so far; open and enclosed shipment types. Both have different features, you need to choose accordingly. For antique car transport, or classic cars, enclosed is preferred mostly.
Open Car Shipping is considered to be the most popular, cheap, and most preferred shipping methods. In this shipping method your car will be shipped in an open trailer alongside other trailers. It will be exposed to elements, debris, scratches, dust, and bad weather. Despite all this, it is a safe shipping option for standard cars, the damage risk is also rare. When the damage occurs, it is covered through the provider’s insurance plan.
Another option is Enclosed car shipping, it is the most costly one. But it is also a great choice for classic car owners, you get to enjoy the peace of mind while your car is safe from any possible damage whether minor or major. It justifies the classic shipping cost with its added facilities.
Classic car owners normally go for enclosed transport methods because their cars are rare and valuable. They cannot imagine their cars getting even light scratches. Most providers suggest this method for unique, valuable, and exotic cars.
It is important for classic auto shipping to be as valuable as possible but reduces the cost too. In order to make this happen, you should look at classic car transport companies that have already mastered the pains of classic owners; they believe in offering value rather than charging hefty amounts for moving your high value cars.
To plan your classic vehicle shipping perfectly, you must look at classic car transport companies who can help you plan, and schedule your shipments. At your end, you must contact the providers as early as possible, last minute shipments are neither cheap nor perfectly planned. In this way you can buy more time to search a few top companies and get different price offers for their value added services. You can use their online Car Shipping Cost Calculator tool to generate quotes instantly; just enter your car and shipment details on the tool.
Now that you have already gathered many quotes, it is your duty to compare the car shipping quotes against one another; find out who offers better services at much more reasonable costs. Lowest costs also don’t guarantee quality, you must be careful while checking details, any price anomalies like hidden charges, low upfront cost, and a very high total cost. You must choose something that is cost-effective with great customer support.
While we have already discussed the details of open and enclosed car shipping,it is all up to you to make the final decision. Open car transport is typically preferred by standard car owners, or vehicles for which debris, scratch or dent is not the case, such as military vehicles.
But you are aware that your car is unique and high value, it cannot be risked with open shipment to save some cost. You must go with enclosed shipping to keep risks out of question.
Most companies offer discount and low prices for car shipping services in off-peak months because the demand is less in these times. If it is possible for you to keep your dates flexible, you must ship in the off seasons. You will save a lot of money.
Peak times are summer months, or Christmas holidays. In these months most people move, and they are ready to pay heavy amounts to ship. This is when companies also offer Expedited Car Shipping services for urgent cases. But if you move in non-peak times like spring and fall times, you get to save tons of money here too.
To conclude, classic car shipping cost is dependent on many factors like car size, model, transit route, weather, locations, and preferred shipping method. It is important to make a smart analysis of your classic auto shipping needs; plan well, choose the best provider, best time of the year, and the cost-effective services. A successful car shipping is the result of understanding all aspects of transportation.
It usually costs US $500 to over $2,000 inside the country, depending on distance, car size, transport type; open or enclosed, value, and condition. Cost per mile often ranges from $0.48 to $2.75 for classic cars.
Not always, but it is often recommended. Enclosed transport protects your classic car from weather, debris, rust, and damage during transit. It costs about 30 to 60% more than open transport.
The difference is mostly age and fragility. “Classic” usually means roughly 20 to 40 years old; “antique” means at least 45 years old. Antique cars tend to need more careful handling, more protection, more specialized transport because they are older and often rarer.
You should give full details: pick‐up and drop-off locations, distance, car make, model, size, whether it runs, whether you want enclosed or open transport. Also inform if you want door-to-door vs terminal pick-ups, and request insurance information.
Sometimes yes, but many companies don’t allow it or limit how much. Personal items are normally not insured by the transport company. If allowed, items must be under weight and placed safely in the trunk or below the window line, and policies differ by carrier.
Choose open transport instead of enclosed if you can accept more risk. Book ahead and avoid peak times like holidays, heavy weather seasons. Have your car ready such as tires inflated, any leaks fixed, pick convenient pickup or drop-off points, and compare several quotes.
