What Goes Into a Custom Auto Shipping Quote?

1. What Factors Will Affect My Car Shipping Quote?
2. How Will a Vehicle Pickup and Delivery Location Impact My Quote?
3. Why Does the Time of Year Affect My Auto Shipping Quote?
4. How Do Vehicle Shipping Methods Affect My Auto Transport Quote?
5. How Does Vehicle Pick-up and Drop-off Affect My Auto Transport Quote?
6. What Fees Can I Expect When Shipping a Vehicle Internationally?
7. How Can I Benefit from Online Car Shipping Calculators?
8. How Can A-1 Auto Transport Help Me Score a Competitive Shipping Rate?

Convenience is the main reason why people seek out services for shipping cars. Driving a car to its destination can be time-consuming and tiresome. Hiring an auto shipping service to transport your car can help you apply energy toward other essential areas of your life.

Everyone knows that shipping conveniences come with a price. People looking to ship a car naturally wonder how much money they’ll need to dish out. The bottom line is that car shipping prices vary based on numerous factors. Understanding the different elements that shipping quotes for cars will help you shop quotes with more confidence.

Let’s begin by diving into the factors that impact how much you’ll pay to ship a vehicle.

What Factors Will Affect My Car Shipping Quote?

Eight primary factors will affect the price of your vehicle shipping quote. Your vehicle’s height, length, condition, and make/model are four of these factors directly related to the car itself. A car’s pick-up and delivery location, auto transport service type, travel distance, and shipping season make up the rest of your primary quote factors.

Your vehicle’s height impacts its status inside of its travel carrier. An auto transport worker has to organize cars on a carrier based on their size, and more specifically, their height. A taller-than-average SUV is an example of a vehicle that might need to be placed over smaller cars like sedans. The same idea applies to a vehicle’s length. Auto transport companies will charge you more for longer vehicles since they’re more challenging to fit inside a carrier. You might be wondering why a vehicle’s condition matters when it comes to auto transport. An inoperable vehicle will require more work to load and unload. You can still ship an inoperable vehicle—just expect to pay more on average.

How Will a Vehicle Pickup and Delivery Location Impact My Quote?

Pick-up and delivery locations tie into the category of shipping methods which we’ll expand on later. For now, we can highlight the fact that shipping a vehicle to a more remote location will cost you more money. Auto transport companies are shipping cars all over the country. To accommodate the public’s widespread needs, vehicle transport companies will outline routes to travel through areas with heavier market demand. Larger cities are examples of common vehicle shipping destinations. Requesting a more remote drop-off location will result in a hauler having to drive further off their outlined travel route. This same logic applies to pick-up locations.

Distance is a factor that’s similar to pick-up and drop-off locations. Price per mile is one of the most significant elements of an auto transport quote. Longer shipping routes will cost less on average per mile but more overall than a shorter route.

Why Does the Time of Year Affect My Auto Shipping Quote?

The time of year is an occasionally overlooked factor that affects your vehicle shipping quote. Transporting a car during the winter is going to cost more than summer transit. Winter can bring nasty weather like snow and ice that subsequently can alter a hauler’s travel lanes.

We didn’t forget about our need to expand on how shipping methods are a central component of an auto transport quote.

How Do Vehicle Shipping Methods Affect My Auto Transport Quote?

The two primary types of vehicle shipping methods are enclosed and open carrier transport. Open carrier transport remains the most popular due to its status as the least expensive transport method. The downside to open carrier transport is your vehicle’s exposure to natural elements like dirt and dust that can negatively impact your car’s condition. Enclosed auto transport fully encloses your vehicle inside of a carrier for optimal protection from outdoor elements.

Opting for enclosed auto transport can be a great idea if your vehicle is traveling long distances. Airfreight travel is the most expensive form of auto shipping. This auto shipping service carries a high expense due to its expedited delivery capability and ability to provide full vehicle enclosure. People that select air freight shipping are usually transporting high-value cars like modern exotic or rare vintage vehicles.

How Does Vehicle Pick-up and Drop-off Affect My Auto Transport Quote?

Door-to-door shipping is the most convenient—and therefore, the most expensive vehicle pick-up/drop-off method when hiring an auto transport service. An auto transport service will drive to your residence, load the vehicle onto its carrier, and drop your car at your designated location. A less expensive option is driving your car to a location that the auto service provides for drop-off and picking up the vehicle at one of their designated areas. The auto transport industry refers to these less expensive as drop-off/pick-up methods port-to-port shipping or terminal-to-terminal shipping.

Most people pay extra for door-to-door shipping so they can maximize the convenience of their auto shipping experience.

Shipping a car internationally opens the door to different types of additional shipping costs. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when initially looking to ship a vehicle internationally. We’re going to provide you with a cost overview of the international shipping process so you can plan accordingly.

What Fees Can I Expect When Shipping a Vehicle Internationally?

You’ll have the choice between a shared or individual container when shipping your vehicle overseas. Customers that ship their vehicle in an individual container are most likely seeking complete protection for a high-value vehicle. You can choose to expedite the process of shipping your vehicle overseas for an extra fee if you’re in a time crunch. A car’s international travel route, pick-up, and drop-off location are similar to domestic shipping elements that affect a quote, while import taxes are a different ballgame.

International vehicle import fees can be very small, very large, or anywhere in between. Some drivers might find themselves better off selling their current car and buying a new car in their international destination when import fees are on the higher end. A-1 Auto Transport can outline all of the documentation and fees involved in shipping a vehicle internationally.

The most efficient way to ship a vehicle overseas is by airfreight. Like domestic shipping, most people shipping a vehicle by air transport expensive vehicles and need extra security.

So, how will you hand off and pick-up your vehicle during an international shipping process?

The ultra-convenient door-to-door shipping service remains an available option for people sending a vehicle to an international location. Port-to-port and terminal-to-terminal are reliable options for people looking to save some extra money when internationally shipping their car. International auto shipping is similar to domestic auto shipping in a lot of ways. The difference is a variation in the primary transport method along with dealings like passing through customs.

We understand that you’re looking for numbers when sourcing quotes for shipping a vehicle. Online auto transport calculators are an invaluable tool for drivers seeking a car shipping quote.

How Can I Benefit from Online Car Shipping Calculators?

A-1 Auto Transport offers an online car shipping calculator on our site’s homepage. An auto shipping calculator will help you estimate your vehicle delivery time, shipping cost, and curtailing costs. Breaking down the elements of a car shipping quote like we are now can help you know where to cut or curtail certain fees. Do your best to only pay for what you need.

You can use your knowledge of an auto shipping quote’s different elements to source the lowest quote possible. An example of you using this knowledge would be entering summer as the season you’re looking to ship your vehicle. Please keep in mind that an auto transport calculator’s estimate is only a rough estimate. A rough estimate is still better than no estimate at all.

Searching for a competitive auto transport quote can feel overwhelming given all of the company choices available on the market. With all of the noise in today’s marketplace, we let our 30-plus years’ worth of experience speak for itself.

How Can A-1 Auto Transport Help Me Score a Competitive Shipping Rate?

We understand the importance of value when it comes to shipping a vehicle. A-1 Auto Transport strives to provide you with the highest possible service level at the most affordable price. Whether you’re looking to ship your vehicle interstate or overseas—our ability to help your vehicle arrive on time and in good condition remains the same.

A-1 Auto Transport supports your shipping experience every step of the way by:

• Working with reputable companies that share our company philosophy
• Informing you with timely updates throughout your entire shipping process
• Offering competitive pricing options that don’t compromise service quality

Our company thrives on authority, expertise, and transparency. A-1 Auto Transport staff’s thorough experience keeps you on pace toward accomplishing your shipping goals. If tricky situations arrive, our team has the expertise to keep you moving in the right direction. A-1 Auto Transport understands that the auto transport industry can lack transparency at times. We work to keep you consistently in the loop so you can trust us to offer you top-tier service at a competitive rate.

Call A-1 Auto Transport today at 1-888-230-9116 for your free quote.