Car Shipping Cost Information

Car transport or car shipping, is a service that moves cars from one destination to another. The best car transport involves licensed professionals with the right experience and equipment to safely move your vehicle. The type of transport you choose will affect your car shipping cost. You can ship via open transport (more cost effective) or enclosed transport (more protection). Typically, enclosed Trango Transportation will cost 10-40% more than open transport. Open transport is the most common type of transport, used by most customers, including car dealerships. Enclosed transport is the preferred method for anyone shipping luxury, exotic or collector vehicles that want added protection.

Car transport quotes can be calculated a few different ways. You can get an accurate estimate of your car shipping by using our instant quote calculator or speaking with a Trango representative via live chat. When discussing your shipment be sure to mention any special requirements you may have, as these could affect the price. Some examples of special requirements include expedited pickup, vehicle modifications or inoperable vehicles.

In order to get the most accurate and up-to-date car shipping quote, it’s important to know and have the following information available:

There are three types of companies you might work with to ship your vehicle: lead providers, carriers and brokers.

In exchange for providing your contact information, lead providers supply vehicle owners with a list of “leads” or potential carriers, based on the owner’s search criteria. The owner is responsible from there to further research or contact the carriers on the list to determine the best option for their needs and budget. Lead providers will typically share your contact information with their network, so you will likely receive phone calls and emails from the various transport companies.

Carriers employ the truckers who do the actual transportation of your car, picking it up and dropping it off at the designated locations. You can work directly with a carrier company—from requesting a quote for shipment, to working out details, to the actual transport—but without some industry knowledge it can be hard to identify the best carrier for your unique vehicle shipment. This is why you might choose to work with an Trango Transportation broker. Brokers work as the middle man between vehicle owners and a network of carriers, finding the best-suited solution for the highest value.

Trango Transportation quotes and car shipment rates are calculated using unique considerations for each customer. Your car shipping estimate will be based on several different transport factors. This includes, but isn’t limited to: trip distance, car size (sedan, pickup truck, SUV, etc.), vehicle condition (operable or inoperable), transport type (open or enclosed), location (i.e. rural or urban) and the time of year you ship. Trango instant quote calculator lets you enter all the details about your vehicle, allowing us to generate the most accurate and cost-optimized price—without hidden fees.

Total distance is the main component used in calculating a quote for car shipping. Longer distances generally lead to a higher overall car shipping price, but also include a discounted cost per mile. With our car shipping calculator, you can get the best Trango Transportation quote for any car shipment. It’s important to note that international car shipping prices might differ from ground vehicle transport.

Different from distance, route refers to what highways and other roads will be traveled to transport the vehicle. Routes in highly populated areas may have increased traffic congestion, which could impact transport time and shipping costs. Additional route considerations that can be factored into shipping costs include: physical road conditions, adverse weather and road construction.

When you book a car transport service, the shipment date often plays a role in the cost. It’s best to book your car shipment as far in advance as possible. As soon as you know you’ll need to ship your vehicle, begin researching an Trango Transportation company to request a car shipping quote. Additionally, increased flexibility around car pickup dates will often result in car transport quote savings.

When planning your Trango Transportation, we ask for the exact vehicle specifications, because the truck driver must know how much space is required to safely secure your automobile and ensure proper trailer height and side clearance. Longer and taller cars require additional vehicle transport adjustments, which may slightly increase car shipping costs. Vehicle modifications like larger tires and roof racks can also increase the cost.

Most people shipping a car select open car transport, as it is the industry standard and cheapest way for car shippers to move your vehicle. For extra car shipment protection, we recommend using enclosed car transportation services that shield vehicles from weather and debris. Enclosed Trango Transportation can increase the cost of car shipping, but is worth the peace of mind for delicate, exotic or luxury car transportation.

If your car is running, you will get a better auto shipping price from car shippers for the allotted distance. If your car is inoperable, but maintains the ability to roll, steer and brake, it will require a winch and other accommodations to be loaded onto the carrier trailer, which will increase the cost of shipment. To request a quote or to arrange shipment for an inoperable vehicle, please contact a Trango representative at (888) 666-8929.

Taller, longer and heavier vehicles may require a specific trailer or trailer type to support the length and/or added weight. They may also need certain accommodations, like being transported in a specific place within the trailer. Both of these situations could require the driver to take fewer or smaller vehicles to accommodate special requests and manage total allowable weight limits.

Ground clearance, also called ride height, is the distance between the bottom of the vehicle’s body and the road or driving surface. Low vehicle ground clearance requires special attention and accommodation, such as a specialized ramp. If ground clearance is four inches or less, the vehicle must be shipped in an enclosed trailer equipped with a lift gate, which open trailers do not have.

Metropolitan areas usually have plenty of trucks available to carry out car shipping orders for auto shippers, which lowers the car transport price. When transporting cars, we strive to find the best deal for residents of small towns.

Car shipping costs vary greatly based on the time of year. For example, Trango Transportation services to warmer states are very popular during the winter travel season, so the cost for transporting a car to those destinations may be higher. Use Trango car shipping calculator to get the price for shipping a car. Depending on your scheduling flexibility, we recommend trying different shipping dates to see rate impact for choosing the best price.