What is Open Car Transport?
With open-air transport carriers, your car is loaded onto a trailer that typically has two racks which can hold anywhere from four to ten vehicles. The truck has no walls or roof but uses special equipment to keep your car safely secured to the ramps. Most customers prefer to use open car transport for their vehicles because it’s fast and economical. If you’re looking to simply move your car from Point A to Point B, open air transport is a great way to go.
When searching for an open-air auto shipping company, it’s important to go with a reliable, licensed carrier that you can trust. Caravan Auto Transport offers completely free quotes from the best in the business. Click ‘Get Quote’ now for a free estimate in just minutes!
Reasons to Use Auto Shipping Companies
There are all kinds of reasons for a move and most moves require that your car goes along with you. Or maybe you found a great deal on a car in another state. You have the option to drive your car yourself – but is it convenient to take time from work? You could hire someone to drive your car for you – but who can you truly trust? Or you could hire an auto shipping company near you to move your car– definitely a far easier way to go!
Here are some of the many benefits of hiring an auto transport company for shipping your vehicle from Point A to Point B.
Convenience
The number one reason to hire an auto transport company has to be convenience. Depending on the route, driving cross-country requires a minimum of three days and a maximum of six. That’s time you could be spending getting settled in your new hometown or meeting a work deadline. There’s also the cost of that road trip – between gas, lodging, tolls, and food, you’re spending a lot. Also, if your family has multiple cars, how would you handle getting them all moved?
Less Stress
They say marriage and moving are two of the most stressful life events you’ll ever encounter. Why add to the stress of moving or a tight work schedule by trying to move your vehicle(s) yourself? Hiring an auto mover can make things a whole lot easier for you during your busy life.
Less Wear and Tear
Driving your vehicle cross country puts miles and a great deal of unnecessary wear-and-tear on your vehicle. Keep the residual value of your auto higher by having your auto shipped.
Surprisingly Affordable
If you ship your car by open-air transport, it not only makes life easier for you, it’s also much more affordable than you might expect. Haulers can load more cars on any particular trip, resulting in lower costs to you. Open air transport typically costs half of what enclosed carriers charge.
Fast Shipping
Because there are many more open trailer transporters on the road than enclosed trailers, customers shouldn’t have any trouble scheduling a reliable nearby shipper. With fewer enclosed trailers available, the wait to schedule can be much longer – not so convenient if you have to move your vehicle quickly.
Insurance Coverage
All haulers carry insurance, so should there be any damage to your vehicle during transit, you can rest easy knowing it will be covered by the transporter. An additional advantage to going with open-air transport is that the driver will be able to immediately see if there’s any damage and make you aware right away.
The Best Open Auto Transport Companies of 2024
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Cost to Ship a Car
The cost to ship a car with open car transport is very affordable. Although a number of factors come into play, you can expect estimates to vary from about $500 for a short interstate trip to $1,500 for cross-country transport.
Distance
Open air car transport typically costs about $1 per mile for the first 1 to 500 miles. The further you go, the lower the price per mile. For example, moving a car 1,000 miles drops the rate to $.75 cents a mile, barring additional cost factors. Coast-to-coast auto transport can be as low as $.40 cents per mile, depending on the route.
Pick-up and Drop-off Points
Shipping in and out of urban areas typically costs less because plenty of transport vehicles are available to handle customers’ schedules. But if you live far away from a major urban area, you can choose to meet the driver at a designated urban location for better pricing and faster delivery.
Vehicle Size and Weight
The size and weight of your vehicle will make a difference in shipping costs. For instance, it will cost you an average of $650-$850 to transport a four-door sedan from the northeast down to Florida. The same company might charge anywhere from $900-$1,100 to transport SUVs, vans, or pickup trucks the same distance. Larger vehicles take up more room, affecting the number of vehicles that can fit on a carrier. Heavier vehicles load the carrier down, affecting fuel costs.
Time of Year
Vehicle hauling to warmer states during the winter is very popular, so you might have a harder time finding available space on a carrier at an affordable price. If you can wait to make that same trip off-season, you could stand to save hundreds of dollars on your auto delivery.
Delivery Time
The amount of time you have available to receive your car makes a difference. If you need it in a hurry, your cost will increase as the shipping company will have to make accommodations to meet your expedited schedule. But if you don’t need it as quickly – like a couple of weeks as opposed to days – your cost will be lower as the hauler will have time to drop off cars to other customers.
Car’s Condition
If your car isn’t running, it will cost more to ship because the hauler will need additional equipment to load it on the carrier. They may require a winch or a forklift to get it on the transport vehicle. If they don’t have the special equipment, they’ll have to rent it and make sure the hauler has the special training to use the equipment. So, a good question to ask yourself is, “is moving this vehicle worth the expense?”
Auto Transport Quote
Request a free quote now from Caravan Auto Transport’s network of open-air car transport companies. It’s free and just takes a minute. Our partners work nationwide, transporting thousands of cars, vans, trucks and SUVs every day. When you find an open-air auto transporter through Caravan Auto Transport, you get the assurance of:
Free Shipping Quotes
Take the hassle out of searching for a licensed, insured open air carrier with Caravan Auto Transport. Just enter the details of your move – the date, the pick-up and drop-off locations, and car being transported – and in seconds you’ll have quotes from the best companies near you.
Nationwide Coverage
We work with the best shippers from coast to coast who offer quality service at affordable pricing. The carriers cover extensive road networks, ensuring that no matter where you want to send your vehicle, they’re able to make it happen.
Licensed Transporters
All of the companies we work with maintain the required state and federal licensing. Just as with everything else, when it comes to auto transporting, you “get what you pay for.” We vet every company to ensure they’re reputable and licensed.
Insurance Coverage
Every open-air carrier is required to maintain the proper amount of insurance coverage required by state or federal law. We ensure that every company we work carries all necessary insurance to protect your vehicle.
Experience
When you’re shipping a vehicle, you want assurance that it will arrive in the same condition it was in when it left. We make sure that you’re working with the most experienced open-air auto transport companies in the industry.
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For free quotes from licensed, insured open-air car shipping companies near you, click ‘Get Quote’ now!