Budgeting for Your Auto Transport Experience
Shipping a car can be an expensive endeavor, depending on where you’re shipping from and to, and most people are going to have to do some sort of budgeting in order to fit the cost into their financial plans. If you don’t need to budget, great – you’re a step ahead of the game. But for all you who do need to budget, here are a few helpful tips that should hopefully put you in control of your shipment and get the best service that you can find.
1. Give Yourself Time
The auto transport industry is all about timeframes. Pickup windows, delivery windows, transit time, dispatch times – it’s all about how much time you have, and when budgeting your shipment it’s no different. Usually you want to start looking for auto transport companies and getting quotes two to three weeks before you actually have to ship your vehicle. Use this time to compare prices and services and book your shipment, and once you have your order booked with a company you can start saving money for the shipment, for which you will already know the price. You don’t have to book right away, but it’s usually a good idea since it also gives your shipper more time to find a carrier and schedule your pickup for the day you want it picked up. It’s a win-win, really.
2. Budget more than you need to
We hate to say this, but sometimes prices change. Quotes are rarely guaranteed for more than two weeks, but even within that time frame they are subject to change. It’s because of the way the industry works; costs are based on fuel prices and driving distance, as well as popularity of your pickup and delivery locations and the available routes between them. Route prices are subject to change without notice as a result, and this trickles down to you in the form of price hikes. By budgeting 10-20% more than what you were quoted, you’ll be able to afford paying a bit extra if it means your vehicle gets picked up on the day you want it.
3. Cheaper isn’t always better
We really can’t stress this enough – while it may be tempting to try to ship on a budget and go with a lower quote, sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, and it’s for the reasons outlined in point #2. If you go with the lowest quote you receive, if prices go up it’s going to cost even more to get your vehicle picked up than it would if you chose a price more in the middle. This is also why it’s important to gather multiple quotes – you’ll end up with a good range of prices that you can then compare to one another. With more information, more prices and more knowledge of the industry, you’ll be better able to choose the company that’s right for what you’re looking for.
If you’re interested in shipping a vehicle and are trying to figure out what it will cost, you really should fill out our free online auto transport quote request form. If you do, you’ll get a free quote to ship your vehicle instantly. No waiting for an email, just a simple price that won’t change. We work with only top-rated carriers on the road so you’ll be in good hands from start to finish. If you’d rather speak to someone over the phone, give us a call at 800-930-7417. Our friendly representatives can answer your questions, give you a quote, book your shipment, and more.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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