Nicholas Anthony 16 Jul 2024 3 months ago The cheapest way to ship a car is, as you would expect, to drive it to the destination yourself. This method doesn’t incur transportation or extra insurance fees, and the only costs you’ll need to cover in transit concern gas and possibly lodgings if you’re transporting the vehicle across a long distance. However, this option isn’t always viable due to how time-consuming it can be. If you need to rely on an external service, what other cheap ways to transport a car are there? We’ll discuss these options below in the rest of the article. Finding the Cheapest Way to Ship a Car – Available Options First, let’s discuss each individual method of transporting your car to its destination and the costs associated with these methods. Driving It Yourself Hopping into your trusted vehicle on an impromptu road trip can take care of business easily. The major caveat lies in the time investment needed to actually get from point A to point B. Of course, if you only have a short distance to cover, then it’s not that big of a deal. Complications begin to arise once you start considering cross-country trips. If it’s just you and your car, you can expect fuel costs to run you at approximately $140 per 1000 miles. Note that this doesn’t include food, lodging, or any other costs you may accrue along the way. Overall, for a full trip involving transporting your car to another state far away, for example, on an NYC to California drive, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $700 on average. Asking a Friend Similar to the first method, fuel costs will likely constitute the largest share of the total. No matter the depth of your bond of friendship, though, the friend may expect a favor or payment in return for undertaking this considerable task. However, this method does come with the benefit of freeing up your time and could potentially allow you to recoup your losses by working while your friend is in transit. Vehicle Transport Companies Though it certainly won’t be cheaper than doing it yourself, car shipping companies offer professionalism and know-how to transport your vehicle to your desired destination safely and on time. Depending on your preferred transport method (and a range of other factors we’ll discuss later), renting a car shipping service could be an effective way to save some money, at least compared to the next two methods. That being said, expect costs of around $1000. Shipping by Plane Shipping your car by plane is by far the fastest way – though definitely not the cheapest. In fact, unless you’re shipping a luxury car or something with incredible value, the cost may even be higher than the value of your car in itself. Shipping a car by plane may run you around $4000, depending on the length of the journey. Keep in mind that these costs go up exponentially when shipping it across the ocean. Shipping by Train Train shipments are a bit more grounded in cost. On top of the passenger fare, train tickets for your car can run around $300–$500 dollars on far destinations. However, that doesn’t account for limitations in train infrastructure. Since the train only goes where its tracks can lead it, extra costs come in the form of transport to and from the station. The total amount of money could range from $1000 to $2000 all told. What Influences Car Shipping Cost? There are a number of factors influencing the cost, which include: Enclosed vs. open car transport: Open car shipping is the most cost-efficient method, transporting vehicles on an open carrier. By contrast, enclosed car shipping increases protection from the elements but costs a few hundred more dollars. Distance: The distance between pickup and delivery locations will determine the bulk of the cost. Shipping a car to another state, for example, is much more expensive than transporting it without crossing state lines. Car condition: If your car is in operable condition, loading it onto the carrier will require no special tools or equipment. Conversely, non-running cars that need special intervention and labor cost more to ship. Car size & weight: Larger, heavier vehicles occupy more room on the carrier, which translates to more fuel needed for transport, while smaller, more compact cars are cheaper to deliver to their destination. Shipping season: Demand increases in the summer since that is considered the peak season in the car shipment industry. Additionally, weather conditions affect auto transport as well, so be prepared to pay more with heavy snowfall or precipitation. Other factors: Personalizing the transport, such as choosing a door-to-door service or requesting expedited delivery, will also increase the cost. The Takeaway What’s the cheapest way to transport a car? Other than doing it yourself, entrusting your vehicle to a reliable car shipping company may be the best way forward. Shop around for quotes, choose to transport your vehicle in an open carrier, and do so outside of peak season, and your total costs shouldn’t exceed $1200–$1500, even on the longest cross-country distances possible. You may also read: How to Ship a Car? Complete Shipping Guide Nicholas Anthony Share this: