The Cost Of Car Shipping In 2023 | Worldwide White-Glove Auto Transport

Shiplux

Transportation Type

To get your car to where it needs to go you can pick: enclosed or open transport.

To help you determine the best choice for you, let’s get into what each means:

Enclosed Transportation

Imagine this: your car is gracefully loaded into an impressive fleet of completely covered trailers for a very luxurious ride to its final destination. With enclosed transportation, your car gets the royal treatment, completely protected from any possible harm or damage such as weather elements like snow, rain, sleet, wind and temperature changes, as well as potential thieves or taggers and any debris. Depending on the trailer that fits your needs, your car will ride in style with either 1-3 other cars, 6-7 or 8-9, depending on the liftgate or soft side trailer. Either way, they’ll have a lot of room. You’ll be very pleased when you see your baby returned to you, looking minty fresh and like brand new.

Enclosed transportation is ideal if your vehicle has a higher price tag, if you have a classic, antique or exotic car, or if your vehicle is just near and dear to you. Protecting your vehicle is what we do best, and we will guarantee your car is secure in our hard-side, fully enclosed trailers.

As mentioned, the cost will depend on many varying details, but on average it will cost about $2,500 cross country with an enclosed trip. For the precise number, you will want to obtain a quote. Enclosed is the more expensive option when compared to closed, so prepare for additional fees if opting for this route.

The types of enclosed transport we offer are as follows:

Enclosed Antique Car Shipping:

It takes a special person to invest in an antique car, and we appreciate that. You’re our kind of person! We fully appreciate the unique charm offered by antique cars and how important this collector item is to you. Cars just aren’t made like antique cars anymore, which means there is a lot of attention and care that needs to go into transporting them, to avoid any complications or issues. This includes following the carrier’s instructions carefully in preparation for its journey.

Whatever conditions your antique treasure has endured being here today, we appreciate this, which is why we will cradle it in the correct size and shape of the trailer, with door-to-door drop-off and premium service for your peace of mind.

Enclosed Classic Car Shipping

Classic cars demand extra love and attention and we are dedicated to not only understanding this but exceeding it with our enclosed shipping. We have a long and exciting history of transporting classic cars, which we are proud of, and we hope this will help you to put your trust in us! We understand that the parts are fragile, often with unique bonnets and bodies that need to be protected from any elements, bumps or mess. We never recommend anyone driving a classic car long distances, as this would add unnecessary mileage and increase the overall wear and tear on your special vehicle.

Enclosed Exotic Car Shipping

Exotic cars are one-of-a-kind show-stoppers! These vehicles benefit from enclosed transport for the utmost protection from any external damage that could occur. Due to the low ground clearance typical of exotic cars, our trailers consist of a hydraulic lift to ensure safe loading and a smaller size trailer to avoid any shaking or moving about while on its journey to your new home.

Open Transportation

When it comes to open-transport, just because our car is not in a fully covered trailer, it doesn’t mean that open transportation is not still a premium service!

With open transportation ,your vehicle will be transported on a trailer that is open on all sides. ShipLux offers a wide range of open trailers in various sizes and styles, so depending on your vehicle, it will be securely placed in the careful and detailed orientated eye of our expert team, ensuring everything is smooth along the ride. Open transport is a much more economical choice than the enclosed option, too!

The only “twist” with open transportation is that you should be prepared for a car wash at the end of the journey! But what’s a little dirt?!. If you are fine with that, our open transport options take place more regularly with shipments nearly every day, so you can have a reliable shipping service without extended waiting times.

Between the enclosed and open shipping, both are reliable and 100% safe, with your car being handled and transported securely between locations with our trustworthy carriers and drivers. The main decision when grappling between the two is if you want complete coverage for your car or not. Opting for open transport is a great way to go if you wish to save a bit of money on your journey.

Regardless of which option you opt for, every single ShipLux vehicle shipment is covered by our premium service which includes expert handling from door to door, 24/7 communication, and unlimited tracking updates. White glove service is guaranteed with us!

Time Frames

If you can have some personal flexibility with the timing of your shipment, that will reflect in a decreased price for your shipping.

We always recommend that clients get in touch with us as soon as they have their plans sorted so that we can provide you with a realistic time frame for your shipment. Planning ahead helps with reducing any issues, eliminating delays and allowing us to properly plan out our routes, especially if you are opting for open transport as we try to do multiple deliveries at once. If you are willing to be flexible and wait a bit longer for your vehicle, you may be able to pay a bit less too. So, don’t delay in booking your ride for your ride!

Typically, you can expect your vehicle to be picked up at your door within 24-72 hours after you place your order with ShipLux. This may vary depending on demand, time of year, and pick-up location.

Of course, you can select a time further in the future or sooner—we can happily accommodate expedited services, for an additional cost.

Due to the regulations from The Department of Transportation, commercial drivers doing an overland shipping job are allowed to cover on average 500 miles each day. Naturally, we abide by this because we care about the safety and well-being of our drivers and others on the road. Studies highlight that drivers who do not get sufficient sleep and breaks and just try to keep going can become as impaired and dangerous to the road as drunk drivers. Yikes!

This means that a cross-country shipping journey can take anywhere between 7-10 days with open transport and 5-7 days for enclosed transport. Enclosed transport is quicker, as there are fewer vehicles on the delivery route meaning fewer stops for the driver.

Individuals who wish to opt for our expedited service and need their vehicles picked up on a specific day or delivered by a specific date can buy a strict pickup or delivery window where their vehicle’s handling is prioritized over other pickups or deliveries. For this service, we do our utmost to abide by the window, but sometimes there are factors out of our control that can impact timing.

Are you jetsetting internationally!? International transport via one of our offered routes timing is case by case and we will be happy to discuss your options.

It is important to be aware that as hard as we try, there are often logistical variables that are out of our control that impact the above timeframes. Factors are:

Driving breaks for drivers to eat, sleep, use the restroom, and other necessities.
Dense, bottle-necked traffic.
Road construction.
Adverse, poor weather.
Multiple deliveries and pickups along the way.

These things happen, no matter how experienced the driver is. Large tractor-trailers are also particularly prone to poor road conditions, from icy weather to rush-hour slowdowns. You can learn more about Calculating the Cost to Move from Coast to Coast here!

Delays are more common during the car shipping industry’s busy season which is from May to September, so we recommend booking the shipment six to eight weeks in advance during this season. We will discuss the time of year in more detail below.

ShipLux works with you to provide custom time frames and shipping estimations that suit your exact needs and our dedicated 24/7 customer service teams provide accurate and timely updates so you can be kept very informed on the location and time frame of your delivery.

Vehicle Make And Model

What is your car’s size, make and model? We need to know for your pricing quote!

We always ask you for the exact vehicle specifications, as it’s vital for our transport planning to know how much space is needed to safely secure your car while being mindful of our trailer’s height and side clearance. It is also important for pricing and setting the price as it does vary depending on the car’s exact specifications. Plus, we just LOVE cars and are curious what we get to ship!

Longer and taller cars like SUVs and minivans will be more expensive than smaller cars. This is because, typically, these vehicles require specific transport adjustments in the trailers. Most sedans, for example, have an average height of 57 inches, whereas SUVs are from 63 to 73 inches tall. Due to the difference in height and weight, SUVs are generally more expensive to transport than sedans. If you are curious about the weight of your car, we recommend this article to determine it.

Larger vehicles take up more space in the trailer and weigh more. Weight matters as the maximum trailer limit per The Department of Transportation is 80,000 pounds, so it takes careful consideration for which type and how many vehicles we can transport. Vehicles with cool personalized modifications like larger tires or roof racks may also increase the cost of your vehicle. The heavier your car, the higher the price.

Your vehicle model also matters, as more luxurious, high-end cars require specific additional adjustments and care, which costs more to transport.

It’s a good idea to empty any personal belongings out of your car, as they can add additional weight, increasing the price, and put the items inside which may not be insured at risk.

If you have an oversized vehicle, we can still work with you thanks to our sophisticated and expansive carriers nationwide. If your car is oversized, we’ll give you a personalized quote based on the dimensions of your vehicle.

ShipLux does not believe in any hidden fees when you book with us and we will strive to share with you every single cost that will be involved in your specific vehicle transportation.

Vehicle Insurance And Damage

Now that we’ve discussed how the value of the car may impact the price you will pay, it’s time we discuss vehicle safety, insurance, damage and our role within this.

We take this very seriously and take every precaution to ensure that your vehicle remains intact and safe throughout the entire shipping process.

Firstly, it’s important to highlight that statistically, it’s safer to ship your vehicle than drive it. Being behind the wheel for many long hours can be risky, as you can get easily exhausted, increasing your risk of an accident occurring. This is even more true if you are driving in a busy city, on a highway or have distractions in the car, like kids or pets. Leave it to the pros!

Still, accidents can occur during shipping, no matter how careful we are. What happens if someone, hypothetically, crashes into one of our transport vehicles? Who is responsible?

We always begin with the shipping process by providing our clients with pre-trip instructions. You will receive a little booklet with detailed instructions of all of the steps that should be taken to carefully prepare your car for transportation to minimize any risks, including a questionnaire that asks owners about any physical or mechanical problems.

We’ll give you a little insight into what is included in our instruction booklet (but, shh, don’t tell anyone else!)

Secure/remove vehicle accessories

To prevent any damage to your vehicle and/or the accessories, it is best to remove them, if they can be. Accessories include items such as bike racks, luggage racks, ski racks, and customized spoilers. If your car’s antenna can be removed, it should be.

Check the radiator, battery, and tires

Ensure there’s antifreeze in the radiator and that the car’s battery is charged fully and securely in place. All tires should be inflated at the right pressure to ensure there is no damage.

Check for fluid leaks

Inspect your vehicle for any fluid leaks and if found, have them fixed before the driver picks up your vehicle. If it’s considered only minor and not possible to fix in time, please inform our team so we can plan for the placement of your vehicle in the trailer.

Check the engine and determine any mechanical problems

Check the car’s engine and for other mechanical problems. Ideally, you should have a mechanic do a tune-up. If your vehicle is not running, we will need to know in advance. We can absolutely take your car if it’s not running, but there is specific equipment needed to load your vehicle and there are additional charges in this instance.

Disable all car alarms

Okay, this one is more just a courtesy to our drivers! It can be extremely disorienting and flat out annoying for a driver to have a vehicle with an alarm going off that he can’t easily get to! Let’s work to prevent headaches, shall we!?

In the rare instance that issues and damage do occur while we are transporting your vehicle, we’ll work closely with the vehicle carriers who are equipped with damage control skills and who are fully licensed and insured on how to handle any issue.

They are also thoughtfully trained in high-end vehicle detailing, including classics and antiques, so you can feel confident with your prized possession in our team’s expertise.

What about insurance? It’s important to clarify that ShipLux is a broker, so we work closely with reliable, well-connected carriers who are insured, but we are not carriers ourselves.

Of course, all of the carriers we partner with are legally required to have liability insurance in the case of accidents. However, auto transport brokers, like ShipLux, are not required to hold liability insurance. So, we dont require that clients spend additional money on insurance, but we do advise our clients to do research to assess if they are comfortable with the coverage offered by the carrier’s insurance policy, which may tack on additional fees.

Time Of Year

You may be surprised by this, but, the time of the year has a significant impact on car shipping rates! Like all other industries, there are high and low seasons for us in the car transport industry too.

Summer is hot. Literally and figuratively for car shipping! Car shipping is a hot commodity between May-September as people take advantage of the good weather for moving, relocating or finishing/starting school. This means one thing: surcharge.

Conversely, winter months can be slower. This sometimes means a discounted rate, but this is not guaranteed. The Holiday Season adds in some complications due to carriers and drivers take time off to be with their loved ones, resulting in fewer drivers and less equipment.

Typically, come February to March there is a lull and you may enjoy lowered rates of around 10-15% discounted prices.

But, the winter also means another cold, hard truth: challenging winter weather, like snow, ice and flurries, which means our carriers have to take detours or longer routes to ensure safety, increasing your quote due to more gas and time. This time of year can add anywhere from $100 to $500 to your bill.

Moreover, winter is ‘snowbird’ season. This nickname is given to the many retirees who move to the southern states from places like New York to Texas or Florida seeking warmer weather and decreased living costs.

Snowbird season results in additional traffic on these popular routes, which means it is common to see a higher price on your shipping quote during this time period. Due to the popularity of these snowbird routes, if you chose to go in the opposite direction, but are going the same distance, your quote will be substantially lower. Come the end of March, some snowbirds decide to head back to their homes up north to be with friends or family, putting the prices into reverse, with increased costs being shipped from south to north.

If you have flexibility with your schedule, consider the fall. Between September through November, the demand for car shipping lowers, meaning you get to save!

Distance Traveled

Going, going, gone! When it comes to determining cost, the distance being traveled is one of the most critical factors that can see an increase or decrease in your quote.

he farther your vehicle has to go, the higher the quote and cost will be. This is due to many factors including fuel costs, tolls, and labor costs. It’s always important to consider the state of the economy and what gas prices are, as the higher they go, the more you pay to ship your vehicle.

If your vehicle is only going a short distance, it will cost less overall, but the price per mile will be higher.

Location

Location, location, location. It’s always an important factor, and car shipping is no different.

At ShipLux, we offer door-to-door service. If your car is being dropped off in a rural area, it will be more expensive.

Oppositely, if you need your car dropped off in a popular, busy location, you may notice your quote is lower, as it is more common and therefore there are other cars that need to go that way, too.

Operable Versus Inoperable Vehicles

While regular car shipments are fairly straightforward, if you wish to ship a car that doesn’t run, it can make the shipping process a bit more complicated. How do you ship a car that doesn’t run?

Luckily, ShipLux is more than capable of shipping any vehicle, whether it is operational or non-operable! To be considered a non-operational vehicle, it can be either non-running, which means the car cannot be driven safely, or in-operable, which is a car that cannot be driven whatsoever.

When shipping a vehicle that doesn’t run, it’s important our team is aware of all of the damage and engine issues, as it can cause issues and our team needs to be prepared. For example, does the car tend to roll? Does the car’s brake work? Is it totalled or is it as simple as needing a new battery? We need to know this because if there are issues with starting the engine or with steering, it will require us to have the correct, special equipment.

Depending on the specific circumstances, it will certainly impact the vehicle shipping costs. Please note, even if the vehicle you wish to transport is inoperable, we will still factor in the other normal factors like weight, location, model, time of year, etc.

Conclusion

ShipLux’s mission is straight to the point: we strive to make shipping your vehicle as stress-free as possible. We offer our Premium Service as standard, and our clients find them in every detail we offer, from custom transportation reservations to adaptable and 24/7 on-demand communication, to door-to-door pickup and delivery and the careful handling of every vehicle.

We are 100% transparent, open and honest with pricing. It’s inherent to our business model. To get started with shipping your car, contact us to get a quote. The quote will be returned promptly, completely personalized and include the price in its entirety. There are surprises when you work with ShipLux, regardless of how customized your requirements are. We look forward to working with you!

Car Shipping