The Cheapest Ways to Ship a Car

The world of car shipping can be very overwhelming and a bit confusing. There are so many options to choose from, depending on your needs, your shipping dates and your budget. Today we are taking a closer look at some of the most inexpensive ways to ship your car. Let's get started.

What is the Cheapest Way to Ship a Car?

If you're looking to ship your car, you probably want to know how to do it cheaply and safely. Car Talk researched how to ship your vehicle affordably. We’ll compare car shipping options and show you how to get car shipping online price quotes.

The most inexpensive way to ship a car is called Open Transport. This means your car will be strapped onto the back of a very large truck, along with many other cars on their way to their destinations. This method will save you hundreds in the long run. This does mean, however, that your beautiful car will be exposed to the elements for the entire ride, with possible debris and weather events. This is a great option for car shipping, unless you are trying to transport a classic automobile. We wrote this article for you classic car enthusiasts, The Best Classic Car Shipping Companies.

Why Ship a Car?

Car Talk’s community is no stranger to the auto transport process. Members often have questions about the best and most affordable way to transport their cars. We’ve written up our top recommendations for Best Car Shipping Companies to help answer any outstanding questions. And if you need to ship a car all the way across the country, we've got you covered.

The three most common reasons people ship cars (instead of driving somewhere themselves) are:

1. You’re moving a long distance and need to have a vehicle or vehicles come along.
2. You bought a car far from home and need it brought to you.
3. You want access to your car in a seasonal second home.

Here in the Northeast where Car Talk is headquartered, “snowbirds” with homes in a warmer climate, typically Florida, start the annual migration south after Halloween and return tanned and relaxed by Memorial Day weekend. For many retirees, driving the car back and forth is not just a hassle, but also dangerous.

How to Get Cheap Car Transport Quotes Online

The way we perform any transaction today starts and ends with the internet, and cheap car shipping is no different. There are many individual shipping companies with a web presence that are happy to offer you a deal. However, like booking hotels and flights, there are now online marketplaces like uShip which will consolidate a list of carriers for you to choose from.

The way it works is quite simple. You plug in the location from which you wish to ship the vehicle, the place you want it to arrive, and then you tell the website what car it is by listing the year make and model. You will be asked to create a free account and a password that takes just one moment of time. You then hit the go button and your quotes appear.

The price you see is uShip’s price to offer that service to you via the carrier and uShip will add a transaction fee of around $100 to $150 to your charges. Now that you have some price points established. you can take the next step.

What Does It Cost to Ship a Car?

We experimented with the price portal a bit to get a feel for what it would cost to ship some popular models. Cars like the Acura TSX (Honda Civic) and Toyota Camry are very popular so we used those as our references. We plugged in Naples, Florida as the start point and Millis, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, as the delivery point. Prices before the uShip transaction fee ranged from roughly $550 to roughly $650. The specific year, make and model of the mid size cars we plugged in didn’t change the price by a meaningful amount.

How to Save on Car Shipping Costs

Skip the Door-to-Door Delivery

One price-saving suggestion is to not ship your vehicle door-to-door. If you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Time is money. Requiring an eighteen-wheeler to navigate your condo complex to pick up the vehicle, and then requiring it to navigate your rural side streets is going to add to the travel time and transaction hassles.

We suggest that you plan to use the terminal locations your shipper has as the start and endpoints and use a taxi or rideshare service to get you to and from your home when you drop and pick up your vehicle. Or better yet, get a ride from a friend. Ask your shipping company how much difference in price there is for door-to-door service. It’s worth asking just to be sure the savings are meaningful to you.

Ship Your Car on an Open-Air Trailer

One important aspect of cost is whether your vehicle is enclosed or not. If your vehicle is very special in the sense that it is an antique or a very expensive vehicle, you may wish to consider having it transported in an enclosed shipping trailer. This is more pricey than the figures we have referenced above.

If You Have More Than One vehicle...

What did change the price was switching our entry to a significantly larger vehicle. We used a Chevy Suburban with the same start and endpoint and the prices jumped to $750. So, if you own two vehicles and plan to drive one and ship the other, you might save up to 25% by shipping the smaller one. But consider the cost of gas! Driving a Suburban from Naples to Boston will cost a good bit more than driving a Civic. In the end, it may be a wash.

Tips for Successful Car Shipping on a Budget

Don’t Forget To Check References & Insurance

As with any important service you purchase, check references. This is mostly done online now. Read the available reviews and don’t be put off by the occasional 1-star rant. All businesses drop the ball once in a while, and those events spur a lot more lengthy angrygrams than the good service love letters we usually plan to post and then forget about. Look for a 4-star average.

In addition to checking references, check with your shipping provider on insurance. Be sure your vehicle is insured while it travels. Accidents happen. Be prepared. Also, be sure you remember to call your insurance company and let them know your plans.

Preparing Your Vehicle For Shipment

The first thing to do is to load up all your fireworks, weapons, and recreational marijuana in the trunk. We’re kidding of course. In fact, your shipper is going to remind you that the rules under which they operate mean you can’t fill the car up with anything. Don’t plan to ship back your stuff in the vehicle. You can certainly ask your shipper to confirm this, but shipping the vehicle empty seems to be the norm. And don’t top off your fuel tank either. Do that when you pick it up.

Preparing For Shipment and Pickup

Before you leave your vehicle in the hands of a shipper, take images of every side and do a cell-phone video walk-around of the vehicle. This will help in the event of any damage. Manage the keys according to the shipper’s instructions.

When you see your vehicle at pick up, expect it to be dirty and covered in grime. Plan for this and you will be pleasantly surprised if it looks better. Shipping a vehicle enclosed may have a different result, but our focus here is cheap shipping. That means your vehicle was exposed to the elements and the road grime when it traveled. At a minimum, plan to have it washed. We would suggest budgeting $150 have a local shop wax and detail it.

Get Personal References On Cheap Auto Transport Options

If you have a neighbor who shipped a vehicle and was happy with the results, we suggest cross-shopping that carrier with what you find online. Ask if they will match your online price. Car Talk was built on person to person recommendations. That said, don’t let one person’s good experience negate your reference checking and other steps.

Do You Really Want to Ship An Old Car?

One reality check we would like to add to this story is the cost factor of a used vehicle. It takes just a moment to use an online car appraisal service to find out what your vehicle is actually worth. Are you a snowbird planning to ship a 15-year old Corolla back and forth from Boston to Florida each year? Think again. It is less expensive to buy a second old Corolla and just leave it behind if that is an option for you. Insurance companies will work with you to pause your coverage of an unused vehicle. Be sure you are not over-shipping an old car, no matter how much you love it.

Shipping a daily driver can be affordable and smart. Use the internet to compare prices, plan ahead, and manage your expectations. You will be surprised at just how well things will go.

Another option, if you are relocating and don't feel you want to ship the old car is to think about donating it. Car donation is a great way to save money on shipping, while also doing some good with your old car. Learn more about the benefits of donating your old car with Car Talk here.

For more on this topic, see our full guide on how to ship a car.

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