Thinking of transporting your car? Sounds like a road trip. But in reality, there are things that can complicate it especially when moving long-distance, moving from one island to another, or moving multiple cars with only one driver. In this case, you might consider hiring a carrier to transport your car. What first comes to your mind is figuring out how much it will cost to transport a car.
Car transport price is hard to nail down. There are a lot of factors that could affect its cost. Understanding how carriers calculate costs will help you plan for efficient and cost-effective car transport. Below are some of the major factors that generally affect car transport costs.
Are you moving your car locally or across the country? This is the most common factor affecting the cost of transporting your car. The farther you want to move your car, the more it will cost because of increased labour charges, petrol prices, ferry costs, and tolls.
The type of car is another big factor that affects the cost of its transport. A compact car will take a smaller space in the trailer or other hauling device; thus, it is cheaper to transport, compared to transporting an SUV, van, or truck. A small car also weighs less than a big car, thus it requires less fuel to haul.
Has your car been modified from factory standards? If you are to transport a modified car, you should inform your carrier as this requires special handling and can affect the cost of the transport. If the car is lifted or lowered, the carrier will need to adjust the trailer level to accommodate the non-standard vehicle height. This requires more effort from the carrier, making the cost higher.
The most cost-effective type of transporting a car is through an open trailer. An open trailer is typically a double-decker type of vehicle that can carry up to 10 cars on two separate levels. Open trailer ships more cars in one trip, so the carrier can spread the operational cost, making the transport cost cheaper, that is why this is the most popular choice of transport. But you have to keep in mind that when selecting this type of transport, your car will be exposed to the elements during transport, making it more susceptible to damage.
If your car is highly valuable, you would want a safer way to transport it, and that is through an enclosed trailer. Using an enclosed trailer, your car will not be exposed to outside elements, which is a big pro. But enclosed trailers are smaller compared to an open trailer, having only a capacity of up to 6 cars. And because it holds fewer vehicles on a trip, its cost is higher by 40% to 60% than an open trailer.
Major cities have more carriers servicing the area and more routes that are easily accessible making transport easier and faster. Time equals money, so the easier and faster your car can be transported, the cheaper the cost you have to pay.
If you are to transport your car in a rural or less popular area, the carrier has to drive out of the main route to pick up or drop off your car. This will add up to the cost because of the additional gas the carrier will incur.
If you want expedited car transport, then you will be paying more. This will require fast, yet proper route planning making the cost higher. If you are flexible with the pick-up and delivery date, carriers can properly organize the transport to make it more efficient, making the cost relatively cheaper.
High demands during peak seasons can make the transport cost to spike. This is because carriers have to balance the demand with their ability to fulfil the delivery within their customer’s timeframe. But if you are to transport your car during off-peak season, it will be less expensive because demand is lower. Carriers will offer favourable costs to attract more customers just so their trailers will not stay inactive.
Planning ahead of time will help a lot in reducing the cost when transporting your car. Make sure to do plenty of research about different car transport providers and the options they offer. But doing the research and gathering as many quotes as possible can be a challenge too.
Using a platform like Wise Move, which will connect you to a network of local and national car transport companies in New Zealand, will make it easier for you to find a trusted car transport provider. Give it a go, and look forward to a seamless car transport process.
Wise Move is New Zealand’s leading moving service, helping thousands of customers with home moves, furniture removals, car and motorcycle transport, and more. Since 2017, we’ve been delivering reliable, affordable, and well-reviewed moving services in just a few simple steps. Our focus has always been on making moving as simple and effortless as possible for our customers.
