Some Alternative Auto Shipping Methods
Most vehicles that are shipped today are done so on either an open or an enclosed carrier. They’re the standard. Easy to find and relatively affordable, they’ve come to embody what people think of when they think of auto transport, especially open transport trucks. Those are the ones with ten cars stacked (seemingly-haphazardly, though they are indeed secure) on one truck. But they’re not the only methods available to you to get a vehicle moved from A to B. That’s why we’ve come up with a quick list of some alternative auto shipping methods for you. While we do recommend you use a standard shipping service to move your vehicle, sometimes they aren’t an option. And for those times, these alternatives exist.
Here are some alternative auto shipping methods
Tow truck transportation: the one we want to start with is tow truck transportation services. Normally, shipping a car with a tow truck is cost-prohibitive, but auto shippers have minimums they abide by in terms of price. Most of the time, for any shipment under two hundred miles, carriers charge a lot more because it takes a lot of time out of their established routes. As such, there may be times when moving your car with a tow truck will actually be cheaper.
Driveaway shipping services: We’ve talked a bit about driveaway shipping before. Basically, driveaway is when you hire someone to drive your car instead of shipping it. Driveaway gets expensive when you factor in things such as food, fuel and lodging for the driver. It’s an option if you absolutely do not want to ship a car, or if you’re providing driveaway for someone else. Many times college students will use drive-sharing as a way to save money getting back from school, so that’s an option if you fit the demographic. Otherwise, standard shipping is going to be safer and more affordable.
Standby car shipping: Another one we’ve discussed before, standby car shipping is when you pay a lower price on purpose knowing that it’ll take longer to find a carrier to ship the vehicle. It’s an option for people on a budget who are not concerned by time. However, it can take weeks to find a carrier willing to take a vehicle at standby prices, so for most people it’s not really an option.
Can I get free quotes to ship my car, though?
You most certainly can. The best way to get your quotes is to fill out our free quote request form. You’ll get free quotes from top-rated companies within about an hour. Your quotes will show up in your email inbox within about an hour, with the first showing up within minutes. You can compare prices and services and also speak to an agent over the phone. More importantly, they can also help explain the cost of auto transport and why it can be so expensive. Those companies are cleared by us ahead of time, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll be in good hands. If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact one of our agents any time at 800-930-7417.
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.
