The Best Ways to Save Money Shipping a Car

Everyone likes saving money. Whether you're just going shopping at the grocery store, buying designer clothes, tickets for travel - saving money is always great. So it's not surprising that people would want to save money shipping a car. Wouldn't you?

Of course, saving money is easier said than done. Sometimes you just have to pay the going rate. But most of the time there's at least something you can do — and there are a few things people try that end up costing them more. We'll cover both.

First, a reality check. Shipping a car isn't on-demand shopping. Your shipment goes out to carriers, a driver has to fit it into a route, and you (or someone you trust) have to be there at pickup and delivery. Most of the real savings come from making your car an easy, attractive load for that driver — not from coupons.

Choose popular pickup and delivery locations. Carriers live on the interstates between big metro areas — Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, New York and the like — because that's where the loads are. A pickup well off the interstate costs a driver fuel, time and driving hours for a single car, and that shows up in your price and in how long it takes to find a truck. Our own estimate formula adds 10% for rural pickups and deliveries for exactly that reason.

If you're within an hour or so of a bigger city, meeting the driver there can save money and days. It doesn't have to be downtown — a big parking lot near the interstate works fine. Even a good-sized city can price like a rural pickup if it sits a couple of hours off the main lane, so it's always worth asking whether a nearby meeting point would help.

Be flexible on when you ship. Summer is peak season — more people moving, more cars competing for the same trucks — so prices on most routes run higher. Late fall and winter are usually cheaper, with one exception: northern and mountain routes. Snow and ice slow the trucks down and thin out the drivers willing to run them, so winter can cost more there. If a storm is sitting on your route, waiting a few days for it to clear can save you money and a lot of stress.

Flexibility inside your dates helps, too. A wide first-available pickup window gives the company far more trucks to work with than 'Tuesday morning only.' If you can, book two to three weeks ahead — more in peak season — so nobody has to scramble.

Standby is cheaper, but slower. Some people offer less than the going rate on purpose and wait for a carrier with an empty spot on that route to take it. It can work, especially once prices soften after the summer rush, but it can also take weeks. Only go this way if you truly don't need the car by a certain date.

Don't chase the lowest offer. This is the most common way people end up paying more. An offer well below the rest often doesn't get a truck, and after a week of waiting the price goes up anyway — or the order falls through and you start over. Compare several offers and lean toward the middle of the range. Not too low, not too high.

Ship open unless you need enclosed. Open carriers are the backbone of the industry and the cheapest way to move a car. Enclosed transport costs more — our estimates price it at about one and a half times open — because there are fewer enclosed trucks and each carries fewer cars. If your car does need enclosed, comparing several enclosed offers and choosing a metro pickup are still the two best ways to keep the price in check.

Shipping more than one car? Same pickup and same delivery makes the biggest difference. Two cars will always cost more than one, but each car often costs less than it would shipped separately, because the driver makes one stop instead of two. Ask the companies making offers how they price multi-car shipments.

Do the honest math on driving. Driving yourself looks cheaper until you add it all up: fuel for the real road distance, a hotel every night, meals, time off work, wear and tear on the car, and a flight home if it's a one-way trip. A coast-to-coast drive is several long days behind the wheel. On longer routes especially, shipping often comes out close to driving — or ahead — once everything is counted.

Ask about discounts. Many companies offer something for military members, students, seniors, repeat customers or multiple cars. Discounts are usually modest next to the savings above, but there's no harm in asking.

And describe your car accurately. A lifted truck quoted as stock, or a non-runner quoted as a runner, gets repriced at pickup — and the new price is rarely lower. Accurate details get you an accurate price the first time.

Save money shipping a car with American Auto Shipping. We put your shipment in front of vetted, licensed auto transport companies, they compete with their best offers, and you choose the one you book with — and you never pay us a cent. Get your free estimate online to see a realistic range for your route, then compare the offers that come in. If you'd rather talk it through, call us toll-free any time.