Whether you’re visiting Los Angeles for a month or planning to live there for good, having your most trusted set of wheels with you is always something to consider. With the City of Angels being one of the busiest cities in CA, having your own ride that can take you places whenever is a big convenience you just can’t forgo. That’s why you’re probably looking into car shipping right now; to see if you can take your own vehicle with you when you move or travel to LA soon.
When it comes to car shipping, the first thing that probably comes to mind is cost. How much is it to get a vehicle from one place to another? There is always the option to drive, however, it isn’t always the most convenient and practical option – especially if you’re not exactly driving long distances often. The highways can get pretty unpredictable and engine trouble is the last thing that you want to happen in the middle of nowhere.
In this article, let’s talk about what affects the cost of car shipping as well as how you can “hack” the cost.
What Affects The Cost Of Car Shipping To Los Angeles?
There are four main things transport companies look at when quoting the price for shipping your car.
- Distance
How far is the delivery point from the point of origin? Your shipping cost is directly proportional to the distance that will be traveled (check this out). This means that the farther the destination, the higher the cost. Cross-country deliveries are usually priced higher, especially when the company needs to deploy a car hauler to an address that is not as frequented by their company for deliveries.
- Weight and Size
Another factor is weight. The heavier and bigger your vehicle is, the higher the cost to transport it. Big bodied vehicles or muscle cars are usually more expensive to ship than your usual sedan.
- Vehicle Model
Last is the vehicle type or model. Low to mid-range value cars are cheaper to transport than high value luxury models. This is because there is a difference in handling certain models and the level of risk and liabilities involved are also different. More expensive models are likely to be shipped than driven to their destinations though as it’s safer to transport such vehicles in enclosed trucks.
- Carrier Type
Speaking of enclosed trucks, the carrier that you choose to haul your car would also affect the price. Open carriers are cheaper than closed carriers for understandable reasons, as seen here: https://www.angi.com/articles/cost-to-ship-car.htm. Closed carriers provide more protection and privacy for car owners, especially when transporting expensive car models. Whereas open carriers are exposed to the outside weather and the unpredictable conditions of the road.
There are other factors that may affect the cost like add-ons and special requests but these four are the main ones you have to know so that you can “hack” them.
Budget Hacks For Shipping Your Car To Los Angeles
There are a couple of ways for you to save on shipping services so that moving your car from one state to another doesn’t have to be as expensive as it needs to be.
- Book In Advance
Holidays and peak months can easily hike shipping prices up due to the demand that they have for their services. For your own convenience and also to lessen your shipping expenses, book as early as you can (as soon as you know your target move date ideally) so that you can catch lower prices. It is also important to note that while you can lower costs by booking in advance, it is still important for you to check out the business’s rescheduling policies to see if there are any added fees.
- Don’t Fill Up Your Gas Tank
At least not to the brim. A Los Angeles car shipping company suggests that doing a quarter fill is best when you are planning to ship out your car soon. The reason for this is that a filled-up tank makes the car weigh more and therefore increases the cost of shipping as we mentioned earlier in this article. Gas up but just enough to get around once you receive your vehicle. If you opt for terminal-to-terminal delivery, you still need to drive it home. Although some companies also offer door to door deliveries, in which case you can live on the edge and drain your gas as much as possible.
- Be On The Lookout For Deals & Discounts
Last but not least, stalk the car shipping company – I mean, stay updated on their website and social media announcements. Most companies would offer limited discounts and deals so don’t miss out on those! Also check discount sites if they offer any special vouchers or promos that can help you stave off shipping costs.