Whether you’re shipping cars to sell or are changing up your vehicle fleet, easy access to an excellent car shipping company can take a worry off your mind. To that end, make sure that you review the requirements of reputable car shippers and choose the one that fits your needs and region.
1. Ship Vehicles Light
There are several things to consider when hiring a car transport service. The more a car weighs, the more the car transport has to charge to relocate it. To cut costs, make sure that any vehicles you’re cleaning up to move to contain only what is necessary for safe transport, such as spare tire and necessary hardware to change it.
Take the time to drive the tank down to only 1/4 full. For most car shipping companies, this is the limit on fuel. This may mean that you use the vehicle for business errands or drive it to a larger transport hub to get a lower shipping price. If the car is not drivable, you may need to take it to a shop to get the tank drained before it’s loaded onto the transport vehicle.
Efficient use of every vehicle in your fleet, whether you’re transporting it for sale or for use in another office, will take some planning. Once you’ve tagged a vehicle for shipment, take care not to fill it with more than half a tank any time it is used. This will make your final preparations much simpler.
2. Don’t Pre-Pay
There are car shipping companies that require you to pay for the service before you use it. If at all possible, avoid these. Not only will such services eat up your ready cash and credit when you need it most, but you will pay more in interest if you need to charge the shipping services. Every penny counts in today’s economy. The timing of when you spend your funds can eat away at your bottom line.
The best car shippers will not require payment until after delivery. Since you likely won’t get paid until then, do your best to build a strong relationship with such a transport company. Make sure that the vehicles you’re shipping
- have no fluid leaks
- have a low amount of fuel in the tank
- are on time and ready to load
The car you’re shipping doesn’t have to be drivable. Just be aware of any regulations about loading time and drop-off location when you book your transport.
3. Ship During Slow Times
Talk to your car shipper about their slowest shipping times. As a general rule, car shippers are busiest during the summer months. If that is true for your favorite car shipper, aim to be done shipping in April and start up again in October unless you have an emergency or a client-based rush job.
To that end, it’s a good idea to loop in your marketing department. If car sales are your business and most of it is local, the expense of shipping a car should not have a huge impact on your client choices and pricing overall. However, if your car sales are part of a specific niche, it may be a good idea to have a healthy marketing push for spring and for fall.
Make sure your clients are also aware of vehicle shipping during the busy season. Like it or not, your vehicle may be one of the cars that have to wait for the next transport. Don’t over-promise on delivery times during the busiest months for your shipper. If their transport schedules become too unreliable and your clients start to lose faith, it may be time to look for a second transport company to help you out in the busy months.
4. Consider Distance
Shipping a car less than 500 miles will cost approximately twice as much per mile as shipping it more than 1500 miles. If you’re going to be shipping a lot of cars, it may make more sense to have a larger vehicle and towing tools to move cars less than 500 miles from your facility.
Of course, being efficient in such transport is critical.
- Can you also deliver goods and services along the way?
- Can you pick up items you need to expand your business on the way back?
- Can you use this as an opportunity to look for more vehicles or other items you can repair, sell or flip?
Again, your business focus will matter greatly here. If used cars are your business, having a good idea of the local market and stock available in the region can make your next find much easier. For those who work in niche vehicle markets, particularly classic cars, the ability to seek out new stock may require you to search your region in person.
5. Be Aware Of The Insurance
If you own a vehicle and are selling it, you will need to insure it. At the shipping point, you may need more if your carrier doesn’t carry enough. For those in the niche car business, the risk of underinsurance is real. The NADA and Blue Book value isn’t always applicable for cars with high-end customizations.
As possible, start small with your car shipper. Buy as much insurance as you need for simple projects and as much as they offer for more valuable vehicles. Talk with your agent about any extra coverage you should carry when shipping a car to a client or another dealer. Be prepared to seek out someone who can help you get an accurate value on a customized car.
For those who provide high-end customizations, it may make more sense to have a line on a single-car shipment with the option to cover the vehicle. Of course, this is not a cheap shipping option. However, if you and your client can agree on the fees, this may be the most effective way to get a rare or custom vehicle delivered in pristine condition.
The goal is to move vehicles efficiently and to avoid paying more than you have to. However, if you can’t get the vehicle there in just as good a condition as you shipped it, your efforts may be wasted. Be ready to deliver the vehicle to a holding lot or drive it to a larger city for cheaper transport. Carefully review the routes and distances the shipper will have to cover.