Best Cheap Car Shipping Services

Updated: 07/17/2022

Finding cheap car shipping company might take some time. Especially when gas prices are sky high and market is going through different ups and downs. Nevertheless there are a couple of things you can do to save on car shipping and make sure you don’t spend a fortune to move your vehicle to another state.

In this article we’ll try to break down the most important things that you have to remember during the vetting and shipping process. We’ll discover great cheap shipping companies and discuss the car shipping process to make it easy and affordable to you. But keep in minds – cheap doesn’t always equals good. Sometimes it’s better to pay $100-$200 more to hire the best car transport company with good standing insurance.

Why do people ship their cars when it seems obvious driving yourself might be the best cheap option?

The answer is fairly obvious too – some vehicles might be not in driving condition, sometimes it’s better to use specialised service and keep working (because days off can be very expensive for some people). But the most important thing – car shipping services can save you time for the things you love – your family, time for yourself, etc. Things that you will not be able to buy for any money in the world.

First things first – most probably you will end up working with the broker company, not with the carrier directly. That’s just how things work in car shipping industry (and in freight in general). Brokers have their service fee (called deposits). The price for car shipping consists of these two parts: broker fee (deposit) and carrier pay. You will have to pay the deposit prior to your vehicle being picked up, and the remaining balance directly to the driver on delivery location.

Is it possible to skip the broker company and use carrier directly?

The answer is – most probably no. The thing is that carriers don’t deal with quote requests, they only work with completed orders. They use specialised load boads (like CentralDispatch) to book loads directly from brokers. All marketing is done by broker companies, they create websites, generate requests, talk with customers, book orders and then sub-contract orders to actual carriers.

Some companies can have broker/carrier licensed, but in car shipping it’s not that common.

Here is a great example of cheap car shipping companies you can hire for your car shipping needs:

To ship your car you will be asked a couple of questions. Specifically you’ll need to indicate all information about your car (year, make, model), pickup and delivery location, 1st available pickup date and type of the trailer you’d like to use (open or enclosed).

The bigger your vehicle is the higher shipping rate would be. The price to ship SUV will be 25% higher than for the sedan. Pick up truck might cost 35-40% more. You should indicate whether your vehicle has any modification after stock, it might effect the price also.

Inoperable vehicle are perfectly ok to transport also – but don’t forget to indicate that your car is not in driving condition. Most probably the carrier will need to have winch on his trailer to load and unload your car. Inoperable cars shipping can cost $100-$150 more than standard. Your vehicle needs to have the ability to roll, brake and steer, otherwise drivers might refuse to load it or they will require special assistance while loading and unloading (typically with forklift).

Pickup and delivery locations should be easy to access for big rig. If the street is too narrow and can damage cars on the trailer the driver might ask to meet him on the nearest parking lot or public storage.

To save on car shipping make your request at least two weeks prior to your preferred shipping date. Expedited shipping can cost $200-$250 more.

One thing you have to be very aware of – bait and switch practises, used by some companies to lure you into contract and then raise the price. This is most common scam practise among many car shipping companies. The company will offer to sign a low quote contract and then raise the price prior to pickup with some lame excuse – usually “our driver broker down, but we have another” or “our driver is not willing to go for your car only, he is willing to do that for $$$ extra”.

Is there a way to avoid bait and switch? Yes, you should use only trusted companies and check online reviews prior to placing your car. Reviews on Google or Yelp, BBB and Transportreviews can be a great help here – customers usually write feedback about companies that tend to use such practises. Avoid them like fire – such companies will only waste your time and ruin your shipping experience.

We’ve requested quotes from companies that we were able to find online to ship a sedan from NY to CA.

All companies are claiming that their quotes include:

• Tax
• Tolls
• Fuel
• Door to Door Service
• Full Coverage Insurance
• No Hidden Fees or Charges

Here are the results: 

Typically you can find cheap car shipping companies on all major routes. Within a couple of days after order has been submitted your vehicle will be picked up by the driver, so there is no need to make requests two or three weeks in advance to the available date.

Things are not so great on routes, that requires delivery or pickup in locations like Montana or South Dakota. There are not so many drivers there because car shipping demand in these areas is not so big.

But let’s take a closer look at TX-IL route. We requested a couple of quotes from different companies to ship a sedan. Here are the rates:

Florida – New York and back is one of the most popular routes for car shipping companies. During the “snowbirds season” amount of transportation requests skyrocket. Needles to say prices go up and instead of $500 drivers are asking for $900-$1000 per trip for 1 car.

Here is the information about cheap car shipping companies and their prices on FL-NY route during the summer season.

Important information in selecting a cheap car shipping company:

1. All of the quotes you are receiving are from brokers, not trucking companies.
2. Brokers sub-contract your order to trucking companies.
3. Brokers are necessary to maintain market prices and to make sure drivers are properly insured.
4. Broker Fees vary from company to company.  This fee is what the broker makes, the remainder is what the driver is paid.
5. Truck drivers are going to take higher paying vehicles first.
6. Most broker companies do not charge a broker fee up front, they only charge their fee once they schedule a truck to pick up your vehicle.

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