There are many reasons to take your car with you when you move, so if you can’t – or don’t want to – drive it all the way to your new destination you’ll need to find a transport company that will take it for you.
Not all such companies will take a car as freight, so it’s important to find one that offers such a service specifically so you know your car will be taken care of properly.
You may wonder whether it is better to transport the car or to drive it.
Only you can answer that question, but if the distance is a long one it will take time and effort to drive there, plus you’ll also have the cost of fuel, wear and tear on the car and possibly accommodation, depending on the distance.
Here are some tips on transport for your car
- Work out the cost of transport against the cost of driving, but the cost is not always the only thing to consider. Convenience, ability to drive a long distance and how quickly you need to get there must also come into the equation.
- If you are crossing any borders, make sure you clean the car thoroughly inside and out to save costs. It is essential to remove any dirt and insects so they are not carried across the border and potentially bring in diseases to plants and stock in your new state. Cleaning it yourself will save the cost of the transporter doing it. Wiper wells and undercarriage are especially important.
- Remember, the car will be inspected by quarantine officers to ensure it is free of harmful debris.
- Remove all paperwork and everything else from the car, including your sunglasses and loose change that will rattle. Remember, you won’t be able to lock it, as the company will have to drive it on and off their truck.
- Find out if the company does door to door or depot to depot pick-up and delivery. The former may be more convenient, but will probably cost more.
- If taking it to the depot, remember to arrange for transport home.
- Ask the company how much fuel they prefer you to leave in the tank. A full tank is not necessary and will add to the weight. Some companies prefer a ¼ full tank.
Additional tips for transporting a motorbike
Many of the above tips are also applicable to motorbikes, but here are some more.
- Remove all the loose items and any dangerous goods from the bike
- Fold back, lower or remove wide mirrors
- Empty and clean non-removable panniers
- Clean all dirt and plant matter from the bike, including tyre treads.
6 Factors that Affect the Cost of Car Transport
It you have been looking for a transport company to take your vehicle across the state or the country you may have been shocked to find what the cost is.
No matter what type of freight is sent, there is always a cost to it. Legitimate companies should give you a breakdown of their costs, but in case you want to know before contacting them, here are some factors that should be included.
- The type and size of your vehicle. Due to the space available on car carriers, larger vehicles will cost more. Larger vehicles are heavier as well as taking up more space, so you’ll be paying a premium for a large SUV while a smaller car will be cheaper.
- As with most transport, distance has a large part to play in calculating the cost. It can add to the distance cost if your car is picked up from and delivered to a residential address, rather that the transporter’s depot. It may save you something if you deliver your car directly to the depot and pick it up from their depot at the other end of the journey.
- Fuel costs always have to be calculated in any transport costs. If you are lucky enough to need the company during a price drop, you may get a cheaper deal.
- Forward loading is when the transporter takes your vehicle from the home depot to another destination. It is more expensive than back-loading.
- Back-loading may be offered, if the company has an empty truck returning from another trip and your destination is the same. Ask the company if they have any back loading offers.
- Insurance is another cost for the transporter that they will no doubt add into the cost estimates.
You may be able to find a few companies who seem to have a much cheaper estimate on transporting your vehicle. This is not necessarily the way to go.
As with any business, there can be dodgy transporters because the industry is not that well regulated. They save money by cost-cutting such as not doing maintenance on their trucks, or by not having insurance.
Both scenarios will put your vehicle at risk.
One way to tell a dodgy company is that they will ask for a deposit when booking your vehicle in.
That way, they can delay its departure and when you contact them to inquire why it hasn’t arrived, they will ask you to pay more than the first estimate due to some additional cost they’ve had.
Since they have your car, it’s likely you’ll agree to pay it and this can end up costing you much more than a legitimate company would have charged.
Legitimate companies will require the full cost with the booking and you won’t have to pay any more.