Whether you’re moving fleet vehicles to a new location or actually selling the vehicle you need to ship, keeping shipping costs low is critical to your success. Unless the move is customer-driven, the timing of your shipment can save cash, as can reducing the weight of the vehicle.
1. Check Your Calendar
Car shippers, like other businesses, have seasons that are busier and times that are more relaxed. As a business shipper, you may have the flexibility to ship during the slow seasons.
For many car shippers, late summer is quite busy; families moving to new school districts and students headed off to college may only need to move one car, but if there are many moving at one time, the car carrier may be quite busy.
Discuss volume with your chosen carrier. Find out their slow times, and, if you know that you will be able to offer them the work, book ahead to secure your spot and reduce the carrier’s risk of loss.
2. Consider The Route
Where are you shipping the vehicle and what time of year? If you need to ship a vehicle through the mountains, aim for June. Avoid summer months if you have to ship through the desert.
Unless the client requires it, your options for car shipping companies in Florida and other areas nationwide are pretty varied; if you can avoid certain parts of the year, you can avoid extra fees for moving cars through tough weather.
3. Keep A Flexible Schedule
It is possible to get vehicles picked up and dropped off right at your front door, but this choice will add to the cost. Instead, look for a carrier that will allow you to drop off and pick up your vehicle or vehicles at a secured lot.
In such a scenario, you will probably need to move your vehicle close to the loading site. You may be allowed to drop it off hours before it is loaded and hand over the keys to a security guard or drop them in an automated lockbox. You will need transport away from the secured lot.
If you choose this route, make sure that you keep an eye out for the closest fuel station to the destination lot. Most car shippers will require you to have no more than 1/4 tank of fuel in the vehicle, both for liability concerns and to keep weight down.
4. Make Sure The Vehicle Is In Good Repair
Don’t try to ship vehicles that leave puddles behind. If you can’t justify the cost of such a repair, it may be time to sell the vehicle instead of shipping it. Your other option is, as possible, to drive the vehicle to the new destination.
As you review the condition of your fleet vehicles before shipping, make sure you also take a look at their overall weight. If your fleet vans have been fitted out for shelving for the delivery of flowers or cakes, the weight of the shelving may add to the shipment costs.
If your vehicles have been built out with toolboxes and pipe racks for your plumbing business, the weight will add to the cost of shipping. Emptying out simple storage units may not take much time, but removing a custom tool and rack storage install will add to the overall cost of the transport.
5. Don’t Pre-Pay
Ultimately, you want a long-term relationship with the right vehicle shipper. In addition to checking all carrier insurance as well as security at both the pickup and the delivery point, make sure that you can pay for the delivery at the final destination.
A quality carrier will calculate car moving expenses and have the financial flexibility to fund your shipment to the end of the delivery line. If they don’t, it should raise a red flag to you as the vehicle owner. If they can’t cover the cost of the shipment to the final destination, are they covering their insurance and other liabilities? The cheapest transport may turn out to be a terrible deal.
Setting up a strong business relationship with a car shipper can serve you in many ways. If you find a great deal for your fleet halfway across the country, you have the means to get it to your city. If you have a client who is chomping at the bit for their new car, you have a contact who can help you with speedy delivery.