Each year thousands of Australians need to move their cars interstate. For many, this is a frightfully frustrating job. But there is one solution that will ensure you keep your sanity and protect your car.
There are cheap ways to move your car. The cheapest being to use a mate’s rusty trailer and pull an all-nighter to get the job done. But usually, cheap isn’t best. You miss out on the safety, security, and service when you transport your car with a professional car freight company. For most of you, we’re willing to bet you would feel a lot more comfortable if you knew your car was in the hands of a professional.
Now we’re agreed there will be trade-offs for ‘cheap’, let’s look at some of the factors that could affect the price of transporting your car.
Common factors that affect professional car transportation costs
The cost of professional car transportation depends on a variety of factors. Like the type of vehicle you have, the distance your car is being transported, your departure and arrival destination. The price of fuel, what dates you want your car moved, and more.
1
The type of vehicle being moved.
It goes without saying that transporting bigger vehicles, like a van, 4WD, SUV or minibus, is going to cost more than your average Toyota Corolla or Suzuki Swift. Bigger vehicles require more space on our transportation trucks and generally weigh a lot more. Whether the car is a non-running car or not may also also cost. You can get a free quote for your vehicle type here.
2
The distance your car is being transported.
Distance plays a significant role in the cost to move your car. For example, transporting a family hatchback from Brisbane to Sydney will be a lot cheaper, than transporting your HiLux from Sydney to Perth. Generally, the further your car needs to go, the higher the transportation cost. At Door 2 Door, we transport cars Australia-wide, including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne Perth and Darwin and many regional towns between those routes. Want to find out if we’re near you? Give us a call on 1800 366 723.
3
The departure and arrival destination.
Is your car located in a rural town, or right in the city? Do you want us to pick it up and drop it off at your door? Some companies offer a depot-to-depot service, which can be a bit cheaper (we say can, because sometimes it’s not! Always get a quote first). However, this means that you also need to organise your own travel to and from the depot, which probably won’t be close by. If you don’t have access to a friend’s car or public transport, this can end up costing even more than paying for door-to-door service.
Tips for saving on the cost of car transportation
Many people believe that the best way to save money when you need to transport your car interstate is to compare prices from several car carrying companies. However, you shouldn’t always go with the cheapest quote you can get. Many cheaper car couriering companies make multiple depot stops where they are continually unloading and reloading your car, with increased risk of damage. Your car is probably one of your biggest investments, second only to your home or business, so finding a reputable company you can trust to transport your vehicle straight to its destination is essential. In other words, you should consider more than just price when choosing the right car carrying company.
Some things you should consider include:
- How many years of experience do they have?
- Do they have any affiliations (e.g. RACQ, NRMA or RACV)?
- What are their response and delivery times like?
- Do they make multiple depot stops along the way?
We’ve heard plenty of horror stories from people who have hired the cheapest car transportation companies they can find and ended up with scratched, damaged and even irreparable cars. So if there is one piece of advice we want to share with you, it’s this: in the long run, the cheapest companies are not always the cheapest in the long run!
Do you need to transport your car interstate? Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you!
