How Will The Dealer Transport My Car?
You just bought a car.
You did all your homework on the price, the condition, and the history. You combed through all the photos 100+ photos three times over and even had the salesperson you were working with send you additional photos (and hopefully a couple videos) of the car to make absolutely sure you know it’s the right car for you.
You’ve been through the business office and made sure all the paperwork was in order, read up on all the extended service contract options and whether or not you are going to opt for one, and have paid the dealer your hard earned cash and are ready to take delivery of your new car!
Only one problem - you are 900 miles away.
Don’t fret! You’ve seen the ads on TV. The Carvana-esc custom decal’d vehicle delivery flat bed that’s waiting on the dealers lot will be inbound with your new car just as fast as your friendly neighborhood Uber Eats driver delivers your favorite local chinese spot.
Well… Not Quite.
My dealership, Frankman Motor Company Inc, has been in business since 1988. Started by my parents on the back half of their acreage and working out of a converted two stall garage for their office, it has come a long way even before I came into the equation. I was raised around cars, lots of them… Plus, thanks to my dad I was also raised around classic cars. Which are a totally different animal all on their own.
Great transport processes can only add to the excitement of a customer’s new purchase.
Bad transport processes can build immediate resentment and buyers remorse before the car even gets to the customer.
The great thing that the classic car clientele taught me was how to nail the long distance car deal. Since 99% of all classic and specialty deals happen without the buyer ever touching or feeling the car before the deal is completely done and the car is “shipped to his door”, I learned from an early age how to walk buyers through the process and maintain composure and transparency every step of the way.
When the Covid car market exploded and dealerships started transporting and shipping cars like never before, Frankman’s didn’t really have to adapt at all. We had already been doing this sort of thing on an almost daily basis for decades.
The truth about transport is that it doesn’t come after the deal, it’s part of the deal!
For the folks reading this who want to know the ins and outs of how this works, here it is:
Dealerships Don’t Have Transports Waiting
In fact, most dealership don’t have a transport at all! They utilize a dispatch service (the largest being Central Dispatch - A COX Automotive Company) that has a vast network of independent transporters and brokers who pick up jobs as they become available. This allows dealers to vet the important details like the transporters up to date insurance information, bond status, and reviews from other dealers that have used them in the past.
Central Dispatch is the “Go-To” Marketplace for all things transport for most dealers
Once you purchase your car and the dealer is made whole (they have the signed documents, all needed funding, etc.), then the dealer will post that vehicle for transport. Very unlikely they are going to do that until they have everything they want and clear the car for release.
Most dealers I know don’t upcharge for this service (we do not), as they do it every day to transport their fresh inventory to the store and it’s not that big of a hassle. However, some may charge a nominal fee for them to arrange it and that is not unheard of or in bad taste.
Vehicle Transport Cost is Usually Calculated by Dollars Per Mile
Lately it has been hovering around $1/mile Open Carrier or $2/mile Enclosed Carrier, but this ultimately depends on where the car is being picked up, where the car is being dropped off, and how long of a distance it is.
Short trips like say, 100-200 miles you may being paying more just due to the loading and unloading times that they have to account for. Then if you live hours from the nearest town and on 10 miles of gravel roads, expect to pay more or even have to meet the truck closer to a major hub city where they are more likely to fill the empty spot on their truck once they drop your car.
A dealer does not benefit from an expensive shipping quote. Most with do their best to get the fairest price on the market for your car. They do this by usually posting the pickup and dropoff locations and then the per mile amount a little light. They may start at $0.80/mile. Then if there are no takers, they raise it to $0.95/mile. Still no takers? They keep raising it until they get a phone call from a truck that accepts the job!
This means that no two shipments will be the same. Fuel costs change everyday. Routes change everyday. Drivers change everyday. There is nothing out of the ordinary about variances in transport costs!
I Can Tell You a Day, But Not a Time…
The first two aspects of transport make sense to mostly everyone almost immediately. However, this is the part where I do have to be frank with my customers and tell them the truth.
I do not know when exactly the car is getting picked up.
I do not know exactly when the car is getting dropped off.
Communication with the buyer is key here. This is where Good Dealerships will set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Good Dealers will tell their customers when the truck is booked, take photos of when the car is being loaded, show what the transport looks like, and gather the information of the driver of the truck for the buyer.
Transporting vehicles is not an exact science. Some people struggle to get to work on time and they have a 25min commute. These transports sometimes have 9 cars that they are hauling that all have different drop points along the way. Just because they pick up a car on Monday at 9am, does not mean they will be where I think they will be the next day or the day after.
Usually the driver will give an estimate of when he will be at the drop off address. But this estimate is usually a couple day range. If they are picking up a car on Monday morning, then they will most likely say something like “dropoff on Wednesday/Thursday. This is due to the other cars on their trailer but also the fact they are limited to how many hours a day they are allowed to drive by federal law. One day of bad traffic can really throw them off!
In almost every case, both the Dealer and the Transport care about the safety of the car being transported OVER how fast it gets there.
Yes we know our buyers are excited to get their new car… but hold your horses a little. We have a job to do.
Also, as a tip for those who are savvy enough to book their own transports and cut the dealer out of the whole shipping process. If you are new to it, don’t assume the cheapest bid is the best bid. Not all transports are created equal. A fair price is much better than the cheapest price - don’t let saving $200 create unnecessary brain damage.
Legal Disclaimers to Note
The following will be true of any vehicle that is sold at my dealership, Frankman Motor Company, so check with whatever dealer you are doing business with to see how it works with them. They will tell you! It’s not weird to ask! Check the dealer’s website - they may have a transport page like Frankman Motor Company’s
All of the vehicles sold at my store are sold FOB Origin. Meaning that the minute that we hand the keys to a sold vehicle to any non-agent of Frankman Motor Company, that vehicle is delivered and the buyer now assumes all risks and liabilities of that vehicle.
I would say that this is the norm in the industry and is usually linked to the behavior of that dealer’s fleet insurance policy for his inventory.
This is also why we as dealers check the credentials of the transporters we are using and verify that they have valid an active insurance for the vehicles that they will be hauling. However, no set of checks and balances are 100% so I will say the same thing I tell every single buyer who is buying long distance from me.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE INSURANCE ON YOUR NEW CAR!
It takes 5 minutes. Call your agent. Book a policy. Sleep soundly. Done!
Don’t put yourself in a position of unnecessary risk that has the potential of costing you - you need insurance anyway!
Clear and concise communication combined with due diligence and responsibility create a seamless buying process no matter the distance from the dealership! Choose your Dealer wisely!