Ah, the auto transport quote – such a simple thing, yet within it lies so many things that you may not even be aware of. See, your auto transport quote is more than just a quote – it’s everything about your auto transport in a nutshell. In this article, we’ll break down the auto transport quote and what it means to you, as well as what to expect from it.

The first thing you must understand about an auto transport quote is that it will change depending on what you’re shipping and where you need it shipped from and to. Just like FedEx, it relies mostly on the size and the miles it has to go to. A shipment for a 2004 Honda Accord from Los Angeles to Seattle is going to be much less than a Ford F-350 from San Francisco to Boston. Your auto transport quote is the standard sedan price for your particular route, plus any additional fees that need to be assessed based on size.

The third major factor in your auto transport quote is the brokerage fee. Remember, it’s always best to book with an auto transport brokerage, as they are the ones that give you your auto transport quote and handle all the communication to you regarding your auto transport. Booking with an auto transport brokerage is always better than booking with a carrier, as carriers don’t have the time to talk to the ten people they’re shipping cars for. They let the brokerages do that. Therefore, your quote will be the price the brokerage charges, the price of a standard shipment on your route, and any additional charges for size or weight.

Now, keep in mind that there are two different factors that the brokerages don’t have control over when they give you your auto transport quote. It is important to give as much information as possible to obtain the best possible auto transport quote you can – if you omit information regarding the size of the vehicle, or say it is located in a larger city than it actually is, you could cause major problems down the road. Your auto transport quote is the best auto transport quote for the shipment you request – if you’re shipping out of  a bedroom city of Los Angeles, but you tell them it’s “in L.A.,” chances are you could end up paying more or even having a cancellation on your hand.

And sometimes companies like to tell you one thing and then do another. If you’re receiving auto transport quote after auto transport quote telling you it’ll be $800 to ship your car, and you get an auto transport quote for only $550, chances are the low auto transport quote is a bad quote. If an auto transport brokerage isn’t up to date on what the carriers are charging, a low quote could mean your vehicle just doesn’t move. Therefore, it’s best to always get multiple quotes and choose an auto transport quote that is in the middle of the pack. A high auto transport quote isn’t necessarily a good thing either – if six companies are telling you between $900 and $950, chances are that’s what it’ll take to move your car. A quote of $1200 might get it moved a bit quicker, but you could be overpaying by hundreds of dollars.