Traveling to Puerto Rico soon? Whatever your purpose may be for coming down to visit this amazing Caribbean archipelago, whether it’s for business and leisure, one of your main concerns is probably how you’re going to get your necessities over there. Packing your personal things in a luggage is one thing, but what do you do if you have to bring bigger items with you? Say, your two-ton vehicle.
Many people would love to bring their own car to places they’re visiting or moving to. Generally, it’s simply more practical to have your own ride when you’re in places that are unfamiliar to you. With online apps like Google Maps and Waze, it’s now way easier to navigate around a new town or city when you have your own means of transport (see more). As compared to commuting when you have zero knowledge of local prices and customs, finding your own way around is much safer and more convenient too.
If you are planning to bring your automobile with you on your trip to Puerto Rico, finding the right car shipping service should be your utmost priority. The last thing you want on this trip is to realize that your car couldn’t get onto the island, or it got mixed up during transit after you’ve made a lot of effort arranging its delivery. Or worse, the shipping service ends up costing you more than what was agreed upon because you have zero understanding of how prices work in this industry.
So to give you a better idea of how auto shipping companies come up with their price quotations, here are some things that affect how much shipping your car to Puerto Rico will cost.
Land Travel Distance
First, you need to consider where your car is getting shipped from. Most companies that specialize in shipping a car to Puerto Rico would start quoting from the location the vehicle was handed to them which we refer to as the origin point. Depending on where you are located in the US (state, city), the distance to the port where your car is supposed to board a shipping vessel will vary. Your vehicle will be hauled by a land carrier up to that point and the distance traveled will usually be included in the pricing computation.
Sea Travel Distance
The next step is sea travel. If you know your geography, you will know that Puerto Rico is part of North America located in the northeast of the Caribbean sea and North Atlantic Ocean. This means that your car will also have to do sea travel before it arrives at its destination. The distance between the loading dock where the vehicle was boarded and the port where it will be dropped off will also be included in the shipping price.
Size & Weight of Vehicle
How much your car weighs will also influence the pricing by a large part. The heavier and larger the vehicle, the more it will cost to transport it. Most sedan-type cars weigh anywhere between 1 to 2 tons, but depending on the maker or brand, this might also vary. Check yours here: https://mechanicbase.com/cars/car-weight/. There are ways that you can lighten your vehicle to save on shipping costs such as unloading unnecessary stuff from the compartments and only filling it with just enough gas to run a few kilometers after it gets delivered.
Observing these practices is not only economical but it’s a way to safeguard your belongings as well.
Car Brand & Model
Another factor that may influence the shipping cost of your vehicle is the type or model of the car that you’re going to ship. If your set of wheels fall under the “premium” category, it would require additional care and safe handling. While companies generally make sure that no harm befalls your vehicle regardless of what brand or model it is, the risks that come with transporting a high-value object is much greater than the standard ones. This is primarily the reason why they would charge a premium for such services as well.
Additional Requests
Lastly, you may put in additional requests that will also affect your car shipping costs. If you require extra attention to be given to your automobile, then that will also be included in the pricing quotation. For example, if you prefer certain types of carriers or car haulers to transport your ride (i.e. closed carriers) or if you want to have it delivered door-to-door.
Most companies would have a terminal or “pick up point” for shipped vehicles but they would also offer door-to-door delivery in which case it will likely have higher fees attributed to the service.