Shipping a Pickup Truck Across Country: Transportation Costs and Shipping Methods

What is Truck Shipping, and How Does it Work?

It is the process of transporting various types of trucks from one location to another using specialized carriers. Whether you’re moving commercial trucks, personal pickups, or heavy-duty vehicles, it’s a reliable and efficient way to transport vehicles across long distances.

It works by coordinating with a professional auto transport company that arranges everything from pick-up to delivery. The shipper helps select the best transport method based on the type of truck being shipped, its size and weight, and the desired delivery timeline.

Once a plan is established, the vehicle is loaded onto a specialized carrier, secured for transport, and delivered to the destination. Truck transportation services handle all the logistics, ensuring your vehicle is protected and arrives safely. 

What are the Main Types of Trucks and Buses Commonly Shipped?

Various types of trucks and buses are commonly transported across the country, often due to business operations, relocations, or sales. Each type requires specific handling and shipping methods due to their size, weight, and usage. Here’s a closer look at some of the main types:

• Tanker Trucks: Used for transporting liquids, they require careful handling to prevent damage during transportation.
• Utility Trucks: These are often used by utility companies and are shipped for maintenance or replacement purposes.
• Semi Tractor Trucks: These are used in freight; they often require specialized carriers due to their weight and size. 
• Dually Trucks: Known for their dual rear wheels, they are popular for towing.
• Vacuum Trucks: Used in industrial applications to remove liquids and debris.
• Dump trucks: Essential in construction and waste management, dumpers are shipped using strong, reliable carriers.
• Commercial Trucks: These include any vehicle used for commercial purposes, from delivery vans to large freight. 

Heavy Duty Truck Transportation

Heavy-duty truck transportation involves the shipment of large, oversized vehicles that require specialized carriers. Due to their size and weight, they are often used in construction, logistics, and agriculture, and need extra care during the shipping process. Heavy-duty trucks include dump trucks, garbage trucks, and other industrial vehicles.

How to Ship a Truck Across Country Safely

Shipping a truck across the country can be done safely by partnering with a reputable auto transport company that has experience handling large vehicles. Here are some key steps to ensure a safe process:

• Choose a reliable company with a proven track record.
• Ensure that your vehicle is prepared for transport by securing all loose parts and removing personal items.
• Select the best method based on the truck’s size and type.
• Make sure the vehicle is insured before shipment.
• Review the contract and make sure you understand the terms and conditions.

Shipping Methods for Trucks and Buses

There are several methods available for shipping trucks and buses, each catering to different needs:

• Open Transport: The most common and cost-effective method. Trucks are transported on open trailers, exposed to weather and road elements.
• Enclosed Transport: Ideal for high-value or delicate vehicles. Trucks are shipped in fully enclosed trailers, offering maximum protection.
• roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) Shipping: Trucks are driven directly onto the carrier and secured for transport. This method is often used for overseas shipments.
• Container Shipping: Trucks are loaded onto carriers, which offer enhanced protection from the elements. Commonly used for international shipments.

The Benefits of Shipping Your Pickup Truck with SGT Auto Transport

SGT Auto Transport provides a number of benefits for shipping pickup trucks, including:

• Competitive Rates and Attractive Discounts: Offering affordable rates and various discounts, SGT Auto Transport helps you save on costs.
• Reliable and Professional Service: With Experienced carriers and drivers, you can trust that your vehicle is in good hands.
• Saves time: Avoid long drives and let the professionals handle the transportation.
• Saves Money: Shipping a truck can be more cost-effective than driving it across the country, especially when considering fuel, lodging, and wear and tear.
• Less Planning and Stress: SGT Auto Transport manages all the logistics, saving you the stress of planning.
• A Safe and Convenient Option: Your vehicle is carefully handled, loaded, and transported securely to its destination.
• Your Truck is Protected: With insurance and careful handling, your vehicle remains safe throughout the process. 
• You Can Ship More Than One Pickup at a Time: SGT Auto Transport offers multi-vehicle transport options for those who need to move several trucks. 

Different types of auto transport trailers - open vs. enclosed

The most popular auto shipping option for someone who needs to move their pickup, or indeed any other type of vehicle, is open car shipping. For this auto transport service, carriers use a trailer that’s either single or multi-level. 

It’s the type of trailer you’re most likely to see driving on the highway, and it’s commonly used for transporting as many as ten cars at a time. Open car transport is the easiest service to book in terms of pick-up/arrival times and carrier availability. This is a significant advantage of open car shipping, but there are a few downsides that it’s only fair to mention. 

An open trailer has no walls, so the vehicles on the trailer are open to the elements and road debris kicked up by the traffic while in transit. In addition, the greater availability of open trailers doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll wait a shorter length of time for your delivery. The higher capacity of these trailers means that several vehicles might have to be dropped off before yours. 

So what about enclosed car shipping? Enclosed trailers protect your truck from the weather and road damage. It’s also going to protect it from thieves looking for an easy target. Fewer vehicles are transported using enclosed auto transport, which means the service might be quicker.

Enclosed auto transport will always be recommended if your truck is brand new, a classic or luxury model that’s very valuable.  

However, such a service does come with a higher price tag, around 30-40% more. In addition, while in some cases it might be quicker, there are fewer enclosed transport carriers which means transportation and delivery might be slower.  

Preparing Trucks and Buses for Shipping

Before shipping your truck or bus, take steps to ensure it’s ready for transport:

• Clean the truck thoroughly to make inspection easier.
• Remove personal items and secure any loose parts or accessories. 
• Check tire pressure and battery charge.
• Check the vehicle for mechanical issues and make any necessary repairs.
• Reduce the fuel level to about a quarter tank.
• Disable alarms and other devices that may activate during transport. 

The Shipping Process: From Pick-up to Delivery

1. Quote and Booking: Get a shipping quote and schedule the transport.
2. Pick-up: The truck is picked up from the location and loaded onto the carrier.
3. Transport: The truck is transported across the country or to its destination using the scheduled method.
4. Delivery: The truck is unloaded and delivered to the destination, where it undergoes a final inspection. 

What Are the Pricing Factors That Influence Shipping Costs?

Several factors impact the cost of shipping a truck:

• Distance: The farther the distance, the higher the shipping cost.
• Type of Transport: Enclosed transport is more expensive than open transport.
• Vehicle Size and Weight: Larger trucks cost more to ship due to the space and weight they occupy.
• Location: Shipping to or from rural areas may incur higher costs than urban locations.

How much does it cost to ship a truck?

Moving a truck from one location in the US to another costs a little more than a standard car because of the size of your truck. A pickup truck typically takes up more space on the trailer than a standard sedan so you’ll have to pay more.

Typically, a truck costs around $1.40 per mile, for up to 500 miles. However, the longer the distance, the lower the price to ship your pickup truck. For up to 1000 miles, for example, the cost drops to $1 per mile, whereas truck transport from coast to coast could be as little as $0.60 cents per mile. 

So, you want to know “How much does it cost to transport my truck?”. Truck shipping quotes vary depending on several factors. Here are some factors that can affect the cost of shipping a truck across country:

• Type of truck
• Size of the vehicle
• Vehicle dimensions - height and weight
• Modifications
• Whether the truck is running
• Season demand
• How fast you want your truck delivered

Want to learn more about what it would cost to ship your pickup truck across the country? Get an instant quote here.

When you’re contacting an auto transport company to request a quote make sure it’s going to be all-inclusive. This is what you get from SGT Auto Transport, and you should accept nothing less. Our prices include full insurance coverage with zero deductibles, and no taxes or surcharges guaranteed. 

What is Freight Truck Shipping?

Freight truck shipping involves the transportation of goods and cargo using specialized freight carriers. This method is commonly used for commercial shipments and includes full truckload (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) options. 

What is FTL Shipping?

Full Truckload (FTL) shipping involves using an entire truck for one shipment, ensuring faster delivery and dedicated space for the cargo. 

LTL vs. FTL Truck Shipping

• LTL (Less Than Truckload): Ideal for smaller shipments where multiple customers share truck space, reducing costs.
• FTL (Full Truckload): For larger shipments, FTL provides dedicated space, ensuring faster and more secure transport.

Benefits of Freight Truck Shipping

Freight truck shipping offers a number of benefits, including:

• Cost Efficiency: Shipping goods via freight is often more cost-effective than other methods.
• Versatility: It can handle various types of goods, from small shipments to full truckloads.

• Fast Transit: With options like FTL, freight shipping offers quicker delivery times. 

  

What is Domestic TLT Freight Shipping?

Domestic LTL freight shipping is a method of shipping smaller loads within the US. It allows businesses to save money by sharing truck space with other shipments, making it a cost-effective solution for smaller cargo.

What if I want to ship my truck across country and it’s super-sized?

As we’ve already mentioned, trucks come in all shapes and sizes, but some of them won’t fit onto a standard trailer, so what are your options then?

You have the option to ship your truck on a flatbed trailer. However, you will need to bear the following in mind. Shipping your truck using a flatbed trailer can be very expensive. There are several reasons, for example, they require more fuel to operate. In addition, they are not in quite as much demand as other forms of auto transport. Flatbed trailers are also driven by the most experienced carriers who are used to maneuvering heavy loads safely. 

There is, however, a plus to flatbed auto transport. Flatbeds carry very few vehicles, sometimes only one. What this means for you is that the carrier doesn’t have to make as many deliveries, so you might not have to wait as long for your pickup to be delivered.   

How long does it take to ship a truck?

The timeframe for shipping a truck depends on several things.

• Distance: This is the most obvious factor as it’s bound to take longer to ship a truck from San Diego to Boston than it would if you wanted to ship it from New York to Boston. 
• Location: If the pickup or delivery locations are relatively remote, the carrier will have to travel further to reach them.
• Number of vehicles being shipped: Your vehicle is likely being shipped with other vehicles, which means the driver may have to make several stops before your car is delivered.  
• Weather: The weather can affect the time it takes for your car to be transported. The flow of traffic will be influenced by snow, ice, hail, tornados, hurricanes, thunderstorms, or heavy rain. 
• Road construction, detours, and traffic: These can all hamper the carrier’s journey. 
• Driver’s hours: The Department of Transport mandates that drivers can only be on the road legally for 70 hours per week. This limit ensures that the truck drivers are well-rested and drive safely. 

Average transit times are as follows (bear in mind these are just a guideline, as the factors listed above can have an affect): 

What Type of Insurance Coverage is Provided During the Truck Shipping Process?

When you ship your truck using an auto transport company like ours, your vehicle is covered under the motor carrier’s insurance policy from the time it is picked up to the final delivery. All motor carriers that we work with are pre-screened to ensure that they meet the insurance requirements of the US Department of Transport (DOT) regulations. 

The level of insurance coverage depends on the motor carrier’s coverage, the type of trailer being used, and the value of the vehicle. Generally, carriers providing open auto transport have cargo insurance coverage between $100,000 and $150,000. If the carrier provides enclosed car shipping services, the insurance coverage will be between $250,000 and $3,000,000.

When shipping any kind of vehicle, always ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance to check the details.

Choose to ship your truck with SGT Auto Transport and insurance coverage is included in the cost to ship your truck across country. However, this doesn’t apply to all vehicle shipping companies, so make sure you ask before making your booking.   

Tips for shipping a truck across country

Let’s finish up this post with a few helpful tips:

• Plan ahead of time: Give yourself a couple of weeks to make the arrangement. If you plan in advance, it gives the auto transport company time to look for the best possible deal. 
• Choose the best location: If the pick-up or delivery locations are on narrow streets or the carrier needs to take sharp turns you may have issues. Plan ahead in case the carrier cannot pull into the address you provided. Many companies offer a door-to-door service, but a new location may have to be agreed on if the carrier cannot drive down the street because it’s too narrow or there are low-hanging branches or power lines. 
• Get your pickup truck ready: It’s recommended that you wash your pickup thoroughly before it is collected. This allows you to check it for damage and note it on the Bill of Lading. In addition, you’ll need to remove personal items, remove or secure accessories, check the tires, battery, and radiator, and check for fluid leaks and mechanical and engine problems. Also, disable any alarms, remove or deactivate toll tags, and empty the gas tank to one-quarter full.  
• Don’t be late: You need to be on time to meet the driver for both the pick-up and delivery. Having to wait for you to arrive will cause a delay for the driver and mess up their schedule.