Auto transport by rail is very much a dying industry, because the railroad is, really, a dying medium of transportation. There are plenty of railroads left, and there are plenty of train companies that provide commercial transportation services, but on the whole most vehicle transportation is now done via overland transportation as opposed to via rail. This has to do with a couple different things that we’ll explore a bit more in-depth about in this article.
For starters, the auto transport by rail industry is somewhat unique in the sense that it falls under several different regulatory commissions that make it harder than it should be for transporters to ship vehicles by rail. Overland transporters don’t have these same kinds of restrictions; they’re overseen by the Department of Transportation and the FMCSA, and on the whole there’s not a whole lot that overland transporters can’t do (well, they can’t speed and they can’t drive for too long, but really that’s about it). This makes it easier for overland transporters to keep their prices lower, and as such customers tend to ship via overland transport as opposed to the often-more-expensive auto transport by rail.
But auto transport by rail does indeed still exist – as of this writing, anyway. It’s just that there aren’t nearly as many routes that auto transport by rail services are available on and this in turn means that you won’t be able to ship from anywhere, to anywhere in the U.S. with an auto transport by rail company like you could with an overland transport company. Which is just another nail in the coffin for the auto transport by rail industry, because it means that there are fewer customers able to transport with them. The biggest routes for rail transport are along the eastern seaboard and from the northeast (New England) to the southwest (California). Other than that, though, you’re almost always going to need overland transport services.
And besides, overland transportation is generally cheaper than auto transport by rail, even though an auto transport truck can haul a maximum of ten cars while a rail car can haul anywhere from 50 to 100. Dealerships would probably take most advantage of auto transport by rail services due to the high volume that can be transported at once, but then again it depends on where your dealership is located. Regular customers, though, that are simply shipping their personal vehicles, would be best served going with an overland transporter as opposed to an auto transport by rail company.
You can fill out our free online auto transport quote request form and receive a free quote in your e-mail that was calculated with precision and care by one of our experienced staff members, or you can take the initiative and give us a call directly at our toll-free number. You can call up any time during normal business hours and speak to one of our live agents, who can help calculate your quote for you as well as answer any questions you may have. So call us or e-mail and we’ll do what we can for you – it’s what we do here at Cruise Control Auto Transport.
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This is my second time shipping my vehicle with Cruise Control Auto Transport. I like how this company does a great job of being up front at the very beginning by explaining what to expect so there are no surprises. There were none once again. From pickup to delivery, Andrew was there to answer all my questions. Even on weekends! I have Cruise Control Auto Transport to thank for another excellent experience.