Should You Tip Your Car Transport Driver?

Yes, because when you receive good service in a restaurant, hair salon, or barber shop, gratitude is always welcomed as a sign of appreciation for exceptional service and car delivery drivers are not any different than any other service provider.

They perform an enormous amount of work to transport your car. They load and unload cars under harsh weather conditions. They drive for many hours to deliver your car on time. They provide shipping brokers and customers with pickup and delivery updates. They take extra effort to check on your vehicle’s safety while it is in transit. They call you ahead of time before pickup and delivery. They take care of your property, therefore tipping a car transportation driver is a sign of appreciation.

How Much Should You Tip an Auto Transport Driver?

Once you decide you would like to tip a truck driver, you wonder what would be an appropriate tip? Truck drivers will appreciate any tip, however, an average tip for a car shipping driver is between $100.00-$300.00. It doesn’t mean that if you will give him less than $100.00, he will not be thankful for it. But this is your personal choice.

Truck drivers understand that everybody has their budget and will appreciate the even smaller tips. In some situations, elderly customers prepared a snack and gave it to the driver on delivery day. If you are short on a budget, the driver will be grateful for a kind thank you.

When Should You Tip a Car Shipping Driver?

Now it is time to discuss when it would be an appropriate time to tip a car delivery driver? Most of the time they receive a tip during the vehicle’s pickup. Tipping him on a pickup will help you to build his trustful relationships which will increase the chances of getting a good service.

In some cases when you are not available on the pickup you can always tip the trucker when your vehicle will be delivered. This will make his day and will make you feel a better person.

4 Reasons to Tip an Auto Transport Driver at the Pickup

When you connect with your car delivery driver for the first time, it might be a great idea to provide him with a tip. This will make his day and will help you to make your vehicle relocation experience smoother as your vehicle will be transported by a happy driver.

1. You plan on putting personal belongings in your car and you are unsure about the weight

Most car shipping companies will charge you additional fees if your vehicle will have over 100 lbs of items inside. Tipping a driver will most likely solve the problem and will help you to avoid any formal charges by the broker. Most drivers will disregard additional weight in the vehicle in exchange for a tip. Depending on the number of items you will put tip should range between $100.00-$200.00. Please make sure all the items are placed below the window level and do not block the driver’s seat.

2. You want your car to be transported on the safest spot on a trailer

There are many debates about the safest spot on a car carrier, but nobody besides the trucker knows which is the safest spot on his trailer for your vehicle. In the beginning, your vehicle might be loaded not at its final assigned spot, but once your driver will pick up all the vehicles he will rearrange all vehicles and will decide on the safest spot for your car. Tipping the driver may help to get you to the best and safest spot of his trailer.

3. Your driver provided you with adequate notice and has great communication

Before the pickup and while your vehicle is in transit you want to be notified regarding the pickup and delivery schedule in a timely manner. A car transport driver who provides good service will always call you one day before his arrival and will give you a call 1-2 hours in advance. The tipped driver will be more likely to share his location with you and will pick up his phone when you call him with any questions.

4. Your vehicle is modified

Some vehicles do have some modifications and usually, these must be discussed with your shipping company prior to booking. This is especially important if your car has oversized tires, if it is lifted or if it has a roof rack. Sometimes a special type of trailer might be required to transport a modified vehicle. If your shipper forgot to ask you about vehicle modification and you did not disclose this information when you scheduled your service, tipping a car delivery driver might save you from your service cancellation and unnecessary expenses. For example, a typical tip for oversized tire modification may vary between $200.00 and $400.00 and for a roof rack attached to your pickup truck- between $300.00 and $500.00.

3 Reasons to Tip Your Auto Delivery Driver on Delivery

1. The driver arrived earlier than you expected

On-time or early car delivery is one of the reasons to tip your driver. Now you don’t have to rent a car or spend money on Uber or Lyft. Instead, you will enjoy a ride on your personal vehicle.

2. Your vehicle made it safely

Unfortunately not every vehicle arrives at its final destination in preexisting condition. Rarely, but some minor damages do happen. If your vehicle made is safely and damage free this is another reason to thank the car delivery driver for taking good care of your vehicle.

3. The driver got your car shipped directly to your house

Not every address is semi-truck accessible, therefore most of the time you should not expect door-to-door service. However, some drivers do drive it directly to your door. This is common when you order an enclosed relocation service. The truck drivers will drive your vehicle to your chosen address and will hire a taxi to get back to their semi-truck. This type of service does deserve good tipping. At least $100.00-$150.00 is expected to cover taxi expenses and have some money left for a tasty lunch.

5 Reasons Not to Tip Auto Transport Driver

As with any other business, the auto transport industry has good and bad service providers. When car delivery drivers do not meet your expectations, you might want to withhold your tip.

1. You discovered new damage upon your vehicle’s arrival

Unfortunately, car shipping damages can happen. There are various reasons why transported vehicle may arrive damaged. Some of the reasons are driver’s negligence, the act of God, collision during transport, or other factors. If you received your vehicle in damaged condition, tipping is unnecessary.

2. The vehicle was delivered later than promised

Usually, car shipping companies will provide you with an estimated time of their arrival at the pickup and delivery location. It can be several day time-frame. If your vehicle arrived more than 3 days after the original time frame listed in your contract, this would be considered late delivery. In this case, you can save your tip for later.

3. Driver did not provide you with reasonable notice before pickup or delivery

Almost all auto transport companies require drivers to provide you with 1 day and at least 2 hours’ notice before pickup and delivery. If your driver arrived at the pickup or delivery without any notice, he may lose his tip.

4. Driver was disrespectful and rude

Drivers like any other people can get emotional and rude. Any professional person within the scope of employment usually will keep their emotions private. Unfortunately, some drivers may be unfriendly and even rude. Even if this driver performs well, he still might not deserve a tip.

5. Driver had poor communication

Larger car carrier companies have dispatch offices that should provide you with great communication and updates. This makes the driver’s life much easier on the road and keeps you informed throughout the shipping process. Not all drivers are using this service and not all dispatch companies provide adequate communication service. If you have poor communication experience with your driver or his dispatch office, this might be another reason to not tip him.

Remember – Tipping a Car Delivery Driver Is Showing an Appreciation Of Their Work

An extra effort and great customer service is always a good reason for appreciation. Should you tip the car delivery driver or not is your personal choice. Tipping is not mandatory but it will always be appreciated. Tipping may add motivation to perform a better job and better customer service. Any service must be evaluated before you will give up your tip as not every service deserves appreciation. Only you know what a good service