What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by vehicle shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one location & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in various circumstances where you are unable to operate the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online and need to transport it to another state, relocating and requiring cross-country vehicle shipping, or moving your automobile overseas when ferries are not available. Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you need to make is where you want your automobile collected from and transported to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle shipping or transporting a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection and drop-off points, often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases, are used. While this alternative is typically less expensive, it demands more effort on your part to get the automobile home. Most individuals, however, favor a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it is a cross-country vehicle shipping or just transporting a car to another state.
Vehicle transport services are generally categorized into two types: having someone operate your automobile to its destination or placing it on a trailer for shipping. Hiring someone to drive your vehicle is a straightforward solution, whether you need to transport a car across the country or to another state. This approach is often less expensive as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle, and it can be quicker due to its simplicity. However, there are some drawbacks, such as added mileage to your automobile (especially when transporting a car across the country) and a slight risk of damage during the journey. These concerns are particularly relevant for individuals buying or selling vehicles online who want to ensure the car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Placing your automobile on a trailer is a safer way to guarantee a higher level of protection than having someone operate it. There are multiple options available depending on the value and size of your vehicle. You can choose a single trailer for your car, which is more expensive as it only transports one vehicle at a time but is ideal for moving expensive or classic automobiles. The safest way to transport a car is in a shipping container, but this is the most costly option. Alternatively, you can opt for a multi-car transporter, which comes in a few variants:
- Open vehicle shipping: The cheapest and most common option, where your automobile is placed on an open carrier and driven to its destination. While all cars are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making it less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Long journeys in open trailers also pose a higher risk of damage.
- Enclosed auto transport: Multiple cars are secured on a carrier but are enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, and debris during transit. This option is preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or one with experience in overseas vehicle shipping to provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
What Is The Cost Of Transporting A Vehicle?
The expense of transporting a vehicle varies depending on several factors, but on average, US auto transport companies charge around $2.92 per mile for journeys less than 200 miles, $0.93 for journeys between 200 and 500 miles, and $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles. However, these are just averages, and your vehicle transport may cost more or less depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to collect vehicle shipping quotes from various companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
Factors That Can Influence The Expense Of Vehicle Transport
While everyone wants inexpensive vehicle transport, several factors can affect the cost of car shipping services:
- Distance: Cross-state and cross-country journeys cost significantly more than interstate vehicle delivery, which is often the cheapest option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases.
- International shipping: Transporting a vehicle overseas is always expensive due to the logistics involved and the distance traveled. It may also require special enclosed trailers or a shipping container.
- Route: The route taken from the collection spot to the delivery location can affect pricing. Routes with higher traffic, such as in LA, may cost more than quieter roads due to the added time. Unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs or require a longer alternative route.
- Shipping dates: Flexibility in timings can result in lower charges, as vehicle shipping companies can fit your delivery into their schedule and reduce overheads. Strict timeframes (expedited shipping) typically cost more, as the company may need to dedicate a trailer and driver solely for your delivery.
- Vehicle size: The height, length, and width of the vehicle affect the cost of transport. Larger vehicles like SUVs generally cost more to transport than sedans. Always inform the auto transport company about any accessories (bike racks, roof racks, etc.) as they can change the required trailer size.
- Vehicle condition: Non-drivable cars may incur higher auto transport costs due to the need for extra equipment (winch, forklift) to load and unload the vehicle. A car that can brake, roll, and steer is considered in good enough condition for easy shipping by most car carriers.
- Auto transport service type: Having someone drive your car is the cheapest option, while single car trailers and enclosed transport are more expensive due to the specialized equipment required. Enclosed car shipping is the most expensive method, as your car travels alone and still needs special equipment for loading, unloading, and protection during transport.
- Pick-up and delivery locations: Urban areas usually have car shipping services nearby, and common destination routes often offer cheap car shipping. Rural deliveries can cost more due to deviations from normal routes and extra mileage. Unusual or hard-to-access pick-up or drop-off points may require extra steps to load your vehicle, increasing the cost.
- Auto transport insurance: While all auto transport companies must carry liability insurance, many do not offer additional coverage. If a company doesn't provide cargo insurance, it's highly recommended to acquire some for your vehicle during transit. Clarify what type of damage is covered, the deductible, which parts of the vehicle are insured, and any other relevant questions.
- Time of year: Seasonality affects car shipping prices, with winter being the most expensive due to ice, snow, and blizzard conditions causing delays and reduced speeds. December is challenging as drivers are on holiday, while January sees increased vehicle shipping costs due to many people traveling to warmer states. Spring is a great time to ship, with improved weather, longer days, and more available drivers. Summer is the prime season for shipping cars, making June, July, and August busy months without cheap car shipping. Fall offers slightly cheaper prices, with less busy companies and more driver availability after the summer rush.
How To Transport A Vehicle - Finding A Vehicle Transport Service
With hundreds of vehicle transport companies available, finding the right one can be daunting. Searching on Google or through phone books can be time-consuming, and many companies are reluctant to provide pricing without individual quotes. This is where Shiply can help simplify the process.
How Can Shiply Assist In Finding Vehicle Transport Companies?
Shiply makes it easy to collect quotes from auto transport providers. Simply fill out a simple form with your vehicle's make and model, collection and delivery locations, and the dates you need to move the automobile. This information allows providers to give you accurate quotes for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll receive quotes in your Shiply inbox and email. We recommend keeping email notifications on to know immediately when a new quote arrives. Quotes can start coming in within minutes of posting your listing, but it's best to wait for a few options before making a decision. You can ask companies questions about availability, insurance, and how they secure your vehicle. Always ask these questions to ensure a smooth and expected process.
Shiply's feedback and ratings system allows you to view previous customers' experiences and overall scores for each company. We highly recommend checking this before selecting a quote to ship your vehicle.
Why Individuals Frequently Transport Vehicles To & From Pelham, Alabama
Pelham, a city in Shelby County, Alabama, is a popular destination for vehicle shipping due to various reasons. Many people relocate to Pelham for its excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, and proximity to Birmingham, making it an attractive location for families. Others move for job opportunities in the area's growing industries, such as healthcare and retail. Additionally, Pelham's mild climate and scenic beauty draw retirees and those seeking a slower pace of life. When moving to or from Pelham, many residents choose to ship their vehicles using auto transport companies to avoid the stress and hassle of driving long distances. Vehicle shipping services provide a convenient and secure way to transport automobiles, ensuring they arrive at their destination in the same condition as when they left. Whether moving across the country or just to a neighboring state, Pelham car shipping companies offer a range of options to suit different needs and budgets, making the process of relocating to or from this charming Alabama city much easier.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Pelham Car Transport
Saves Time - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you require an exact cost from a company on transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form & can then receive estimates based on the information you submit from several businesses. This can save you a significant amount of time that you would have spent phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these companies is also possible via our platform, allowing you to store all of your pelham car transport information in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the car transport estimate is the most important consideration when selecting which auto shipping company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't be given a definite car shipping quote without having to supply information & complete details. While this is understandable, it means that price comparison & obtaining a car transport estimate is not a simple task. Using Shiply enables you to obtain genuine, final price estimates from car transport companies & compare them in one location, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately choose the best company for your needs.
Affordable Pelham Car Transport - Auto shipping companies on Shiply can usually provide their services at a lower cost than if you went directly to them. This is because they are often seeking to fill space on trips they are already making & have already invested the cost for. For example, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that trip with 5 of the 6 spots filled, & they are just looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, & pick-up/drop-off locations are convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by using our service.
Environmentally Friendly - Using Shiply for auto transport is not only less expensive but also more environmentally friendly! In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be required just for your vehicle. Similarly, many car transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only expensive for them but also for the environment as there are many people who could have used that transporter to move their cars in the opposite direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return trips, resulting in even less wasted CO2 being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Getting Your Car Ready for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle & feel confident using them, it's time to get your vehicle ready for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Paperwork - It is crucial to ensure that any documents you may require are available at pick up or drop off, especially if you are selling your car.
Washing - You should take care to remove all personal belongings from your vehicle before shipping, for the obvious reason that you don't want to risk them getting lost or damaged in transit. It is also highly recommended that you wash your car before transport as this will allow you to determine its condition & notice any damages that may occur during delivery.
Operational Condition - If the vehicle will be driven at any point during shipping or driven home from the drop-off location, you should ensure that it is in operational condition. This means ensuring that there is enough fluid, as well as checking battery charge & tire pressure levels. Again, this can also help you better assess the condition of the vehicle upon arrival.
Photographic Proof - One very important thing to do when preparing your vehicle for the car delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photos of all parts of the car. This provides you with evidence of the vehicle's condition before shipping should anything happen to it during transport.
What to Do After Delivery
Once the car shipping company you selected has completed their delivery, there are a few things you should do:
Inspect Vital Signs - Lights, brakes, & engines should all be checked immediately to ensure that the vehicle is in the expected condition, as well as enable you to immediately raise concerns with the car delivery service should anything not be working as it should.
Exterior Condition - You can compare the exterior of the vehicle to the photos taken of it before to determine whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping a car can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your car transport service has not done so.
Verify Mileage - This is more relevant to car shipping services where the vehicle is driven to the destination, but it can help to check the mileage to ensure that it matches up with the trip taken.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could also leave a review for the auto transport company you used through Shiply so that others can browse car shipping services with the same peace of mind.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have answered some of the most asked questions about pelham car shipping:
How much to ship a car? Car shipping prices can vary drastically depending on the circumstances, but on average a trip should cost you around $2.92 per mile if the trip is less than 200 miles, $0.93 if the trip is between 200 & 500 miles, & if the trip is over 1,000 miles then this drops to $0.78.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car? Having someone drive your vehicle to its destination is the cheapest way to ship a car, however, if you need a trailer then a multi-car transporter will be your best option with regard to the cheapest way to ship a car.
How do I pay for my auto transport? This is down to each individual auto transport company on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen car delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my car transport online? Each car shipping company on Shiply has different ways of operating, but many offer the ability to track your car shipment, with some even able to provide personal updates. If you require tracking, you should message individual car transport companies to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the car shipping company will require you to be in attendance for the pickup & delivery of the vehicle. This is because there are likely to be release forms that you need to sign, as well as handing over the car keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my car shipment? Most car transport companies will be fine with you keeping some personal items in the vehicle when it is transported. However, there are two important things to remember: 1. The weight of the items may affect the price of the vehicle shipment, & 2. Any items in the vehicle will not be covered by insurance for the transport of the car itself.
How much gas should I have in my vehicle during transit? Generally, you should aim to have around a quarter of your tank full. This allows for easy loading & unloading of the vehicle but will not add too much extra weight to the vehicle.
Can I ship my vehicle if it isn't running? You can ship your vehicle if it isn't in running condition, however, this will be more expensive as specialist equipment is required to load & unload the vehicle.
Can I ship a modified vehicle? Almost any type of vehicle is able to be shipped on Shiply, with hundreds of transport providers available to bid on your job there will always be someone that is up for the job & has the right equipment to safely carry it out.