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 spot & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in numerous situations where you are unable to operate the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence, or moving your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping companies provide a variety of auto transport services to accommodate your unique requirements.
Varieties Of Auto Transport Services
When selecting an auto transport service, you must determine the pickup and delivery spots, whether it's a nationwide car transport or moving a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a choice where designated collection and drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's shops or operating bases. While this choice is typically more affordable, it necessitates more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. Most individuals prefer door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their automobiles are collected and dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance.
Car transport services are generally categorized into two types: having someone operate your vehicle to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Employing someone to operate your vehicle to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether it's across the nation or to another state. The advantages of this approach include lower costs, as trailers and extra automobiles are not necessary, and quicker delivery due to the straightforward nature of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to this approach, such as added mileage to your automobile (especially when shipping a car across country) and a slight risk of damage during the journey. These concerns are particularly relevant for individuals buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Vehicle On A Trailer
Placing your vehicle on a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone operate your automobile to its destination. Car shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value and size of your vehicle. Single trailers are more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time, but they are a great choice for moving expensive or classic automobiles that you don't want to risk damaging. The safest way to transport a car is in a shipping container, but this is also the most costly option.
Multi-car transporters can move many vehicles at once and come in a few variants:
- Open car shipping: The most affordable and common choice, where your automobile is placed on an open carrier and driven to the destination. While all cars are safely secured, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles.
- Enclosed auto transport: Multiple vehicles are secured on a carrier and enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, and debris during transit. This choice is preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during auto transport.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas car shipping to provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
How Much Does It Cost To Transport 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 car transport may cost more or less depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to find out the expense of auto transport is to gather car shipping quotes from various companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
Factors That Can Influence The Expense Of Auto Transport
Several factors can impact the expense of car shipping, including:
- Distance: Cross-state and cross-country journeys cost more than interstate car delivery, which is often the most affordable option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases.
- International shipping: Transporting a vehicle overseas is always more expensive due to the logistics involved and the distance traveled. It may also require special enclosed trailers or shipping containers.
- Route: The route taken from the pick-up spot to the delivery location can affect pricing. Routes with higher traffic or unforeseen circumstances like roadworks may incur extra costs or require longer alternative routes.
- Shipping dates: Flexibility in timings can result in lower costs, as car shipping companies can fit your delivery into their schedule and reduce overheads. Expedited shipping within a strict timeframe typically costs more.
- Vehicle size: The height, length, and width of the vehicle affect the cost of transport. Larger vehicles like SUVs cost more to transport than sedans. Accessories like bike racks or roof racks can also change the required trailer size.
- Vehicle condition: Non-drivable cars may cost more to transport due to the need for extra equipment like winches or forklifts to load and unload the vehicle.
- Auto transport service type: Having someone operate your vehicle is the most affordable option, while single car trailers and enclosed transport are more expensive due to the specialized equipment required.
- Pickup and delivery locations: Urban areas with common destination routes often have cheaper car shipping services, while rural deliveries may cost more due to deviations from normal routes and extra mileage.
- Auto transport insurance: While all auto transport companies must carry liability insurance, additional cargo insurance is recommended to protect your vehicle during transit.
- 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. Spring and fall are generally better times to ship a car, while summer is the busiest season with higher demand.
How To Transport A Vehicle - Finding An Auto Transport Service
With hundreds of car transport companies available, finding the right one can be a daunting task. Searching on Google or through phone books can be time-consuming, and many companies are reluctant to provide pricing without a detailed quote application. This is where Shiply can help simplify the process.
How Can Shiply Help Find Auto Transport Companies?
Shiply makes it easy to collect quotes from auto transport providers. Simply fill out a simple form with your car's make and model, pickup and delivery locations, and the dates you need to move the vehicle. This information allows auto transport providers on Shiply to provide 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 so you can be notified 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.
When you have a few quotes, you can ask the companies any questions you may have, such as their availability, insurance coverage, and how they secure your car during transport. It's important to ask these questions to ensure a smooth and expected experience.
Shiply's feedback and ratings system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company and their overall score, which is highly recommended before selecting a quote to ship your vehicle.
Why People Often Move Cars To & From Fishhook, Alaska
Fishhook, Alaska, is a small community located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, about 70 miles north of Anchorage. Many individuals transport automobiles to and from Fishhook for various reasons, such as relocating for work, purchasing or selling vehicles online, or moving classic cars to events or shows. The scenic beauty of the area, with its proximity to the Talkeetna Mountains and the Matanuska River, also attracts tourists and outdoor enthusiasts who may need to ship their vehicles to enjoy the region's recreational activities, like hiking, fishing, and camping. Additionally, some residents may need to ship their cars to Fishhook for temporary stays or seasonal work, such as in the tourism or fishing industries.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transportation
Time-efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate cost from a business for transporting a vehicle, on our website, you complete one quotation form and can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can save you hours of time that you would have spent phoning companies and completing forms. Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping information in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to employ to transport your automobile. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without having to supply information and fill in details. While this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not a simple task. Using Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final price quotes from vehicle shipping companies and compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately decide on the best company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport businesses on Shiply can typically 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 and have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York and needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots filled, and they are just looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, and pick-up/drop-off locations work 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 better for the environment! In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter and instead, you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey would be needed just for your automobile. Similarly, many car transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only costly for them but also for the environment as there are many people who could have used that transporter to move their vehicles in the other direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return journeys, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Readying Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle and feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your automobile 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 vehicle.
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 clean your vehicle before transport as this will allow you to ascertain its condition and 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, then you should ensure that it is in running condition. This means ensuring that there is enough fluid, as well as checking battery charge and tire pressure levels. Again, this can also help you better judge the condition of the vehicle upon arrival.
Visual Evidence - One very important thing to do when preparing your vehicle for the car delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photographs of all parts of the automobile. This provides you with evidence of the car'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, and engines should all be checked immediately to ensure that the car 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 State - You can compare the exterior of the vehicle to the photos taken of it before to ascertain whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping a car can, in rare cases, cause damage, and 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 car is driven to the destination, but it can help to check the mileage to ensure that it matches up with the journey 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 car shipping:
How much to ship a car? Car shipping prices can vary drastically depending on the circumstances, but on average, a journey should cost you around $2.92 per mile if the journey is less than 200 miles, $0.93 if the journey is between 200 and 500 miles, and if the journey 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 and 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 and delivery? In most cases, the car shipping company will require you to be in attendance for the pickup and 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, and 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 and 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 and 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 and has the right equipment to safely carry it out.
In conclusion, using Shiply for vehicle shipping offers numerous benefits such as time-efficiency, cost comparison, affordable car shipping, and being environmentally friendly. By following the recommended steps for preparing your car for shipping and knowing what to do after delivery, you can ensure a smooth and hassle-free car shipping experience. With Shiply, you can find the best car shipping company that meets your needs and budget.
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