What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one location & transporting it to another. This service is advantageous in various circumstances where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online and needing to transport it to another state, moving to a new residence and requiring cross-country vehicle shipping, or transferring your automobile overseas when ferries are not available.
Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to accommodate your particular requirements, which we will explore below.
Varieties Of Auto Transport Services
When it comes to vehicle transport services, there are a few choices to consider. The initial decision you'll need to make is where you want your automobile picked up from and delivered to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is one option, where designated collection and drop-off points, often the car transport company's stores or operating bases, are utilized. While this choice is generally more affordable, it requires more effort on your part to get the vehicle home.
Most individuals, however, prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, regardless of whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or just shipping a car to another state. With this option, your automobile is collected & dropped off at your doorstep, eliminating the need to arrange transportation to retrieve your vehicle.
Vehicle transport services can be categorized into two main types: having someone operate your car to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
One straightforward solution to vehicle shipping is hiring someone to operate your automobile to its destination, whether it's shipping a car across the country or to another state. This method is often more affordable as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle, and it can be faster due to its simplicity.
However, there are some drawbacks to this approach that lead some people to choose other vehicle transport options. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage occurring to your vehicle while it's being operated. These concerns are particularly relevant for those buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the automobile arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Vehicle On A Trailer
Placing your automobile on a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection compared to having someone operate it. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the size & value of your automobile.
Single trailers are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time, but they are an excellent choice for moving expensive or classic cars that you want to protect from potential damage. The safest way to transport a vehicle is by placing it in a shipping container, although this is the most costly option.
Multi-car transporters, which can carry several automobiles at once, come in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping is the cheapest & most common option offered by car shipping companies. 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 transit, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Additionally, longer journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage and prolonged exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, and debris during transit. This option is often preferred for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during transport.
If you need to move your automobile overseas, it's best to find a specialist service on our platform or one with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Homer
Time-efficient - Rather than submitting a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a business for transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form & can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can conserve you hours of effort that you would have spent phoning companies and filling out forms. Communication with these businesses is also feasible via our platform, allowing you to store all your vehicle transport homer details in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle transport estimate is the most crucial aspect in choosing which auto shipping company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't actually receive a definite vehicle transport quote without having to supply information & complete details. Although this is reasonable, it means that price comparison and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not exactly a simple process. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from vehicle transport companies and compare them in one place, offering the opportunity to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately select the ideal company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Transport - Auto shipping 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 & 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 trip with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, & they are simply looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, and pick-up/drop-off locations are suitable for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Eco-Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, but it is 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 vehicle shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be required just for your vehicle. Similarly, many vehicle 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 utilized that transporter to move their vehicles in the opposite direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also seeking to fill their trailers on return trips, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being emitted into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle & feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial to ensure that any necessary documents are available at pick up or drop off, especially if you are selling your vehicle.
Cleaning - 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 determine its condition & notice any damages that may occur during delivery.
Running 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 & tire pressure levels. Again, this can also help you better assess the condition of the vehicle upon arrival.
Photographic Evidence - One very important thing to do when preparing your vehicle for the vehicle delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photographs of all parts of the vehicle. 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 vehicle shipping company you selected has completed their delivery, there are a few things you should do:
Check 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 vehicle 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 vehicle can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your vehicle transport service has not done so.
Check Mileage - This is more relevant to vehicle 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 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 vehicle shipping services with the same peace of mind.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have answered some of the most asked questions about homer vehicle shipping:
How much to ship a vehicle? Vehicle 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 & 500 miles, & if the journey is over 1,000 miles, then this drops to $0.78.
What is the most affordable way to ship a vehicle? Having someone drive your vehicle to its destination is the most affordable way to ship a vehicle; however, if you need a trailer, then a multi-car transporter will be your best option with regard to the most affordable way to ship a vehicle.
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 vehicle delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my vehicle transport online? Each vehicle shipping company on Shiply has different ways of operating, but many offer the ability to track your vehicle shipment, with some even able to provide personal updates. If you require tracking, you should message individual vehicle transport companies to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the vehicle 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 vehicle keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my vehicle shipment? Most vehicle 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 vehicle 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.