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, relocating to a new residence, or moving your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping services provide a practical solution for people who need to transfer their cars across states or even nations.
There are several types of car transport services available to accommodate different requirements and preferences. Whether you need cross-country vehicle shipping, transporting a car to another state, or even international automobile transportation, vehicle shipping companies can meet your needs. It's crucial to comprehend the various options available to make a well-informed choice when selecting a vehicle shipping service.
Types Of Car Transport Services
When it comes to car transport services, there are two primary options: terminal-to-terminal delivery and door-to-door delivery. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery involves designated collection and drop-off points, typically at the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. While this option is often more cost-effective, it requires additional effort on your part to get the automobile to and from the terminals. Conversely, door-to-door car transport is the most popular choice, as it provides the convenience of having your vehicle picked up & dropped off right at your doorstep. This is particularly advantageous when you don't have access to your automobile to drive it to a terminal.
Another decision you'll need to make is whether you want someone to operate your vehicle to its destination or have it transported on a trailer. Hiring someone to drive your automobile can be a straightforward and cost-effective solution, especially for shorter distances. However, this method adds mileage to your vehicle and carries a slight risk of damage during the journey. If you're buying or selling a car online and want to ensure it arrives in the same condition as advertised, this may not be the best option.
Transporting your automobile on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. Vehicle shipping trailers come in different types, catering to various automobile sizes and values. Single trailers are more expensive but provide a secure option for transporting expensive or classic cars. For the utmost protection, shipping containers are the safest choice, albeit the most costly. Multi-car transporters, on the other hand, can carry several vehicles at once and come in two main variants: open and enclosed.
Open car shipping is the most affordable and common option, where your vehicle is placed on an open carrier and driven to its destination. While all automobiles are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during transit, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Enclosed auto transport, in contrast, involves multiple cars being secured on a carrier and enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, and debris. This is often the preferred choice for newer or more expensive automobiles.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas, it's essential to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas car shipping. These providers can offer tailored advice based on your specific requirements, ensuring a smooth and efficient international vehicle transportation process.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Flagstaff
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you require an exact cost from a business on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you give from several businesses. This can save you hours of time you would have had to spend calling companies & filling out forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our platform too, meaning you can store all of your car shipping flagstaff details in one location.
Price Comparison - When it comes down to it, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to utilize to transport your vehicle. The tricky thing is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't actually be given a solid flagstaff car shipping quote without having to give information and complete details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison and getting a vehicle transport estimate isn't exactly a simple task.
Using Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping businesses & compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the best business for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping
Auto transport businesses on Shiply are typically able to offer their services for a lower cost than if you went direct to them. This is because they are often looking to fill space on trips they are already making & have already sunk the cost for. Say, for example, you were moving from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your vehicle there. On Shiply, a business may already have a multi-car transporter making that trip 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.
Better For The Enviroment
Not only is using Shiply for auto transport cheaper, but it is also better for the environment. In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be needed just for your vehicle.
Similarly, many vehicle transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only costly for them but also for the enviroment as there are lots of people who could have used that transporter to move their vehicles in the other direction. Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are looking to fill their trailers on return trips too, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued cheap transport for our users!
Preparing For Your Vehicle To Be Shipped
If you have decided on an auto transport business to move your vehicle & feel secure using them, then it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We recommend following these steps.
Documents - It is important to ensure that any documents you may need are available at pick up or drop off, especially if you are selling your vehicle.
Cleaning - You should take care to remove all personal items from your vehicle prior to 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 & 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 and tire pressure levels. Again this can also help you better judge the condition of the vehicle upon arrival.
Photographic 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 car. 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 business you selected has completed their delivery, there are a few things you should do.
Check Vital Signs - Lights, brakes, and 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 ascertain whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping a vehicle can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your car transport service has not done so.
Check Milage - This is more relevant to car shipping services where the vehicle is driven to the destination but it can help to check the milage 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 business 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 vehicle shipping:
How much to ship a vehicle? Vehicle 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 and 500 miles, and if the trip is over 1,000 miles then this drops to $0.78.
What is the cheapest way to ship a vehicle? 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 vehicle.
How do I pay for my auto transport? This is down to each individual auto transport business on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen car delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most businesses will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my vehicle transport online? Each car shipping business 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 car transport businesses to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup and delivery? In most cases, the car shipping business 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 car shipment. Most car transport businesses 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 & 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 & has the right equipment to safely carry it out.