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 drive the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online and need to transport a vehicle to another state, or when you've relocated & need to ship a car across the nation. Auto transport services can also be extremely useful when you need to move your vehicle internationally, and unless ferries are available, you'll need to depend on a car shipping company to manage this for you.
Luckily, there are numerous vehicle transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've outlined below.
Varieties Of Car Shipping Services
There are several car shipping services available, which we've summarized below. It can be extremely helpful to review and determine precisely what type of auto transportation service you require or prefer to transport your vehicle.
The initial decision you need to make is where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal car delivery is an option, which means that designated collection and drop-off points are utilized, often the auto transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal car delivery is often more affordable but will require more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, the vast majority of individuals require a door-to-door car transport delivery service so that their automobiles are picked up & dropped off at their door, regardless of whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or just to move a car to another state. This is often preferable as it means you don't need to go anywhere to collect your vehicle - something that can be challenging without your automobile in the first place!
Auto transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone drive your vehicle to where it needs to be, or it's put on a trailer & taken there.
Have Someone Drive Your Automobile
This is a very straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come & drive your car to where it needs to go - whether the need is to transport a vehicle across the country or to ship cars to another state. The benefits of this car transport method are that it is often more affordable as trailers & an extra vehicle are not required, & it can also often be fast due to the straightforward nature of the transportation.
However, there are some downsides to this method offered by auto shipping companies that lead some individuals to opt for other types of vehicle transport. The first is that mileage is obviously added to your automobile on the journey, meaning if you are shipping a car across the nation, there will be some significant miles added - less so when simply shipping a vehicle to another state (as long as it is close by). Second, there is a slight risk of damage happening to your car while it is driven from A to B. These are particularly worrisome for individuals buying or selling automobiles online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in exactly the same condition as it was advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of security than having someone drive your car to its destination. With auto shipping trailers, there are multiple options that you may want to go with depending on the value & size of your automobile.
First off, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your vehicle. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great option if you are moving an expensive or classic automobile which you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport a vehicle is to put it in a shipping container, but this is by far the most expensive option. The other option is a multi-car transporter which can move many automobiles at once, of which there are a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any auto shipping company is the most affordable & by far the most common option when transporting a car. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & is driven to the destination. All vehicles are safely secured but, as the name suggests, they are exposed to the elements during the drive & so this may not be recommended by car shipping companies for highly valuable automobiles. Further, while it may be the most affordable way to ship a vehicle cross country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your car exposed to the elements for longer periods of time.
Enclosed car transport involves multiple automobiles secured on a carrier but they are enclosed, meaning they are not exposed to the dust, weather, & debris of the outside world during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during car transport.
Should you need to move your automobile overseas through a car transport company, then you should try & find one of the specialist services on our platform or one which has experience in overseas vehicle shipping as they can provide you with tailored advice based on what you require.
The Advantages of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transportation
Time-efficient - Rather than completing a quotation form each instance you desire to obtain a precise cost from an organization on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you supply from several companies. This can conserve you hours of effort you would have had to invest contacting companies & inputting details.
Communication with these organizations is all feasible through our platform as well, implying you can maintain all of your vehicle shipping data in one location.
Cost 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 challenging aspect is that, while most organizations are willing to provide average costs & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a definite vehicle transport estimate without having to supply information & input details. While this is reasonable, it does mean that cost comparison & getting a vehicle transport estimate isn't precisely a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one location, providing the capability to message them individually to inquire about any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the best organization for you.
Inexpensive Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport organizations on Shiply are typically able to provide their services for 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. Say, for instance, you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your vehicle there. On Shiply, an organization 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 squandering any space. As long as the dates, times, & pick-up/drop-off locations work for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Better For The Environment - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, 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 vehicle 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 environment 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 inexpensive transport for our users.
Readying For Your Vehicle To Be Shipped
If you have decided on an auto transport organization 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 & 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 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 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 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 car can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your car transport service has not done so.
Check 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 & 500 miles, & 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 & 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.
If you're looking for reliable & affordable car shipping fayetteville or fayetteville car shipping services, Shiply is the perfect platform to connect with trusted auto transport companies. Get started today & experience the benefits of using Shiply for all your car shipping needs.
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