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 proves useful in numerous situations where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence across the nation, or moving your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping services provide a practical solution for people who need to transfer their cars without the inconvenience of driving long distances.
There are various types of car transport services available to accommodate different requirements, which we will investigate further in this article.
Types Of Car Transport Services
When it comes to transporting your automobile, there are a few crucial decisions you need to make. First, you must establish the pickup and delivery spots for your vehicle. You can select between terminal-to-terminal auto delivery, where designated collection and drop-off points are utilized (often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases), or door-to-door car shipping delivery, where your automobile is collected and dropped off at your doorstep. While terminal-to-terminal service may be more affordable, door-to-door delivery is often preferable for its convenience, particularly when transporting a vehicle across the country or to another state.
Vehicle transport services can be broadly categorized into two options: having someone operate your car to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transportation.
Having Someone Operate Your Vehicle: This straightforward solution involves hiring a driver to move your automobile to its destination. The advantages of this method include lower costs (as trailers and additional vehicles are not necessary) and quicker delivery times. However, there are some drawbacks to consider, such as the addition of mileage to your car (particularly when shipping across the country) and the slight risk of damage during the journey. These concerns are especially relevant for individuals purchasing or selling automobiles online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Placing Your Automobile On A Trailer: Putting your car on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value and size of your automobile. Single trailers, while more costly, are ideal for moving expensive or classic cars that require extra protection. The safest option is to use a shipping container, although this is also the most expensive. Multi-car transporters, which can carry several vehicles at once, are another popular choice and come in two main variants:
1. Open Vehicle Shipping: This is the most economical & common option offered by car shipping companies. Your automobile is securely placed on an open carrier and moved to its destination. While this method exposes your car to the elements during transit, it remains the most affordable way to ship a vehicle cross-country. However, longer journeys in open trailers may increase the risk of damage.
2. Enclosed Car Transport: In this method, multiple automobiles are secured on a carrier and enclosed, shielding them from dust, weather, and debris during transit. This option is preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where minimizing the risk of damage is a priority.
If you need to transport your automobile overseas, it's crucial to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas vehicle shipping to provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Clearwater & Clearwater Vehicle Transport
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quote form each time you desire a precise price from a company on transporting your automobile, on our platform you fill out one quote form & then can receive quotes based on the information you give from several businesses. This can save you hours of time you would've had to spend phoning companies & filling in forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our platform too, meaning you can store all of your vehicle shipping info in one spot.
Price Comparison - When it comes down to it, the price of the vehicle shipping quote is the most important factor in choosing which auto transport company to use to ship your automobile. The challenging thing is that, while most businesses are happy to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a solid vehicle transport quote without having to provide information & fill in details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison & getting a vehicle transport quote isn't exactly a simple task.
Using Shiply allows you to get real, final price quotes from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one place, giving you 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 automobile there. On Shiply, a company 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 work for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by using our service!
Better For The Environment
Not only is using Shiply for auto transport cheaper, but it is also better for the environment! In the above example, if your automobile 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 automobile.
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 automobiles 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 company to move your automobile & 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 automobile.
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 see 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 automobile. This gives you evidence of the automobile'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 automobile 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 see whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping an automobile 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 automobile 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 vehicle 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 an automobile? 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 & 500 miles, & if the trip is over 1,000 miles then this drops to $0.78.
What is the cheapest way to ship an automobile? Having someone drive your vehicle to its destination is the cheapest way to ship an automobile, however, if you need a trailer then a multi-car transporter will be your best option with regard to the cheapest way to ship an automobile.
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 automobile 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 automobile. This is because there are likely to be release forms that you need to sign, as well as handing over the automobile keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my automobile shipment? Most vehicle transport companies will be fine with you keeping some personal items in the automobile 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 automobile will not be covered by insurance for the transport of the automobile 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 automobile 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 automobile.
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.