What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also known as automobile shipping or auto relocation, is a service offered by car hauling businesses that involves collecting your automobile from one spot & transporting it to another. It's beneficial for moving a vehicle in various circumstances where you can't operate the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a pre-owned automobile online & require shipping it to a different state, or maybe you've recently moved & need to transport your vehicle cross-country. Auto shipping services can also be incredibly useful when you need to relocate your car overseas & ferries aren't available, necessitating you to rely on a vehicle transport business to manage the job.
Luckily, there are numerous automobile transport services available to satisfy your particular requirements, which we'll discuss below.
Types Of Vehicle Shipping Services
Below, we've outlined the various vehicle shipping services offered. It's advantageous to read through & determine the precise type of auto transportation service you need or desire for relocating your automobile.
The initial decision you must make is where you want your vehicle picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country automobile transport or moving a car to a different state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a choice, where designated collection & drop-off points, frequently the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases, are utilized. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is typically less expensive but demands more effort on your part to get the automobile home. However, most individuals require a door-to-door vehicle transport delivery service, where their cars are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country automobile transport or just relocating a vehicle to a different state. This is often preferable as it eliminates the need to travel to retrieve your car, which can be challenging without your automobile in the first place!
Vehicle transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone operate your automobile to the destination or putting it on a trailer & hauling it.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
This straightforward solution to vehicle shipping involves hiring someone to drive your automobile to the desired location, whether you need to move a car across the country or to a different state. The advantages of this auto transport method include lower costs, as trailers & an extra vehicle aren't required, & faster delivery due to the simple nature of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method offered by vehicle shipping businesses that lead some people to choose other types of automobile transport. Firstly, mileage is added to your car during the journey, which can be significant when moving a vehicle across the country, although less so when shipping a car to a nearby state. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your automobile while it's being operated from point A to point B. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting 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. With car hauling trailers, there are several options available depending on the value & size of your vehicle.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your automobile. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great choice if you're relocating an expensive or classic vehicle that you don't want to risk damaging. The safest way to haul a car is to put it in a shipping container, but this is by far the most costly option. The other choice is a multi-car transporter, which can move many automobiles at once & comes in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any automobile hauling business is the cheapest & most common option for transporting a car. Your vehicle is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All automobiles are securely fastened, but as the name suggests, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, so vehicle shipping businesses may not recommend this for highly valuable cars. Furthermore, while it may be the cheapest way to move a vehicle cross-country, long journeys in open trailers obviously pose a higher risk of damage & leave your automobile exposed to the elements for extended periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple vehicles on a carrier, but they are enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during vehicle transport.
If you need to relocate your car overseas through a vehicle transport business, try to find a specialist service on our platform or one with experience in overseas automobile shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits Of Using Shiply For Vehicle Transport
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you require an exact cost from a company on transporting a vehicle, on our site you fill out one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you submit from several businesses. This can save you hours of time you would have had to spend contacting companies & filling out forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our site as well, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping information in one location.
Cost Comparison
When it comes down to it, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most important factor in choosing which auto transport company to use to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually receive a definite vehicle transport estimate without having to submit information & fill out details. While this is understandable, it does mean that cost comparison & getting a vehicle transport estimate isn't exactly a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final cost estimates from vehicle shipping businesses & compare them in one location, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately choose the best company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping
Auto transport businesses 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 looking to fill space on trips they are already making & have already invested the cost for. Say, for example, you were moving from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle 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 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 affordable transport for our users.
Preparing For Your Vehicle To Be Shipped
If you have decided on an auto transport company 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 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 ascertain 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 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 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 & 500 miles, & if the trip 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.
Looking for "vehicle shipping hawaiian paradise park" or "hawaiian paradise park vehicle shipping"? Shiply has you covered for all your auto transport needs to and from the Hawaiian Paradise Park area!
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