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. It's beneficial for moving a vehicle in various circumstances where you're unable to drive the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a used automobile online & require it to be shipped to another state, or maybe you've recently relocated & need to transport your vehicle across the nation. Auto shipping services can also be extremely useful when you need to move your car overseas, and unless ferry services are available, you'll have to depend on a vehicle transport company to manage this for you.
Luckily, there are numerous automobile shipping services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've described below.
Varieties Of Vehicle Shipping Services
There are several vehicle transport services available, which we've outlined below. It can be extremely helpful to review & determine precisely what kind of car transportation service you need or prefer to transport your automobile.
The initial choice you need to make is where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car shipping or moving a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, which means that designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently the vehicle shipping company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is often more cost-effective but will necessitate some additional effort on your part to get the car home. However, the vast majority of individuals require a door-to-door vehicle transport delivery service so that their automobiles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car shipping or just moving a vehicle to another state. This is often preferable as it means you don't need to go anywhere to collect your car - something that can be challenging without your vehicle in the first place!
Automobile shipping services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone drive your car to where it needs to go, or it's loaded onto a trailer & transported there.
Have Someone Drive Your Vehicle
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come & drive your automobile to its destination - whether the need is to ship a car across the country or to transport vehicles to another state. The benefits of this auto transport method are that it's often more affordable as trailers & an extra vehicle aren't required, & it can also be faster due to the straightforward nature of the transport.
However, there are some downsides to this method offered by vehicle shipping companies that lead some people to choose other types of car transport. First, mileage is obviously added to your vehicle during the journey, meaning if you're moving a car across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply transporting a vehicle to a nearby state. Second, there is a slight risk of damage occurring to your automobile while it's being driven from point A to point B. These concerns are particularly worrisome for people buying or selling cars 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 on a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone drive your car to its destination. With automobile shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to choose 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 option if you're moving an expensive or classic vehicle that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport a car 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 that can move many vehicles at once, of which there are a few variants:
Open car shipping by any vehicle shipping company is the most affordable & by far the most common option when moving a car. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All vehicles are securely fastened, but as the name suggests, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended by vehicle shipping companies for highly valuable cars. Furthermore, while it may be the cheapest way to ship a vehicle cross-country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run a higher risk of damage & leave your automobile exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple vehicles 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 cars where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during vehicle transport.
If you need to move your automobile overseas through a vehicle transport company, you should try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one that has experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide you with tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits Of Utilizing Shiply For Vehicle Transport In Des Moines
Time-Efficient - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you desire a precise cost from a company on transporting your vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you supply from several businesses. This can save you hours you would have spent phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these businesses is all possible via our platform too, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping des moines data in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to utilize to transport your automobile. The challenging aspect 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 give information and complete details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison and getting a vehicle transport quote isn't exactly a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to obtain genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies and compare them in one place, offering the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately decide on the best company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping Des Moines - 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 seeking to fill space on trips they are already making and have already invested the cost for. For example, if you were relocating 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, 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.
Environmentally 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 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 many 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.
Readying For Your Vehicle To Be Transported - If you have chosen an auto transport company to move your vehicle and feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your automobile for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial 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 and 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 vehicle delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photographs of all parts of the automobile. 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 vehicle shipping company 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 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, and 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 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 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 and 500 miles, and 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 and 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 and delivery? In most cases, the vehicle shipping company will require you to be in attendance for the pickup and 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, and 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 and 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 and has the right equipment to safely carry it out.
