What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also known as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your vehicle from one location & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in various circumstances where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence, or transporting your automobile overseas. Car shipping Junction City is a well-known service for those who require moving their vehicle to or from Junction City, Kansas, US.
Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we will discuss below.
Types Of Vehicle Transport Services
When it comes to vehicle transport services, there are a few choices to consider. The first decision you'll need to make is where you want your automobile collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection and drop-off points are used, often at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this choice is usually more affordable, it requires more effort on your part to get the vehicle home.
Most individuals, however, prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just shipping a vehicle to another state. This option is more convenient as it eliminates the need to collect your automobile from a separate location.
Vehicle transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone operate your vehicle to the destination or putting it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Hiring someone to operate your vehicle to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether you need to ship a vehicle across the country or to another state. This method is often more affordable as it doesn't require trailers or an extra automobile. It can also be faster due to the simplicity of the transport process.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method that lead some individuals to choose other car transport options. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a vehicle across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your car while it's being operated. These concerns are particularly relevant for those buying or selling vehicles online who want to ensure the car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Vehicle 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 car. Car shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile.
Single trailers are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time, but they are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that you don't want to risk damaging. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, but this is also the most expensive option.
Multi-car transporters can carry many vehicles at once & come in a few variants:
Open car shipping is the most affordable & most common option offered by car shipping companies. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to its destination. While all vehicles are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended for highly valuable automobiles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple vehicles on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is often preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during auto transport.
If you need to move your automobile overseas, it's best to find a specialist service on our platform or one with experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transportation
Time-Efficient - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you desire a precise cost from a business for transporting your automobile, on our platform you only need to fill out 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 spent phoning businesses and completing forms.
Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping details in a single location.
Cost Comparison
Ultimately, the expense of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in selecting which auto transport company to employ 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 & complete details. While this is understandable, it means that price comparison and obtaining a vehicle transport quote isn't exactly a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply enables you to obtain authentic, final price estimates from vehicle shipping businesses and compare them in one location, offering the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately decide on the optimal company for you.
Inexpensive Vehicle Shipping
Auto transport businesses on Shiply can usually provide their services for a lower cost than if you went directly to them. This is because they are frequently seeking to fill space on trips they are already making and have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, 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 are convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing 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 and 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 automobile.
Similarly, many car transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only expensive for them but also for the environment as there are many people who could have used that transporter to move their vehicles in the opposite direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return trips, 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 & 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, and 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, and 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, and 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 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 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, 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.
Looking to ship your car from junction city car shipping? Check out Shiply for affordable car shipping junction city options!