What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also known 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 situations where you can't operate the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a pre-owned vehicle online & need to transport it to another state, or maybe you've recently moved & need to ship your automobile across the nation. Vehicle shipping services can also be extremely useful when you need to transport your car overseas & ferries aren't available, requiring you to rely on an auto transport company to manage the job.
Luckily, there are numerous vehicle transport services available to fulfill your specific requirements, which we'll discuss below.
Types Of Vehicle Shipping Services
There are various vehicle transport services available, summarized below. It's advantageous to read through & determine the precise type of automobile transportation service you require or prefer for transporting your vehicle.
The first 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 moving a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are used, often at the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. This makes terminal-to-terminal auto delivery typically more affordable but requires more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, most people require a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, so their automobiles are picked up & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or just moving a car to another state. This is often preferable as it eliminates the need to go somewhere else to collect your vehicle - which can be challenging without your automobile in the first place!
Vehicle transport services are generally divided into two categories: having someone operate your car to the destination or putting it on a trailer & transporting it.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to operate your automobile to the desired location - whether you need to transport a car across the country or to another state. The advantages of this auto transport method are that it's often more affordable, as trailers & an extra vehicle aren't required, & it can be faster due to the simple nature of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks 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 automobile during the journey, meaning that if you're moving a vehicle across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply transporting a car to a nearby state. Second, there is a slight risk of damage occurring to your automobile while it's being operated 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 the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle in a trailer is a safe way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone operate your automobile to its destination. With vehicle shipping trailers, there are multiple options available depending on the value & size of your car.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your automobile. These are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time but are a great choice if you're moving an expensive or classic car that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The safest way to ship 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 & comes in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any car shipping company is the most affordable & most common option when transporting an automobile. Your car 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 vehicle shipping companies may not recommend this for highly valuable automobiles. Furthermore, while it may be the most affordable way to transport a car cross-country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run a higher risk of damage & leave your vehicle exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple automobiles secured on a carrier, but they are enclosed, meaning they are not exposed to dust, weather, & debris from 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 auto transport.
If you need to move your car overseas through an auto transport company, try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Advantages of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport
Time-efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a business on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you complete one quotation form & then can obtain quotes based on the information you supply from several companies. This can conserve you hours of effort you would have had to invest phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these businesses is all feasible through our platform as well, signifying you can 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 crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to utilize to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average costs & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a definite vehicle transport estimate without having to supply information & fill in 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 place, providing 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 relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your vehicle there. On Shiply, a business 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.
Readying For Your Vehicle To Be Transported
If you have decided on an auto transport business 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 shipping 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 vehicle shipping business 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 journey taken.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could also leave a review for the auto transport business 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 & 500 miles, & 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 business on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen vehicle delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most businesses will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my vehicle transport online? Each vehicle shipping business 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 businesses to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the vehicle shipping business 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 businesses 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.
,378
