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. This service is beneficial in numerous situations where you are unable to drive the car yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used vehicle online & need to transport it to another state, relocating & requiring long-distance car shipping, or moving your vehicle overseas when ferries are not an option. Luckily, there are various auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Shipping Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you need to make is where you want your automobile collected from & delivered to, whether it's a long-distance car transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a possibility, where designated collection & drop-off points, frequently the car transport company's stores or operating bases, are utilized. While this option is typically more affordable, it demands more effort on your part to get the car home. However, the majority of people prefer door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their cars are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, irrespective of the distance.
Vehicle shipping services are generally divided into two types: having someone drive your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Engage Someone To Drive Your Vehicle
Engaging someone to drive your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether it's across the country or to another state. The advantages of this approach include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles are not necessary, & quicker delivery due to the simplicity of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to this method that cause some people to opt for other types of car transport. Firstly, mileage is added to your vehicle during the trip, which can be substantial when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your car during the drive, which is especially concerning for those buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Automobile On A Trailer
Placing your automobile in a trailer is a safer way to guarantee a higher level of protection than having someone drive it to its destination. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your vehicle. Single trailers, while more costly, are an excellent choice for transporting expensive or classic cars that require extra care to prevent damage. The safest way to transport a car is in a shipping container, although this is the most expensive option. Multi-car transporters, which can carry several vehicles simultaneously, are another option with a few variants:
Open car shipping is the most economical & common option for transporting a car. Your vehicle is placed on an open carrier & driven to its destination. While all cars are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & prolonged exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, shielding them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is often preferred for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during transport.
If you need to move your vehicle 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 Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Hammond
Time-Efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a business for transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete a single quote form & can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can conserve you significant time that you would have otherwise spent phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these businesses is also feasible via our platform, allowing you to store all of your Hammond vehicle shipping data in a centralized location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor when choosing which auto transport company to employ for your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without supplying information & completing details. Although this is reasonable, it means that comparing prices & obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one place, with the ability to individually message them to ask any questions you may have & ultimately select the optimal company for your needs.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport businesses on Shiply can typically provide their services at a lower cost than if you contacted them directly. This is because they are often seeking to fill space on trips they are already making & 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, & they are simply looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, & pick-up/drop-off locations are suitable for you, you can frequently save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Eco-Friendly - Using Shiply for auto transport is not only more economical but also more environmentally friendly. In the previous example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be required just for your vehicle. Similarly, many car transporters return empty-handed after a delivery, which is not only expensive for them but also for the environment, as there are many individuals who could have utilized that transporter to move their vehicles in the opposite direction. Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also seeking to fill their trailers on return trips, resulting in even less wasted CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Readying Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle & feel confident using them, it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Paperwork - It is crucial to ensure that any necessary documents are available at pick up or drop off, especially if you are selling your vehicle.
Cleansing - You should take care to remove all personal belongings from your vehicle before 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 assess its condition & notice any damages that may occur during delivery.
Operational Condition - If the vehicle will be driven at any point during shipping or driven home from the drop-off location, 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 Documentation - 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.
Post-Delivery Steps
Once the car shipping company you selected has completed their delivery, there are a few things you should do:
Inspect Vital Functions - Lights, brakes, & 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 State - 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, & you want to be sure your car transport service has not done so.
Verify 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.
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