What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one spot & transporting it to another. This service proves useful in numerous situations where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence, or moving your automobile overseas. Car shipping services provide a practical solution for people who require their vehicle to be transported to another state or across the nation.
There are various types of auto transport services available to accommodate different requirements, which we will explore below.
Varieties Of Auto Transport Services
When it comes to transporting your automobile, there are a few crucial decisions you need to make. First, you must establish the pickup and delivery spots for your vehicle, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this alternative is typically less expensive, it demands more effort on your part to get the car to its ultimate destination.
Most individuals, however, favor a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just shipping a car to another state. With this option, your automobile is collected and dropped off at your doorstep, eliminating the necessity for you to travel to retrieve your vehicle.
Car transport services can be categorized into two main types: having someone operate your car to its destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Car
Employing someone to operate your car to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether you need to ship a car across the country or to another state. This method is often less expensive as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle, & it can be quicker due to its simplicity.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Firstly, your vehicle will accumulate mileage during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of harm to your car during the drive. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Car On A Trailer
Putting your car on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. Car shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your vehicle.
Single trailers are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time, but they are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that require extra protection. The safest way to transport a car is in a shipping container, although this is the most costly option.
Multi-car transporters, which can carry several vehicles at once, come in a few variants:
Open car shipping is the cheapest & most common option offered by car shipping companies. Your vehicle is securely placed on an open carrier & driven to its destination. While all cars are safely secured, 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, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is 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 vehicle overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car?
The expense of transporting a car varies depending on several factors, but on average, auto transport companies in the US charge around $2.92 per mile for journeys less than 200 miles, $0.93 for journeys between 200 & 500 miles, & $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles.
These figures are just averages, & your car transport cost may differ based on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to collect car shipping quotes from various car transport companies, which is easily done on Shiply.
To get a better idea of what factors can influence the price of car transport services, take a look at the information below.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Auto Transport
While everyone wants cheap car transport, several factors & variables can impact the cost of your car shipping. Here are the main ones to consider:
Distance plays a significant role in determining the cost of your car transport, with cross-state & cross-country journeys being more expensive than interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases, ensuring you aren't paying excessively for longer distances.
International shipping always results in expensive car shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a car overseas & the distance it must travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your vehicle.
Route - Along with distance, the route required to transport your car from its pick-up spot to its delivery location can affect the pricing of your car carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, such as in LA, may cost more than quieter roads due to the additional time required. Unforeseen circumstances, like major roadworks, could also incur extra costs from the car moving companies or necessitate a different, longer route.
Shipping Dates - The speed at which you need your car transportation service to operate can also impact the price. If you can be flexible with timings, you may find that your car shipping service charges less, as they can fit your vehicle delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require auto transport within a strict timeframe (known as expedited shipping), it will typically cost more, as the car transport company may need to dedicate a trailer & driver specifically for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length, & width of the vehicle will all affect the cost of transport. Car shippers will require larger trailers for bigger vehicles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than sedans. Always inform the auto transport company about any bike racks, roof racks, or other accessories on the car, as these can change the size of the trailer required for the delivery.
Vehicle Condition - If your car is not in a drivable condition, it may increase the cost of auto transport. This is because it may require extra equipment, such as a winch or forklift, to load & unload your car from the trailer. If your car has a locked wheel, for example, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto & off a trailer, requiring more time, effort, & machinery to complete the delivery compared to a standard car transport service. Most car carriers consider a car that can brake, roll, & steer to be in good enough condition to ship easily.
Auto Transport Service Type - The type of auto transport service you select will also affect the cost of your car shipping. Having someone drive your car to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you are essentially just paying for a driver's time & petrol. Single car trailers & enclosed transport will likely be more expensive, as they require extra equipment. Enclosed car shipping is always the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means your car travels on its own & still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, & protect your car during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - The pickup & drop-off locations for your car may also increase the price of shipping. Urban areas usually have car shipping services in close proximity, & if it is a common destination route, you will tend to get cheap car shipping. Rural deliveries can cost more, as they require deviations from normal routes & extra mileage for the company. If a pick-up or drop-off point is in an unusual or hard-to-access space, extra steps may be needed to load your vehicle, which can also increase the car shipping cost.
Auto Transport Insurance - While all auto transport companies are required to carry liability insurance, many do not offer additional insurance, as it is not required by law. If a car transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it is highly recommended that you seek out & acquire some for your vehicle during its transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you are clear on what type of damage is covered, whether there is a deductible, what parts of the vehicle are covered by the insurance, & any other questions you may have.
Time Of Year - Seasonality can also affect the price of car shipping, with many services costing more to ship a car in the winter due to ice & snow slowing the routes. Here is a quick breakdown of how each season can affect auto transport costs:
Winter is often the most expensive season to ship your vehicle. Ice, snow, & blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads & reduce the maximum speed at which the car delivery service can transport cars. December is typically a difficult time to have a vehicle shipped, as drivers are on holiday, while many travel to warmer states in January, leading to increased vehicle shipping costs. February, however, is usually quiet, & great rates are often available from car shipping services during this month.
Spring is a great time to ship your vehicle with a car transportation service. With improved weather conditions, longer days, & more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean cheap rates & high availability when it comes to moving your car. March is often a better time to ship than April or May; however, there is often a rush to move cars from colder to warmer states.
Summer is the prime season for shipping cars - the days are the longest in the year, students are traveling home from universities, employees take vacations, & it is also a very popular time to move house. This means that June, July, & August are all busy months for the auto transport industry, & you should not expect cheap car shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a car if you are looking for a slightly cheaper price. Car shipping companies are less busy, & there is typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you are better off looking to move your vehicle in October or November rather than September, as this is peak time for students shipping their cars to university.
How To Ship A Car - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know more about what car shipping & a car shipping service are & what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & find a car transport service that is right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of car transport companies out there. Trying to find them on Google can result in scrolling through numerous pages trying to find the best car shipping company for the best price, & the same is true if you were going to go through phone books. Further, many of these companies are reluctant to give you pricing, meaning you will most likely need to apply for a quote & fill out details with each of them individually, which can become very time-consuming.
How Can Shiply Help Find Auto Transport Companies?
Given all of the options & variables involved with finding a car shipping service, actually searching for & finding the right one can seem like a daunting task, & this is where Shiply can help.
On Shiply, you simply need to fill out a simple form to get started with collecting quotes. All we need from you are the make & model of the car that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, & the dates that you need to move the vehicle. This gives the auto transport providers on Shiply enough information to be able to provide you with an accurate quote for your job.
Once your listing is live, you will receive quotes in your Shiply inbox & to your email. We recommend keeping email notifications turned on so that you can know immediately when a new quote comes through. Quotes can start coming through within a few minutes of posting your listing, but we always recommend waiting for a few to come through before making a decision so that you have multiple options to pick from.
Once you have a few, you can ask them any questions you may have, such as when they are available (if a time frame is given), what insurance they have, & how they would secure your car. We recommend asking any company you may use these questions to ensure that everything goes smoothly & as expected.
Shiply has a feedback & ratings system which we highly recommend looking at before selecting a quote to ship your vehicle. This system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company, as well as view their overall score.
Why People Often Move Cars To & From Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan, is a city that has seen its fair share of economic challenges in recent years. However, it remains an important hub for the automotive industry, with many people moving cars to & from the city for various reasons.
One of the main reasons people ship cars to Flint is for work-related purposes. Many automotive companies have manufacturing plants or offices in the area, & employees may need to relocate their vehicles when transferring to a new job or facility. Additionally, some individuals may purchase cars from dealerships or private sellers in Flint & require car shipping services to transport their new vehicles to their homes.
On the other hand, people also frequently move cars from Flint to other locations. This could be due to job relocation, retirement, or simply a change in personal circumstances. In some cases, individuals may sell their cars to buyers in other cities or states, necessitating the use of car shipping services to deliver the vehicle to its new owner.
Regardless of the reason for moving a car to or from Flint, Michigan, it is essential to choose a reliable & experienced car shipping company to ensure the safe & timely delivery of your vehicle. By using a platform like Shiply, you can easily compare quotes from multiple car shipping providers & find the best option for your specific needs & budget.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Flint
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you desire a precise cost from a business on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you simply complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you supply from several companies. This can save you hours of time you would've had to spend calling up businesses and filling in forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our platform as well, meaning you can store all of your car shipping flint details in one location.
Price Comparision - The Key Factor
When it comes down to it, the price of the flint car shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to utilize to transport your vehicle. The tricky thing is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't actually be given a firm car transport estimate without having to provide information & fill in details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison and getting a car transport estimate isn't exactly a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final price estimates from car shipping businesses and compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately decide on the best company for you.
Affordable Car 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 and have already sunk the cost for. Say, for example, you were moving from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your car there. On Shiply, a company may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey 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.
Better For The Enviornment
Not only is using Shiply for auto transport cheaper, but it is also better for the environment. In the above example, if your car didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a seperate car shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be needed just for your car.
Similarly, many car 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 cars 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 cheap transport for our users.
Preparing For Your Car To Be Shipped
If you have decided on an auto transport company to move your car and feel secure using them, then it's time to prepare your car for shipping. We recomend 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 vehical.
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 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 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 occured. 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 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.
