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 proves useful in various scenarios where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence across the nation, or transporting your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping companies provide a variety of services to accommodate different requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you must make is where you desire your automobile to be collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car shipment or transporting a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an alternative, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this alternative is typically more affordable, it demands more effort on your part to retrieve the vehicle. However, most individuals prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their automobiles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance. This proves more convenient as it eliminates the necessity to arrange transportation to collect your vehicle.
Vehicle transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone operate your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for shipment.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Employing someone to operate your vehicle to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether it's across the nation or to another state. This method is often more affordable as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle. It can also be quicker due to its simplicity. However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Firstly, the journey will add mileage to your automobile, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your vehicle during the drive. These concerns are particularly relevant for individuals purchasing or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Vehicle On A Trailer
Placing your vehicle on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile. Single trailers, while more expensive, are ideal for transporting expensive or classic cars as they minimize the risk of damage. The safest option is to place your vehicle in a shipping container, although this is the most costly method.
Multi-car transporters, which can carry several automobiles at once, come in different variants. Open car shipping is the most affordable & common option, where 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 journey, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Long journeys in open trailers also pose a higher risk of damage. Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This is often preferred for more expensive or newer automobiles.
For overseas vehicle transportation, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas car shipping to provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Livonia
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quote form each time you desire an exact price from a company on transporting your automobile, on our platform you simply fill out one quote form & then can receive quotes based on the information you provide from several businesses. This can save you hours of time you would've had to spend calling up companies and filling in forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our platform too, meaning you can keep all of your "car shipping livonia" details in one place.
Price Comparision
When it comes down to it, the cost of the car shipping quote is the most important factor in deciding which auto transport company to use to ship your vehicle. The tricky thing is that, while most companies are happy to provide average prices and ballpark figures, you won't actually be given a firm "livonia car shipping" quote without having to provide info and fill in details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison and getting a car transport quote isn't exactly a simple task.
Using Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final price quotes from car shipping companies and compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the best company for you.
Affordable Car Shipping
Auto transport companies on Shiply are typically able to offer their services for a lower fee than if you went direct to them. This is because they are often looking to fill space on journeys 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 Environment
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 separate car shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey 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 journeys 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 & feel secure using them, then it's time to prepare your car 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 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 ascertian 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 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 & 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 and delivery? In most cases, the car shipping company will require you to be in attendence 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 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.