What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as auto shipping or car 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 scenarios where you're unable to drive the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a used automobile online and require shipping it to another state, or maybe you've recently moved and need cross-country vehicle shipping. Auto transport services can also be incredibly useful when you need to move your car overseas and ferries aren't an option, in which case you'll have to rely on a car shipping company to manage the job for you.
Luckily, there are numerous vehicle transport services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we've detailed below.
Varieties Of Car Shipping Services
There are various car shipping services available, summarized below. It can be extremely helpful to read through and identify precisely what type of auto transportation service you need or prefer for transporting your vehicle.
The initial 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 car delivery is an option, which means designated collection and drop-off points are utilized, often the auto transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal car delivery is typically more affordable but will necessitate more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, the vast majority of individuals require a door-to-door car shipping delivery service so that 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 means you don't need to go anywhere to collect your automobile - something that can be challenging without your vehicle in the first place!
Auto transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone drive your car to where it needs to be, or it's put on a trailer and taken there.
Have Someone Drive Your Automobile
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come and drive your car to where it needs to go - whether the need is to transport a vehicle across the country or to move cars to another state. The benefits of this car shipping method are that it's often more affordable as trailers & an extra automobile aren't required, and it can also be fast due to the straightforward nature of the transport.
However, there are some downsides to this method offered by auto transport companies that lead some people to opt for other types of vehicle shipping. First, mileage is obviously added to your car on the journey, meaning if you're moving a vehicle across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply transporting a car to another nearby state. Second, there's a slight risk of damage happening to your automobile while it's driven from A to B. These are particularly worrisome for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in exactly the same condition as it was advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your car in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone drive your vehicle to its destination. With auto shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to go with depending on the value & size of your automobile.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your car. These are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time but are a great option if you're moving an expensive or classic automobile which you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport a car 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 vehicles at once, of which there are a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any auto transport company is the cheapest & by far the most common option when moving a car. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & is driven to the destination. All cars are safely secured but, as the name suggests, they're exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended by vehicle shipping companies for highly valuable automobiles. Further, while it may be the cheapest way to transport a car cross country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your vehicle exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed car transport involves multiple automobiles secured on a carrier, but they're enclosed, meaning they're not exposed to the dust, weather & debris of 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 car shipping.
Should you need to move your automobile overseas through a car transport company, you should try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide you with tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transportation
Time-Efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate cost from a business on transporting a car, on our site 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 spent phoning businesses & entering details. Communication with these companies is also feasible via our platform, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping data in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually receive a definite vehicle transport quote without having to input information & complete details. While this is understandable, it means that cost comparison & obtaining a vehicle transport estimate isn't exactly straightforward. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final cost estimates from vehicle shipping businesses & compare them in one place, offering the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the optimal company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport companies on Shiply are usually able to 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 & have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your car there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, & they are just looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, & pick-up/drop-off locations are convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Eco-Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, but it is also more environmentally friendly. 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 automobile. 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.
Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Shipping
If you have selected an auto transport company to transport your car & feel confident using them, then it's time to get your vehicle ready for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Paperwork - It is crucial to make sure that any documents you may require are available at pick up or drop off, particularly if you are selling your vehicle.
Cleansing - You should take care to remove all personal belongings 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.
Operational 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 Proof - 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 automobile. 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:
Inspect Vital Signs - 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.
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, & 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 & 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, & 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 automobile.
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 automobile.
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.
If you're looking for reliable & affordable car shipping o'fallon or o'fallon car shipping services, Shiply is the perfect platform to connect with trusted auto transport companies. With our user-friendly interface & competitive pricing, shipping your vehicle has never been easier.
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