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 location & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in various circumstances where you are unable to drive the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence, or transporting your automobile overseas. Car shipping services provide a practical solution when ferries are unavailable & you must depend on an auto transport company to transport your vehicle.
Luckily, there are numerous car transport services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we will discuss below.
Types Of Auto Transport Services
When it comes to auto transport services, there are several options to consider. The initial decision you'll need to make is where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are used, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this option is typically less expensive, it requires more effort on your part to get the vehicle home.
Most individuals, however, prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their automobiles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just shipping a vehicle to another state. This option is more convenient as you don't need to go anywhere to collect your automobile, which can be challenging without your car in the first place!
Car transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone drive your automobile to its destination or putting it on a trailer & transporting it.
Have Someone Drive Your Vehicle
Hiring someone to drive your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for car shipping, whether you need to ship a vehicle across the country or to another state. The benefits of this auto transport method include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles are not required, & faster delivery due to the simplicity of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method offered by car shipping companies that lead some people to choose other types of car transport. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a vehicle across the country & less so when shipping a car to a nearby state. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your automobile while it's being driven from point A to point B. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Vehicle On A Trailer
Putting your automobile on a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone drive your vehicle to its destination. Car shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile.
You can choose between a single trailer for your vehicle, which is more expensive as it only transports one car at a time but is a great option for moving expensive or classic cars that you don't want to risk damaging. The safest way to transport an automobile is in a shipping container, but this is by far the most expensive option.
Alternatively, you can opt for a multi-car transporter, which can move many vehicles at once & comes in a few variants:
Open car shipping is the cheapest & most common option when transporting an automobile. 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, so car shipping companies may not recommend this option for highly valuable vehicles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & exposure to the elements for extended periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier, but they are enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option 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 automobile 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.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Vehicle?
The cost of shipping an automobile 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.
However, these are just averages, & your car transport may cost more or less depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to find out how much auto transport will cost you is to collect car shipping quotes from car transport companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
To get an idea of what factors can affect the price of car transport services, take a look at the following section.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Auto Transport
While we all want cheap car transport, several factors & variables can impact the cost of your car shipping. Here are the main ones to consider:
Distance: As mentioned earlier, distance plays a significant role in determining the cost of your car transport. Cross-state & cross-country journeys cost more than interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey gets longer, so you're not paying excessively for longer distances.
International shipping: Transporting an automobile overseas will always result in expensive car shipping quotes due to the logistics involved & the distance the vehicle needs to travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your automobile.
Route: Along with distance, the route required to take your automobile 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 added time. Unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs from car moving companies or require a different, longer route.
Shipping Dates: The speed at which you need your car transportation service to operate can also affect the price. If you're 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 just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size: The height, length, & width of your automobile 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. Make sure to 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 automobile is not in drivable condition, it may make your auto transport more expensive. 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, taking more time, effort, & machinery to complete the delivery than a standard car transport service. Most car carriers consider an automobile 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 choose will also affect the cost of your car shipping. Having someone drive your automobile to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you're essentially just paying for the driver's time & fuel. 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 an automobile, as it means your car travels alone & still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, & protect it during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery: The locations where you need the automobile picked up & dropped off can also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas usually have car shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you'll 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's not required by law. If a car transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it's highly recommended that you seek out & acquire some for your vehicle during transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you understand what type of damage is covered, whether there is a deductible, what parts of the vehicle are covered, & any other relevant questions.
Time Of Year: Seasonality can also affect the price of car shipping, with many services costing more to ship an automobile in the winter due to ice & snow slowing the routes. Here's 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 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. However, February is usually quiet, so 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, as 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's 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're looking for a slightly cheaper price. Car shipping companies are less busy, & there is typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you're 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 Vehicle - 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's 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 to go through phone books. Furthermore, many of these companies are reluctant to give you pricing, meaning you'll likely need to apply for a quote & fill out details with each of them individually, which can be very time-consuming.
How Can Shiply Help Find Auto Transport Companies?
Given all 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 start collecting quotes. All we need from you are the make & model of the car that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, & the dates you need to move the vehicle. This gives the auto transport providers on Shiply enough information to provide you with an accurate quote for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll 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 choose from.
Once you have a few quotes, you can ask the companies 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 that 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 their overall score.
Car Shipping in Belgrade, Montana, US
Belgrade, Montana, is a small city located in Gallatin County, just northwest of Bozeman. Many people move cars to & from Belgrade for various reasons, such as relocating for work, buying or selling vehicles online, or transporting classic cars to events or shows.
When shipping an automobile to or from Belgrade, it's essential to consider the factors mentioned earlier, such as distance, route, vehicle size, & time of year. Belgrade's location in the northern part of the United States means that winter weather conditions can impact car shipping, potentially increasing costs & delivery times.
However, Belgrade's proximity to major highways, such as Interstate 90, can make car shipping more accessible & affordable, as car transport companies often have established routes along these corridors. Additionally, the city's relatively small size may mean that door-to-door shipping is more feasible, as navigating through the area is less challenging than in larger cities.
When searching for car shipping services in Belgrade, using a platform like Shiply can help you find reliable & affordable options. By comparing quotes from multiple providers & reading customer reviews, you can make an informed decision & ensure that your automobile is transported safely & efficiently to or from Belgrade, Montana.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Belgrade
Time-Efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate cost from a business for transporting a vehicle, on our platform, you complete one quotation form and can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can save you hours of time that you would have spent phoning companies and completing forms. Communication with these businesses is also possible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your Belgrade vehicle transport details in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle transport quote is the most crucial factor in selecting which auto shipping company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without having to supply information and fill in details. While this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not a simple task. Using Shiply enables you to receive genuine, final price quotes from vehicle transport companies 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 Vehicle Transport - Auto shipping companies on Shiply can usually offer their services at a lower cost than if you went directly to them. This is because they are often seeking to fill space on trips they are already making and have already invested the cost for. For example, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York and 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 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.
Environmentally Friendly - Using Shiply for auto transport is not only cheaper but also more environmentally friendly! In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter and instead, you arranged transport from a separate vehicle shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey 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 many people who could have used that transporter to move their vehicles in the other direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return journeys, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Transport
If you have chosen an auto transport company to move your vehicle and feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We recommend following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial to ensure that any necessary documents 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 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 vehicle delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photographs of all parts of the vehicle. This provides you with evidence of the vehicle's condition before shipping should anything happen to it during transport.
What to Do After Delivery
Once the vehicle 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 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, and 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 company 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 and 500 miles, and 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 company on Shiply and is something you should discuss with your chosen vehicle delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my vehicle transport online? Each vehicle shipping company 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 companies to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup and delivery? In most cases, the vehicle 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 vehicle keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my vehicle shipment? Most vehicle 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 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 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.
,416 words
