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 situations where you can't operate the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a pre-owned vehicle online and need to transport it to another state, or maybe you've recently moved and require shipping your automobile across the country. Vehicle transportation services can also be extremely useful when you need to move your car overseas and ferries aren't available, in which case you'll have to rely on an auto shipping company to manage it for you.
Luckily, there are numerous vehicle transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've detailed below.
Types Of Car Shipping Services
There are various car shipping services available, summarized below. It can be extremely helpful to read through and determine precisely what kind of vehicle transportation service you require or prefer for transporting your automobile.
The first decision you need to make is where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or moving a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, which means using designated collection and drop-off points that are often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is usually more affordable but will require some extra effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, the vast majority of people require a door-to-door auto shipping delivery service so that their vehicles are collected & 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!
Vehicle transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone operate your car to where it needs to go, or it's loaded onto a trailer and moved there.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come and operate your car to its destination - whether the need is to transport a vehicle across the country or to move cars to another state. The advantages of this auto shipping method are that it's often more affordable since trailers and an extra vehicle aren't required, and it can also be faster due to the straightforward nature of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method offered by vehicle shipping companies that lead some people to choose other types of car transport. First, mileage is obviously added to your automobile during 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 a nearby state. Second, there's a slight risk of damage occurring to your vehicle while it's being operated from point A to point B. These concerns 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 Vehicle On A Trailer
Putting your automobile in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone operate your car to its destination. With vehicle shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to choose depending on the value & size of your automobile.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your vehicle. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great option if you're moving an expensive or classic automobile that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport a vehicle 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 that can move many vehicles at once, of which there are a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any car transport company is the most affordable & by far the most common option when moving a car. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All vehicles 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. Furthermore, while it may be the most affordable way to transport a vehicle cross-country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your car exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto shipping involves multiple vehicles secured on a carrier, but they're enclosed, meaning they're not exposed to the dust, weather, and debris of the outside world during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during auto transport.
If you need to move your automobile overseas through an auto shipping 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.
Why People Often Move Vehicles To & From South Sioux City, Nebraska
South Sioux City, located in Dakota County, Nebraska, is a vibrant community that attracts many people for various reasons. One common reason for moving to or from South Sioux City is job relocation. The city has a diverse economy with opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, and education, among other sectors. When people relocate for work, they often need to transport their automobiles, leading to an increased demand for vehicle shipping services in the area.
Another reason people move to South Sioux City is its proximity to Sioux City, Iowa, which offers additional employment opportunities and amenities. The two cities are connected by the Veterans Memorial Bridge, making commuting between them convenient. This connection also contributes to the need for reliable vehicle shipping services between the two cities.
Additionally, South Sioux City's affordable cost of living and family-friendly atmosphere make it an attractive option for those looking to relocate. The city boasts excellent schools, parks, and recreational facilities, which appeal to families with children. When these families move to the area, they often require vehicle shipping services to transport their automobiles safely and efficiently.
Furthermore, South Sioux City's location along the Missouri River and its proximity to other Midwestern cities make it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and travelers. Many people visit the area for recreational activities like boating, fishing, and hiking. Some of these visitors may choose to have their automobiles shipped to South Sioux City to enjoy the region's attractions without the wear and tear of a long drive.
In conclusion, the demand for vehicle shipping services in South Sioux City, Nebraska, is driven by factors such as job relocation, the city's connection to Sioux City, Iowa, its appealing quality of life, and its recreational opportunities. As a result, many vehicle shipping companies offer services to and from South Sioux City to meet the needs of residents and visitors alike.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Vehicle?
There are several variables to consider when trying to determine the cost of shipping a vehicle, 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 and 500 miles, and $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles.
However, these numbers are just averages for vehicle moving companies, and your car transport may cost more or less depending on the circumstances. The best way to find out how much auto shipping will cost you is to collect vehicle shipping quotes from car transport companies, which is very easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to get an idea of how much you can expect your vehicle delivery to cost, take a look below at the factors that can affect the price of car transport services.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Auto Shipping
We all want affordable vehicle transport, but there are several factors & variables that can affect how much your car shipping will cost. Below, we'll lay out the main ones so that you can get a rough idea of whether your auto transport requirements will be expensive or cheap.
As mentioned above, distance is one of the factors that will play a big part in how much your vehicle transport will cost, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing a lot more than an interstate car delivery, which is often the most affordable car shipping.
While longer distances do cost more, thankfully, the average price per mile drops the longer the journey is, meaning that you aren't paying over the odds.
International shipping will always result in expensive vehicle shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a car overseas & the distance it will need to travel. It can also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your automobile.
Route - Along with distance, the route needed to take your vehicle from its pick-up spot to its delivery spot can affect the pricing of your car carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, in LA, for example, may end up costing more than quieter roads due to the time this can add to a journey. Likewise, unforeseen circumstances such as major roadworks could also incur extra costs from the vehicle moving companies or mean that a different route is required that may take longer.
Shipping Dates - How fast you need your vehicle transportation service to operate can also affect the price. For example, if you're able to be flexible around timings, you may find that your car shipping service charges a lot less. This is because they're able to fit your automobile delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads for themselves, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require auto transport in a strict timeframe (often known as expedited shipping), this will typically end up costing you more due to the car transport company likely having to dedicate a trailer & driver just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length, and width of the automobile will all affect how much it will cost to transport your vehicle. Car shippers will require larger trailers for bigger automobiles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than a sedan. Further, you should always make sure to let the auto transport company know about any bike racks, roof racks, or other accessories on the car, as these can also change the size of the trailer required for the delivery.
Vehicle Condition - If your car is not in a drivable condition, this may make your auto transport cost more expensive. This is because it may require extra equipment such as a winch or forklift to get your vehicle on & off the trailer. If your car has a locked wheel, for example, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto a trailer & off again, and it takes more time, effort, and machinery to complete the delivery than a standard vehicle transport service. Most car carriers would consider a vehicle that can brake, roll, and 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 vehicle shipping. Having someone operate your car to its destination will always be the most affordable option, as you're essentially just paying for a driver's time & petrol, whereas with single car trailers & enclosed transport, the price is likely to be higher as there is extra equipment required. Something like enclosed vehicle shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means not only is your automobile traveling on its own, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, and protect your vehicle during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - Depending on where you need the vehicle picked up from & dropped off, this may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas will usually have vehicle shipping services in close proximity, and if it's a common destination route, you will tend to get affordable 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 also in an unusual or hard-to-access space, extra steps may need to be taken to load your automobile, which can also increase the vehicle shipping cost.
Auto Transport Insurance - While all auto transport companies are required to carry liability insurance, many do not offer any 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 automobile during its transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you are clear on what type of damage is covered, whether there's a deductible, what parts of the vehicle are covered by the insurance, and any other questions you may have.
Time Of Year - Seasonality can also affect the price of vehicle shipping, with many services costing more to ship a car 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 automobile. This is because ice, snow, and blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads, as well as reduce the maximum speed at which the vehicle 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 automobile shipping costs. February, however, is usually quiet, and so great rates are often available from vehicle shipping services during this month.
Spring is a great time to ship your automobile with a vehicle transportation service. With improved weather conditions, longer days, and more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean affordable rates & high availability when it comes to moving your car. March is often a better time to ship than April or May; however, again, there is often a rush to move vehicles from colder to warmer states.
Summer is the prime season for shipping vehicles - the days are the longest in the year, students are traveling home from universities, employees take vacations, and it's also a very popular time to move house. This means that June, July, and August are all busy months for the auto transport industry, and you should not expect affordable vehicle shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a vehicle if you're looking for a slightly more affordable price. Vehicle shipping companies are less busy, and there's typically more driver availability after the summer rush; however, you're better off looking to move your automobile 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 a bit more about what vehicle shipping & a car shipping service are and what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & actually try to find a vehicle transport service that's going to be right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of vehicle transport companies out there. Trying to find them on Google can end up resulting in scrolling through hundreds of pages trying to find the best vehicle shipping company for the best price, and 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 vehicle shipping service, actually searching for & finding the right one can seem like a daunting task, and 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 vehicle that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, and the dates that you need to move the automobile. 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, and how they would secure your vehicle. 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 also highly recommend looking at before selecting a quote to ship your automobile. This system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company, as well as view their overall score.
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The Benefits Of Utilizing Shiply For Vehicle Transport In South Sioux City
Time-Saving - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you desire a precise cost from a company on transporting your automobile, on our platform you only complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you supply from several businesses. This can save you hours of time you would've had to invest calling up firms & filling in forms.
Communication with these businesses is all feasible through our platform aswell, signifying you can maintain all of your "car shipping south sioux city" details in one location.
Price Comparision - When it comes down to it, the expense of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport firm to utilize to transport your automobile. The tricky thing is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices & rough figures, you won't actually be given a solid "south sioux city car shipping" quote without having to provide info & fill in details. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison & getting a car transport quote isn't exactly a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply allows you to recieve genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping businesses & compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the best firm for you.
Affordable Vehicle 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 & have already sunk the cost for. Say, for example, you were moving from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your car their. On Shiply, a company may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots filled, & they are just looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, & 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 Enviroment
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 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.
Readying For Your Vehicle To Be Transported
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 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 ascertian 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 & 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, & 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, & 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, & 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 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 & 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.
