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 is beneficial in various circumstances where you are unable to operate the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence, or transporting your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping companies provide a variety of auto transport services to accommodate your unique requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, you must determine the pickup and delivery locations, whether it's a nationwide car transport or shipping a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a choice where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's facilities or operating bases. This choice is typically more affordable but demands more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, most individuals prefer door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their automobiles are collected and dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance.
Vehicle transport services are categorized into two primary types: having someone operate your vehicle to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Employing someone to operate your vehicle to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether it's across the nation or to another state. The advantages of this approach include lower costs, as trailers and additional vehicles are not necessary, and quicker delivery due to the simplicity of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to consider, such as the addition of mileage to your automobile, especially when shipping a car across the country, and the slight risk of damage during the journey. 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 is a safer choice that guarantees a higher level of protection compared to having someone operate your car. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value and size of your automobile. Single trailers are more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are ideal for moving costly or classic cars that require extra care. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, although this is the most expensive option.
Multi-car transporters are another choice, which can transport several vehicles at once. Open car shipping is the most affordable and common method, where your automobile is placed on an open carrier and driven to its destination. While all cars are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, 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, and debris during transit. This option is preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during transport.
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.
What Is The Cost To Transport A Vehicle?
The expense of transporting a vehicle 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 and 500 miles, and $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles. However, these are just averages, and your vehicle transport cost may differ based on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to obtain vehicle shipping quotes from multiple companies, which is easily done through platforms like Shiply.
Factors That Can Influence The Expense Of Vehicle Transport
Several factors can impact the expense of vehicle shipping, including:
- Distance: Cross-state and cross-country journeys cost more than interstate car delivery, which is often the most affordable option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases.
- International shipping: Transporting a vehicle overseas is always more expensive due to the logistics involved and the distance traveled. It may require special enclosed trailers or shipping containers.
- Route: The route taken from the pick-up spot to the delivery location can affect pricing. Routes with higher traffic or unforeseen circumstances like roadworks may incur extra costs or require longer alternative routes.
- Shipping dates: Flexibility in timings can result in lower charges, as vehicle shipping companies can fit your delivery into their schedule and reduce overheads. Expedited shipping within a strict timeframe typically costs more.
- Vehicle size: The height, length, and width of the vehicle, as well as any accessories like bike racks or roof racks, determine the size of the trailer required and affect the cost.
- Vehicle condition: Non-drivable cars may require extra equipment like winches or forklifts for loading and unloading, increasing the cost of auto transport.
- Auto transport service type: Having someone operate your vehicle is the most affordable option, while single car trailers and enclosed transport are more expensive due to the specialized equipment needed.
- Pickup and delivery locations: Urban areas with common destination routes often have more affordable vehicle shipping services, while rural deliveries or hard-to-access spaces may incur additional costs.
- Auto transport insurance: While auto transport companies must carry liability insurance, additional cargo insurance is recommended and may affect the overall cost.
- Time of year: Seasonality plays a role in vehicle shipping costs, with winter being the most expensive due to weather-related delays and reduced speeds. Spring and fall offer better rates and availability, while summer is the busiest season.
How To Transport A Vehicle - Finding A Vehicle Transport Service
With numerous vehicle transport companies available, finding the right one can be overwhelming. Searching on Google or through phone books can be time-consuming, and many companies are reluctant to provide pricing without a detailed quote application. This is where Shiply can help simplify the process.
How Can Shiply Assist In Finding Vehicle Transport Companies?
Shiply streamlines the process of finding a vehicle shipping service by allowing you to fill out a simple form with your vehicle's make and model, pickup and delivery locations, and desired shipping dates. This information enables auto transport providers on Shiply to provide accurate quotes for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll receive quotes in your Shiply inbox and email. It's recommended to keep email notifications on to stay informed about new quotes, which can start arriving within minutes of posting your listing. To ensure you have multiple options, wait for a few quotes before making a decision.
When considering quotes, ask the companies questions about their availability, insurance coverage, and how they secure vehicles during transport. Shiply's feedback and ratings system allows you to view previous customers' experiences and overall scores, helping you make an informed decision.
Summerlin South, Nevada, US: A Popular Destination for Vehicle Shipping
Summerlin South, located in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada, is a rapidly growing community that attracts many new residents each year. As a result, vehicle shipping to and from Summerlin South has become increasingly common. People often move to Summerlin South for its high quality of life, excellent schools, and proximity to the amenities of Las Vegas. When relocating to this area, many individuals choose to ship their vehicles using auto transport services to avoid the stress and hassle of driving long distances.
Vehicle shipping companies, like those found on Shiply, offer convenient and reliable services for transporting automobiles to and from Summerlin South. Whether you're moving to the area for work, retirement, or family reasons, professional vehicle shipping can ensure your automobile arrives safely and promptly at its new home in Summerlin South, Nevada.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Auto Transport in Summerlin South
Time-Efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate estimate from a business on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you complete one quotation form & can then obtain estimates based on the information you supply from several companies. This can save you hours of time you would have spent phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your Summerlin South auto transport information in a single location.
Rate Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the auto transport estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which vehicle shipping company to employ to transport your automobile. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't receive a definite auto transport quote without having to give information & fill in details. While this is understandable, it means that rate comparison & getting an auto transport estimate isn't exactly a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to receive authentic, final price estimates from auto transport companies & 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 Auto Transport in Summerlin South - Vehicle shipping businesses on Shiply can usually 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 automobile there, a company on Shiply 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 are suitable for you, you can often save up to 75% on vehicle transport by using our service.
Environmentally Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for vehicle transport more affordable, but it is also more environmentally friendly! In the above example, if your automobile didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate auto shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey would be needed just for your vehicle. Similarly, many auto 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 opposite direction! Many of the vehicle 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 affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen a vehicle transport company to transport your automobile & feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial 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 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 & 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 auto 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 auto 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 auto 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 car can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your auto transport service has not done so.
Check Mileage - This is more relevant to auto 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 vehicle transport company you used through Shiply so that others can browse auto shipping services with the same peace of mind.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have answered some of the most asked questions about auto shipping:
How much to ship a car?
Auto 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 vehicle transport company on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen auto delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my car transport online?
Each auto 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 auto transport companies to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery?
In most cases, the auto 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 auto 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.
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