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 & need to transport it to another state, relocating & requiring long-distance vehicle shipping, or moving your automobile overseas when ferries are not an option. Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Shipping Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you must make is where you want your automobile collected from & delivered to, whether it's a long-distance vehicle transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a possibility, where designated collection & drop-off points, frequently the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases, are utilized. While this alternative is typically more affordable, it demands more effort on your part to get the automobile home. However, most individuals prefer door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance.
Vehicle shipping services are generally categorized into two types: having someone operate your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transportation.
Engage Someone To Operate Your Vehicle
Engaging someone to operate your vehicle to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether it's across the country or to another state. The advantages of this approach include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles are not necessary, & quicker delivery due to the simplicity of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to this method that lead some individuals to opt for other vehicle transport options. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of harm to your vehicle while it is being operated. These concerns are especially relevant for individuals buying 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 way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone operate it to its destination. Vehicle 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 but ideal for transporting expensive or classic cars, or a multi-car transporter that can carry several automobiles at once.
Open vehicle shipping is the most affordable & common option offered by vehicle shipping companies. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to its destination. While all vehicles are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making this option less suitable for highly valuable automobiles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & prolonged exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple vehicles on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during transport.
If you need to move your automobile overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Auto Transport in White Plains
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 White Plains auto transport information in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which car transport company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite car transport quote without having to supply information and fill in details. While this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a car transport quote is not exactly a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to receive authentic, final price estimates from auto shipping 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 Auto Shipping - Car transport companies on Shiply can typically 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 car 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 are convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on car transport by using our service.
Environmentally Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for car 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 and 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 many 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 affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle and feel confident using them, then it's time to get your car ready for shipping. We suggest 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 belongings from your vehicle before 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 determine 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 assess 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 determine whether any extra damage has occurred. 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.