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. It's beneficial for shipping a vehicle in various circumstances where you're unable to drive the car yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a used automobile online & need to transport it to another state, or maybe you've recently moved & need to ship your vehicle across the country. Car shipping services can also be incredibly useful when you need to transport your car overseas & ferries aren't an option, necessitating you to depend on an auto transport company to manage the job.
Fortunately, there are numerous car transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we'll discuss below.
Types Of Vehicle Shipping Services
Here's an overview of the various vehicle shipping services available. It's advantageous to read through & identify the specific type of car transportation service you need or prefer for transporting your automobile.
The initial decision you need to make is where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is a possibility, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. This makes terminal-to-terminal auto delivery often more affordable but necessitates more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, most individuals require a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, so their automobiles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just moving a car to another state. This is often preferable as it eliminates the need to go elsewhere to collect your car - which can be challenging without your vehicle in the first place!
Car transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone drive your automobile to the destination or putting it on a trailer & transporting it there.
Have Someone Drive Your Vehicle
This straightforward solution to car shipping involves hiring someone to drive your automobile to the desired location - whether you need to ship a car across the country or to another state. The benefits of this auto transport method include lower costs, as trailers & an extra vehicle aren't required, & faster delivery due to the straightforward nature 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 obviously added to your vehicle during the journey, meaning that if you're shipping a car across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply shipping a car to a nearby state. Secondly, there's a slight risk of damage occurring to your car while it's being driven from point A to point B. These concerns are particularly worrisome for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the car arrives in the exact condition as advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Placing your automobile in a trailer is a safer way to guarantee a higher level of protection than having someone drive your car to its destination. With car shipping trailers, there are multiple options available depending on the value & size of your vehicle.
Firstly, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your car. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great choice if you're moving an expensive or classic car that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The 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 cars at once & comes in a few variants:
Open car shipping by any car shipping company is the cheapest & most common option when transporting a car. Your vehicle is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All cars are securely fastened, but as the name suggests, they're exposed to the elements during the drive, so car shipping companies may not recommend this for highly valuable vehicles. Furthermore, while it may be the cheapest way to ship a car cross-country, long journeys in open trailers obviously run a higher risk of damage & leave your car exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple cars secured on a carrier, but they're enclosed, meaning they're not exposed to dust, weather & debris from 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 auto transport.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas through an auto transport company, try to find one of the specialist services 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?
Several variables affect the cost of shipping a car, 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.
These figures are just averages for car moving companies, & your car transport may cost more or less depending on the 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 very easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to get an idea of how much you can expect your car 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 Vehicle Transport
We all want cheap car transport, but several factors & variables can affect how much your car shipping will cost. Below, we'll outline the main ones so you can get a rough idea of whether your auto transport requirements will be expensive or cheap.
As mentioned earlier, distance is one of the factors that significantly impacts how much your car transport will cost, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing much more than interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest car shipping option.
While longer distances do cost more, thankfully, the average price per mile drops the longer the journey is, meaning you aren't paying over the odds.
International shipping will always result in expensive car shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a car overseas & the distance it needs to travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your vehicle.
Route - Along with distance, the route needed to take your car from its pick-up spot to its delivery spot can affect the pricing of your car carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, such as in LA, may end up costing more than quieter roads due to the added time. Likewise, unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs from the car moving companies or require a different, longer route.
Shipping Dates - How quickly you need your car transportation service to operate can also affect the price. For example, if you're able to be flexible with timings, you may find that your car shipping service charges significantly less. This is because they can fit your vehicle delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads for themselves, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require auto transport within a strict timeframe (often known as expedited shipping), this will typically end up costing you more, as the car transport company likely needs to dedicate a trailer & driver just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length & width of the vehicle will all affect how much it will cost to transport. Car shippers will require larger trailers for bigger vehicles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than sedans. Further, you should always inform the auto transport company 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 drivable condition, this may make your auto transport more expensive. This is because it may require extra equipment, such as a winch or forklift, to get your car 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, taking more time, effort & machinery to complete the delivery than a standard car transport service. Most car carriers would consider a car 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 select will also affect the cost of your car shipping. Having someone drive your car to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you're essentially just paying for a driver's time & petrol. In contrast, single car trailers & enclosed transport are likely to be more expensive, as they require extra equipment. Enclosed car shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means not only is your car traveling on its own, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload & protect your car during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - Depending on where you need the car picked up from & dropped off, this may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas will 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 also in an unusual or hard-to-access space, extra steps may need to be taken 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 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 vehicle during its transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you are clear on what type of damage is covered, whether there is a deductible, what parts of the vehicle are covered by the insurance & any other questions you may have.
Time Of Year - Seasonality can also affect the price of car 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 vehicle. This is because ice, snow & blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads, as well as 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. February, however, 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; however, 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 a bit more about what car shipping & a car shipping service are & what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & actually try to find a car transport service that's going to be right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of car 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 car shipping company for the best price, & 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 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 get started with collecting quotes. All we need from you are the make & model of the car that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location & the dates that you need to move the vehicle. 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 & 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 which we also 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 view their overall score.
Fairfield, Ohio, US - A Popular Destination for Car Shipping
Fairfield, Ohio, US is a popular destination for people moving their cars to & from. Located in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, Fairfield is a thriving city with a strong economy & a high quality of life. Many people choose to move to Fairfield for job opportunities, affordable housing & excellent schools.
When moving to or from Fairfield, many people opt for car shipping services to transport their vehicles. This is because driving long distances can be time-consuming & stressful, especially if you're moving across the country. By using a car shipping service, you can have your vehicle delivered right to your doorstep in Fairfield, without having to worry about the logistics of getting it there yourself.
If you're looking for car shipping in Fairfield, there are many reputable companies to choose from. Shiply can help you find the best car shipping service for your needs, whether you're moving to Fairfield from another state or shipping your car overseas. With our easy-to-use platform, you can get quotes from multiple car shipping companies & choose the one that best fits your budget & requirements.
In conclusion, whether you're moving to Fairfield for work, family or other reasons, car shipping can make the process much easier & less stressful. By using Shiply to find the right car shipping service, you can ensure that your vehicle arrives safely & on time, allowing you to focus on settling into your new home in Fairfield.
The Advantages of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transportation
Time-efficient - Rather than completing a quotation form each instance you desire to obtain a precise cost from an organization on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you complete one quotation form & then can receive estimates based on the information you supply from several companies. This can conserve you hours of effort you would have had to invest phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these organizations is all feasible through our platform as well, signifying you can maintain all of your vehicle shipping data in one location.
Cost Comparison - When it comes down to it, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto transport company to utilize to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most organizations are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a definite vehicle transport estimate without having to supply information & input details. While this is reasonable, it does mean that cost comparison & getting a vehicle transport estimate isn't precisely a simple task. Using Shiply allows you to receive genuine, final cost estimates from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one place, providing the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the best organization for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport organizations on Shiply are typically able to provide their services for 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 & have already invested the cost for. Say, for instance, you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your vehicle there. On Shiply, an organization may already have a multi-vehicle transporter making that trip with 5 of the 6 spots filled, & they are just seeking to ensure they are not squandering 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 utilizing our service.
Superior For The Environment - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, but it is also superior for the environment. In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-vehicle transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate vehicle shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip 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 lots of people who could have used that transporter to move their vehicles in the other direction. Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are seeking to fill their trailers on return trips too, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Readying For Your Vehicle To Be Transported
If you have decided on an auto transport organization to move your vehicle & feel secure using them, then it's time to ready your vehicle for shipping. We recommend 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 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 organization 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 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, & 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 organization 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 & 500 miles, & 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-vehicle 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 organization on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen vehicle delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most organizations will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my vehicle transport online? Each vehicle shipping organization 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 organizations to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the vehicle shipping organization 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 vehicle keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my vehicle shipment? Most vehicle transport organizations 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 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 & 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.
If you're looking for reliable & affordable vehicle shipping fairfield or fairfield vehicle shipping services, Shiply is the perfect platform to connect with top-rated auto transport organizations. With our user-friendly interface & competitive pricing, shipping your vehicle has never been easier or more cost-effective. Get started today & experience the benefits of using Shiply for all your vehicle shipping needs!
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