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 drive 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 unavailable.
Luckily, there are numerous auto shipping services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we will explore below.
Varieties Of Car Shipping Services
When it comes to car shipping services, there are several crucial decisions you need to make. Firstly, you must decide where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a long-distance vehicle transport or shipping a car to a neighboring state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. While this alternative is typically less expensive, it demands more effort on your part to get the automobile home.
However, most individuals prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a long-distance vehicle transport or simply shipping a car to a nearby state. This option is more convenient as it eliminates the need to collect your automobile from a separate location, which can be challenging without your vehicle.
Vehicle transport services can be categorized into two main types: having someone drive your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Drive Your Vehicle
Hiring someone to drive your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether you need to transport a car across the country or to another state. This method is often less expensive as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle, & it can be quicker due to its simplicity.
However, there are some drawbacks to this approach that lead some people to choose 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, although less so when shipping to a nearby state. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your vehicle during the drive. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the automobile arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Vehicle On A Trailer
Placing 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. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile.
Single trailers are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time, but they are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that you want to protect from damage. The safest way to transport an automobile is in a shipping container, but this is also the most expensive option.
Multi-car transporters can carry many vehicles at once & come in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping is the cheapest & most common option for 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 this may not be recommended by vehicle shipping companies for highly valuable automobiles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & 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 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 vehicle overseas, it's best to find a specialist service on our platform or one with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
How Much Does It Cost To Transport A Vehicle?
The cost 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 & 500 miles, & $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles.
However, these are just averages, & your vehicle transport cost may be higher or lower depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to collect vehicle shipping quotes from various vehicle transport companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
To get a rough idea of what to expect, consider the factors that can affect the price of vehicle transport services, which we will discuss below.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Auto Transport
While we all want cheap vehicle transport, several factors & variables can impact the cost of your vehicle shipping. Here are the main ones to consider:
Distance: As mentioned earlier, distance plays a significant role in determining the cost of vehicle transport. Cross-state & cross-country journeys are more expensive than interstate vehicle delivery, which is often the cheapest option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases, so you won't be paying excessively for longer distances.
International shipping: Transporting a vehicle overseas will always result in expensive vehicle shipping quotes due to the logistics involved & the distance the automobile needs to travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container.
Route: Along with distance, the route required to take your vehicle from its pick-up spot to its delivery location can affect the pricing of your vehicle carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, such as in LA, may cost more than quieter roads due to the additional time required. Unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs from vehicle moving companies or necessitate a longer alternative route.
Shipping Dates: The speed at which you need your vehicle transportation service to operate can also impact the price. If you can be flexible with timings, you may find that your vehicle shipping service charges less, as they can fit your automobile 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 vehicle transport company may need to dedicate a trailer & driver specifically for your delivery.
Vehicle Size: The height, length, & width of your automobile will all affect the cost of transport. Vehicle shippers will require larger trailers for bigger automobiles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than sedans. Be sure to inform the auto transport company about any bike racks, roof racks, or other accessories on the vehicle, 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 increase the cost of auto transport. This is because it may require extra equipment, such as a winch or forklift, to load & unload your vehicle from the trailer. If your automobile has a locked wheel, for example, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto & off a trailer, requiring more time, effort, & machinery to complete the delivery compared to a standard vehicle transport service. Most vehicle carriers consider an automobile that can brake, roll, & steer to be in good enough condition for easy shipping.
Auto Transport Service Type: The type of auto transport service you choose will also affect the cost of your vehicle shipping. Having someone drive your automobile to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you are essentially just paying for the driver's time & fuel. Single vehicle trailers & enclosed transport will likely be more expensive, as they require extra equipment. Enclosed vehicle shipping is always the most expensive method of shipping an automobile, as it means your vehicle travels alone & still needs specialist equipment for loading, unloading, & protection during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery: The locations where you need the vehicle picked up & dropped off can also increase the price of shipping an automobile. Urban areas usually have vehicle shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you will generally get cheap vehicle 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 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 additional insurance, as it is not legally required. If a vehicle transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it is 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 is a deductible, which parts of the automobile are covered by the insurance, & 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 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 automobile. Ice, snow, & blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads & reduce the maximum speed at which the vehicle delivery service can transport cars. December is typically a difficult time to have an automobile 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 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, & more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean cheap rates & high availability when it comes to moving your vehicle. March is often a better time to ship than April or May, as 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, & it is 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 vehicle shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship an automobile if you are looking for a slightly cheaper price. Vehicle shipping companies are less busy, & there is typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you are better off looking to move your automobile in October or November rather than September, as this is peak time for students shipping their vehicles to university.
How To Transport A Vehicle - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know more about what vehicle shipping & a vehicle shipping service are & what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & find a vehicle transport service that is right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of vehicle transport companies out there. Trying to find them on Google can result in scrolling through numerous pages trying to find the best vehicle 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 provide pricing, meaning you will 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 of the options & variables involved with finding a vehicle 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 vehicle that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, & the dates that you need to move the automobile. 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 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 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 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 that we 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 their overall score.
Why People Often Move Vehicles To & From Allison Park, Pennsylvania
Allison Park, located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is a suburb of Pittsburgh. Many people move vehicles to & from Allison Park for various reasons, such as relocating for work, buying or selling an automobile online, or transporting a vehicle for a family member. The proximity to Pittsburgh makes Allison Park an attractive location for those who want to live in a quieter suburban area while still having access to the city's amenities & job opportunities. As a result, vehicle shipping services to & from Allison Park are in high demand, with many people requiring reliable & efficient auto transport solutions. Whether you need to ship an automobile across the country or just to another state, there are vehicle shipping companies that specialize in servicing the Allison Park area, ensuring that your automobile arrives at its destination safely & on time.
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 costs & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a definite vehicle transport estimate without having to supply information & fill in 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 price 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 direct to them. This is because they are often looking to fill space on trips they are already making & have already invested the cost for. Say, for example, you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to move your vehicle there. On Shiply, an organization may already have a multi-car transporter making that trip 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.
Eco-Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, but it is also more eco-friendly. In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car 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 looking 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 prepare your vehicle for shipping. We recommend following these steps:
Paperwork - 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 automobile.
Cleansing - You should take care to remove all personal items from your automobile 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 automobile before transport as this will allow you to ascertain its condition & notice any damages that may occur during delivery.
Operational Condition - If the automobile will be driven at any point during shipping or driven home from the drop-off location then you should ensure that it is in operational 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 automobile upon arrival.
Visual Evidence - One very important thing to do when preparing your automobile 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.
Examine 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 automobile 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.
Verify 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 automobile 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 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 automobile. 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 automobile during my vehicle shipment? Most vehicle transport organizations will be fine with you keeping some personal items in the automobile when it is transported. However, there are two important things to remember: 1. The weight of the items may affect the price of the automobile shipment, & 2. Any items in the automobile will not be covered by insurance for the transport of the vehicle itself.
How much gas should I have in my automobile during transit? Generally, you should aim to have around a quarter of your tank full. This allows for easy loading & unloading of the automobile but will not add too much extra weight to the automobile.
Can I ship my automobile if it isn't running? You can ship your automobile if it isn't in running condition, however, this will be more expensive as specialist equipment is required to load & unload the automobile.
Can I ship a modified automobile? Almost any type of automobile 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 allison park or allison park vehicle shipping services, Shiply is the perfect platform to connect with top-rated auto transport organizations. Get free estimates, compare costs, & book your vehicle shipment with ease on Shiply today.
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