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 and transporting it to another. This service proves useful in various circumstances where you are unable to drive 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 services provide a practical solution for those who need to move their cars across states or even countries.
There are various types of car transport services available to cater to different requirements and preferences. Whether you need nationwide vehicle transport, shipping a car to a different state, or even international automobile transportation, vehicle shipping companies can accommodate your needs. It's crucial to comprehend the various options available to make a well-informed decision when selecting a vehicle transport service.
Types Of Car Transport Services
When it comes to car transport services, there are two primary options: terminal-to-terminal delivery and door-to-door delivery. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery involves designated collection and drop-off points, typically at the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. While this option is generally more cost-effective, it requires additional effort on your part to get the automobile to and from the terminals. Conversely, door-to-door auto transport is the most popular choice, as it provides the convenience of having your vehicle picked up and dropped off right at your doorstep.
Another decision you'll need to make is whether you want someone to drive your automobile to its destination or have it transported on a trailer. Hiring someone to drive your car can be a straightforward and cost-effective solution, particularly for shorter distances. However, this method adds mileage to your vehicle and carries a slight risk of damage during the journey.
Transporting your automobile on a trailer offers a higher level of safety and protection. You can opt for a single trailer dedicated to your vehicle, which is ideal for expensive or classic cars. The safest option is to use a shipping container, although it comes at a higher cost. Alternatively, multi-car transporters are a popular choice, offering both open and enclosed vehicle shipping options.
Open car shipping is the most common and affordable method, where your automobile is securely placed on an open carrier and driven to its destination. While this option exposes your vehicle to the elements during transit, it remains a cost-effective choice for most car owners. Enclosed auto transport, on the other hand, provides added protection by enclosing the vehicles in a trailer, shielding them from dust, weather, and debris. This option is preferable for expensive or newer automobiles.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas, it's essential to find a specialist service or a company with experience in international car shipping. These providers can offer tailored advice and assistance to ensure a smooth and successful overseas vehicle transport.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Canton
Time-efficient - Rather than submitting a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a business for transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form and can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can conserve you hours of effort that you would have spent phoning companies and completing forms. Communication with these businesses is also feasible via our platform, allowing you to store all your vehicle shipping canton data in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in selecting which auto transport company to employ for transporting your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without supplying information and filling in details. Although this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not exactly a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies and compare them in one place, offering the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately choose the optimal company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport businesses on Shiply can typically provide their services at a lower cost than if you approached them directly. This is because they are often seeking to fill space on trips they are already making and have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York and needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, and they are simply 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 auto transport by utilizing our service.
Environmentally Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more economical, but it is also more environmentally friendly. In the above example, if your vehicle 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 vehicle. 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 vehicles in the opposite direction. Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return journeys, 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 selected an auto transport company to transport your vehicle and 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 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 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 assess 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 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, 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 ascertain 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.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have answered some of the most asked questions about Canton 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 and 500 miles, and 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 and 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 and delivery? In most cases, the car shipping company will require you to be in attendance for the pickup and 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, and 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 and 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 and 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 and has the right equipment to safely carry it out.
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