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 spot & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in numerous situations 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 moving your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping companies provide a variety of services to accommodate your unique requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, you must determine where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car shipment or transporting a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an alternative, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. This option 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, where their automobiles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance.
Vehicle transport services are generally categorized into two types: having someone operate your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for shipment.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Employing someone to operate your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether it's across the country or to another state. The advantages of this method include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles are not necessary, & quicker delivery due to the straightforward nature of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to consider, such as the addition of mileage to your vehicle, especially when shipping a car across the country, & the slight risk of damage during the journey. These concerns are particularly relevant for individuals buying or selling automobiles online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place 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 operate it to its destination. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile. Single trailers are more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time but are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that you want to protect from damage. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, but this is also the most expensive option.
Multi-car transporters can carry many automobiles at once & come in a few variants:
- Open car shipping: The most affordable & common option, where your vehicle is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. While all automobiles 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 & exposure to the elements.
- Enclosed auto transport: Multiple vehicles are secured on a carrier but are 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 vehicle overseas, 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.
How Much Does It Cost To Transport A Vehicle?
The expense of transporting a vehicle varies depending on several factors, but on average, US auto transport companies 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 may cost more or less depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to gather vehicle shipping quotes from various companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
Factors That Can Influence The Expense Of Vehicle Transport
While everyone wants affordable vehicle transport, several factors can impact the cost of car shipping services:
- Distance: Cross-state & cross-country journeys cost more than interstate vehicle 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 & the distance traveled. It may also 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, such as in LA, may cost more due to the added time. Unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs or require a longer alternative route.
- Shipping dates: Flexibility in timings can lead to lower costs, as vehicle shipping companies can fit your delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads. Expedited shipping within a strict timeframe typically costs more, as it may require a dedicated trailer & driver.
- Vehicle size: The height, length, & width of the automobile affect the cost of transport. Larger vehicles like SUVs cost more on average than sedans, as they require larger trailers. Accessories such as bike racks or roof racks can also change the size of the trailer needed.
- Vehicle condition: Non-drivable cars may cost more to transport, as they require extra equipment like winches or forklifts to load & unload. Most car carriers consider a vehicle in good condition if it can brake, roll, & steer.
- Auto transport service type: Having someone operate your vehicle is the most affordable option, while single car trailers & enclosed transport are more expensive due to the specialized equipment required. Enclosed car shipping is the most expensive method, as it involves transporting your automobile alone while still needing specialist equipment for loading, unloading, & protection during transit.
- Pick-up & delivery locations: Urban areas usually have vehicle shipping services nearby, & common destination routes tend to offer affordable car shipping. Rural deliveries can cost more due to deviations from normal routes & extra mileage. Unusual or hard-to-access pick-up or drop-off points may also increase costs.
- Auto transport insurance: While all auto transport companies must carry liability insurance, many do not offer additional coverage. If a company does not provide cargo insurance, it's highly recommended to acquire some for your vehicle during transit. Make sure to clarify what type of damage is covered, any deductibles, & which parts of the automobile are insured.
- Time of year: Seasonality affects vehicle shipping prices, with winter being the most expensive due to ice, snow, & blizzard conditions causing delays & reduced speeds. December is difficult for shipping due to driver holidays, while January sees increased costs as many travel to warmer states. Spring is a great time for affordable rates & high availability, with March being better than April or May. Summer is the busiest season, with longer days, student travel, vacations, & house moves, so expect higher prices. Fall offers slightly cheaper prices, with more driver availability after the summer rush, but September is peak time for students shipping cars to university.
How To Transport A Vehicle - Finding A Vehicle Transport Service
With hundreds of vehicle transport companies available, finding the right one can be daunting. Searching on Google or through phone books can be time-consuming, & many companies are reluctant to provide pricing without individual quotes. This is where Shiply can help simplify the process.
How Can Shiply Help Find Vehicle Transport Companies?
Shiply makes it easy to collect quotes from auto transport providers. Simply fill out a simple form with the make & model of the vehicle, pick-up & delivery locations, & the dates you need to move the automobile. This information allows providers to give you accurate quotes for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll receive quotes in your Shiply inbox & email. We recommend keeping email notifications on to know immediately when a new quote arrives. Quotes can start coming in within minutes of posting your listing, but it's best to wait for a few options before making a decision.
When you have a few quotes, you can ask the companies any questions you may have, such as availability, insurance, & how they secure your vehicle. It's important to ask these questions to ensure a smooth & expected experience.
Shiply's feedback & ratings system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company & their overall score, which we highly recommend checking before selecting a quote to ship your automobile.
Why People Often Move Vehicles To & From Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee, is a city located in Maury County, about 45 miles south of Nashville. Many people move automobiles to & from Columbia for various reasons, such as relocating for work, attending college, or buying & selling vehicles online. Columbia is home to several large employers, including the Maury Regional Medical Center, Columbia State Community College, & the Saturn Corporation, which can lead to an influx of people moving to the area for job opportunities. Additionally, the city's proximity to Nashville makes it an attractive location for those who want to live in a smaller town while still having access to the amenities of a larger city. When moving to or from Columbia, many people choose to use vehicle shipping services to transport their automobiles safely & conveniently, rather than driving the distance themselves.
The Benefits of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Columbia
Time-Efficient - Instead of completing a quotation form each time you require an exact price from a company on transporting a vehicle, on our platform you fill out one quotation form & then can receive quotes based on the information you provide from several businesses. This can save you a significant amount of time you would have spent contacting companies & filling out forms.
Communication with these businesses is all possible through our platform as well, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping information in one location.
Price Comparison for "columbia car shipping"
Ultimately, the cost of the vehicle shipping quote is the most important factor in deciding which auto transport company to utilize to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually receive a definite "car shipping columbia" quote without having to provide information & complete specifics. While this is understandable, it does mean that price comparison & obtaining a vehicle transport quote isn't exactly a straightforward task.
Utilizing Shiply enables you to receive actual, final price quotes from vehicle shipping businesses & compare them in one location, providing you with the ability to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately choose the best company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping
Auto transport businesses 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. For example, if you were moving from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle there, on Shiply, a company 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 are suitable 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 more environmentally friendly! In the above example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be required just for your vehicle.
Similarly, many car transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only expensive for them but also for the environment as there are many people who could have utilized that transporter to transport their cars in the opposite direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are seeking to fill their trailers on return trips as well, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being emitted into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Preparing For Your Vehicle To Be Transported
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your vehicle & 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 require 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 during transport. It is also highly recommended that you clean your vehicle before transport as this will allow you to see 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 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 vehicle. This provides you with proof of the vehicle'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 vehicle 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 see whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping a vehicle can, in rare cases, cause damage, & 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 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 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 car shipping:
How much to ship a vehicle? 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 & 500 miles, and 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 car, however, if you require 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 company on Shiply & 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 vehicle transport online? Each car shipping company 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 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 & 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 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 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.
