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 not available. Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you need to 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 an option, where designated collection & drop-off points, often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases, are used. While this option is typically more affordable, it requires more effort on your part to get the automobile home. Most individuals, however, opt for door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance.
Vehicle transport services are generally divided into two 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 it's across the country or to another state. The advantages of this method include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles are not required, & faster delivery due to the simplicity of the transport. However, there are some drawbacks to this method that lead some individuals 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. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your vehicle while it is being driven. These concerns are particularly relevant for individuals buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the automobile 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 drive 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 cars are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & prolonged exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is often preferred for more expensive or newer vehicles 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 Vehicle Transport
Time-efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a business on transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form & then can obtain quotes 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 businesses is all feasible through our platform as well, allowing you to store all of your tyler vehicle transport data in a single location.
Cost Comparison - When it comes down to it, the price of the vehicle transport quote is the most crucial factor in choosing which auto shipping company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average costs & rough estimates, you won't actually be given a definite vehicle shipping quote without having to input information & fill in specifics. While this is understandable, it does mean that cost comparison & getting a vehicle transport quote isn't precisely a simple task. Utilizing Shiply allows you to receive authentic, final cost quotes from vehicle transport companies & compare them in one place, offering the ability to contact them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately decide on the optimal company for you.
Affordable Vehicle Transport - Auto shipping companies on Shiply are typically able to provide their services for a reduced fee 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, a company may already have a multi-vehicle transporter making that trip with 5 of the 6 spots filled, & they are just looking 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 shipping by using our service.
Eco-Friendly - 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-vehicle transporter & instead you arranged shipping from a separate vehicle transporter, 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 expensive 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 opposite 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 chosen an auto transport company to ship your vehicle & feel confident using them, then it's time to ready your vehicle for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Paperwork - 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 automobile. Cleaning - You should take care to remove all personal belongings 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 determine its condition & notice any damages that may occur during delivery. Operating 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 operating 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. Photographic 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 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 vehicle shipping company 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 car 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 determine whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping a car 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 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 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 car? 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 cheapest way to ship a car? Having someone drive your automobile to its destination is the cheapest way to ship a car, however, if you need a trailer then a multi-vehicle 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 & is something you should discuss with your chosen vehicle delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however. Can I track my car transport online? Each vehicle 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 vehicle transport companies to confirm that this is possible with them. Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the vehicle shipping company 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 car keys. Can I keep items in my vehicle during my car shipment? Most vehicle transport companies 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 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 & unloading of the automobile 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 automobile 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 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.