What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also known as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by auto transport companies that involves collecting your vehicle from one location & transporting it to another. It's beneficial for moving a car in various situations where you can't drive the automobile yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a used vehicle online & need to transport it to another state, or perhaps you've recently moved & need to ship your car across the country. Auto transport services can also be extremely useful when you need to transfer your vehicle overseas & ferries aren't available, requiring you to rely on a car shipping company to manage the task.
Luckily, there are numerous vehicle transport services available to fulfill your specific requirements, which we'll discuss below.
Types Of Car Shipping Services
There are various car shipping services available, summarized below. It's advantageous to read through & determine the precise type of auto transportation service you require or prefer for transporting your vehicle.
The first decision you need to make is where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or moving a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are used, often at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is usually more affordable but requires more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. However, most people require a door-to-door car transport delivery service, where their automobiles are picked up & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or just shipping a car to another state. This is often preferable as it eliminates the need to go somewhere else to collect your automobile, which can be challenging without your vehicle in the first place!
Auto transport services are generally divided into two categories: having someone drive your car to the destination or putting it on a trailer & shipping it.
Have Someone Drive Your Automobile
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to drive your car to the desired location, whether you need to transport a vehicle across the country or to another state. The advantages of this car transport method are that it's often more affordable, as trailers & an extra automobile aren't required, & it can be faster due to the simple nature of the shipping.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method offered by auto transport companies that lead some people to choose other types of vehicle shipping. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, meaning that if you're moving a car across the country, significant miles will be added, although less so when transporting a vehicle to a nearby state. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage occurring to your automobile 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 vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your car on a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone drive your vehicle to its destination. With auto shipping trailers, there are several options available depending on the value & size of your automobile.
Firstly, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your car. These are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time but are a great choice if you're moving an expensive or classic automobile that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The safest way to ship a car is to put it in a shipping container, but this is by far the most costly option. The other option is a multi-car transporter, which can move many vehicles at once & comes in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping by any auto transport company is the most affordable & most common option when moving a car. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All cars are securely fastened, but as the name suggests, they are 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 transport a car cross-country, long journeys in open trailers obviously pose a higher risk of damage & leave your automobile exposed to the elements for extended periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple cars secured on a carrier, but they are enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather & debris during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during car shipping.
If you need to transfer your automobile overseas through a car transport company, try 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 Car?
Several variables affect the cost of moving a vehicle, but on average, car shipping 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 vehicle moving companies, & your auto transport may cost more or less depending on the circumstances. The best way to find out how much car shipping will cost you is to collect auto transport quotes from vehicle transport companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to estimate how much you can expect your vehicle delivery to cost, consider the factors that can affect the price of car transport services, outlined below.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Car Shipping
We all want affordable vehicle transport, but several factors & variables can impact the cost of your auto shipping. Below, we'll outline the main ones so you can get a rough idea of whether your car transport requirements will be expensive or cheap.
As mentioned earlier, distance is a significant factor in determining the cost of your vehicle transport, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing much more than interstate auto delivery, which is often the most affordable car shipping option.
While longer distances do cost more, fortunately, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases, ensuring you're not paying excessively.
International shipping always results in expensive auto shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a vehicle overseas & the distance it needs to travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your automobile.
Route - Along with distance, the route required to take your car from its pick-up spot to its delivery spot can affect the pricing of your vehicle carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, such as in LA, may end up costing more than quieter roads due to the added time. Similarly, unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs from the vehicle moving companies or necessitate a different, longer route.
Shipping Dates - How quickly you need your auto transportation service to operate can also affect the price. For example, if you can be flexible with timings, you may find that your vehicle shipping service charges significantly less because they can fit your automobile delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require car transport within a strict timeframe (often known as expedited shipping), it will typically cost more due to the auto transport company likely having to dedicate a trailer & driver solely for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length & width of the automobile will all affect the cost of transporting your vehicle. Car shippers will require larger trailers for bigger vehicles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than sedans. Additionally, always inform the car transport company about any bike racks, roof racks, or other accessories on the automobile, as these can also change the size of the trailer required for the delivery.
Vehicle Condition - If your car is not in a drivable condition, it may increase the cost of your vehicle transport. This is because it may require extra equipment, such as a winch or forklift, to load & unload your automobile from the trailer. For example, if your car has a locked wheel, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto a trailer & off again, taking more time, effort & machinery to complete the delivery compared to a standard auto transport service. Most vehicle carriers consider a car that can brake, roll & steer to be in good enough condition to ship easily.
Car Shipping Service Type - The type of auto transport service you select will also affect the cost of your vehicle shipping. Having someone drive your car to its destination will always be the most affordable option, as you're essentially just paying for the driver's time & fuel, whereas single car trailers & enclosed transport are likely to be more expensive due to the extra equipment required. Enclosed vehicle shipping will always be the most expensive method of moving a car, as it means your automobile travels alone & still requires specialist equipment to load, unload & protect your car during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - The locations of the vehicle pickup & drop-off may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas usually have auto shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you'll tend to get affordable 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 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.
Car Transport Insurance - While all car shipping companies are required to carry liability insurance, many do not offer additional insurance as it's not legally required. If an auto transport company doesn't 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, 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 transport a car in the winter due to ice & snow slowing the routes. Here's a quick breakdown of how each season can affect car shipping 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 car shipping costs. However, February is usually quiet, so great rates are often available from auto transport 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 affordable rates & high availability when it comes to moving your automobile. 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 vehicles - 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 car transport industry, & you should not expect cheap auto shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a vehicle if you're looking for a slightly more affordable price. Auto transport companies are less busy, & there is typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you're better off looking to move your automobile in October or November rather than September, as this is peak time for students shipping their cars to university.
How To Transport A Car - Finding A Car Shipping Service
Now that you know more about what vehicle shipping & an auto transport service are & what sort of car shipping service you need, you probably want to go ahead & find a vehicle transport service that's right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of auto 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 Car Transport Companies?
Given all the options & variables involved in finding an auto transport 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 you need to move the automobile. This gives the car 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 Cars To & From Lakewood, Washington, US
Lakewood, Washington, US, is a popular destination for vehicle shipping due to various reasons. Many people relocate to Lakewood for job opportunities, as it is home to several large employers, including Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The city's proximity to Tacoma & Seattle also makes it an attractive location for those who want to live in a more affordable area while still having access to the amenities of larger cities. Additionally, Lakewood's scenic beauty, with its lakes & parks, draws people who enjoy outdoor activities.
On the other hand, people also frequently move automobiles from Lakewood when they are relocating to another city or state for work, family, or personal reasons. Some may also ship their vehicles from Lakewood if they are selling a car to a buyer in another location or if they need to transport an automobile they purchased from Lakewood to their current residence.
Whether you're moving a vehicle to or from Lakewood, Washington, US, there are many lakewood car shipping options available. By using a reliable lakewood auto transport service, you can ensure that your automobile arrives at its destination safely & efficiently, without the hassle of driving it yourself across long distances.
The Advantages of Utilizing Shiply for Vehicle Transport
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 save you hours of time you would have had to invest calling up organizations & filling in forms. Communication with these businesses is all feasible through our platform as well, signifying you can store all of your vehicle shipping details 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 & complete 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 businesses 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, 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 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 environmentally 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 company to move your vehicle & feel secure using them, then it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We recommend following these steps:
Documents - 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 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 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, & 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, & 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 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 & 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 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 & 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 & 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 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, & 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 & 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 car shipping lakewood or lakewood car shipping services, Shiply is the perfect platform to connect with top-rated auto transport companies. 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 utilizing Shiply for all your vehicle transport needs.
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