What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as auto shipping or car transport, is a service offered by vehicle shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one location & delivering it to another. It's beneficial for transporting a vehicle in various circumstances where operating the car yourself isn't practical. For instance, you might be purchasing or selling a used automobile online & require it to be shipped to another state, or maybe you've recently relocated & need to transport your vehicle across the nation. Auto shipping services can also be useful when you need to move your car abroad, & unless ferries are available, you'll have to depend on a vehicle transport company to manage this for you.
Luckily, there are several automobile transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've described below.
Types Of Vehicle Transport Services
There are various vehicle transport services available, which we've summarized below. It can be useful to read through & determine precisely what type of car transportation service you require or desire to relocate your automobile.
The first choice you need to make is where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country automobile transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, which means that designated collection & drop-off points are used, often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is often more affordable but will require some more effort on your end to get the automobile home. However, the vast majority of people require a door-to-door vehicle transport delivery service so that their cars are collected & dropped off at their door, regardless of whether it's a cross-country automobile transport or just moving a car to another state. This is often preferable as it means you don't need to go anywhere to collect your vehicle - something that can be challenging without your car in the first place!
Automobile transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone operate your car to where it needs to be, or it's put on a trailer & taken there.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come & operate your car to where it needs to go - whether the need is to ship an automobile across the country or to ship cars to another state. The benefits of this auto transport method are that it's often more affordable as trailers & an extra vehicle aren't required, & it can also be fast due to the straightforward nature of the transport.
However, there are some downsides to this method offered by vehicle shipping companies that lead some people to opt for other types of automobile transport. First, mileage is obviously added to your car on the journey, meaning if you're shipping an automobile across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply shipping a vehicle to a nearby state. Second, there's a slight risk of damage happening to your car while it's operated from A to B. These are particularly worrisome for people buying or selling automobiles online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in exactly the same condition as it was advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone operate your car to its destination. With automobile shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to go with depending on the value & size of your car.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your automobile. These are often more expensive as they only transport one vehicle at a time but are a great option if you're moving an expensive or classic car that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport an automobile is to put it in a shipping container, but this is by far the most expensive option. The other option is a multi-car transporter, which can move many vehicles at once. There are a few variants of multi-car transporters:
Open automobile shipping by any vehicle shipping company is the cheapest & by far the most common option when transporting a car. Your vehicle is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All automobiles are safely secured, but as the name suggests, they're exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended by vehicle shipping companies for highly valuable cars. Furthermore, while it may be the cheapest way to ship an automobile cross-country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your vehicle exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple cars secured on a carrier, but they're enclosed, meaning they're not exposed to the dust, weather, & debris of the outside world during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during vehicle transport.
If you need to move your car overseas through a vehicle transport company, you should try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one with experience in overseas automobile shipping, as they can provide you with tailored advice based on your requirements.
Pasco, Washington, US & Vehicle Shipping
Pasco, Washington, is a city located in the southeastern part of the state, near the confluence of the Columbia & Snake Rivers. It's part of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, along with Kennewick & Richland. People often move automobiles to & from Pasco for various reasons, such as relocating for work, buying or selling a vehicle online, or transporting a car to a family member or friend.
Pasco automobile shipping is a popular service, as the city is located along major transportation routes, including Interstate 182 & U.S. Route 395. This makes it easy for vehicle shipping companies to access the area & transport cars to & from Pasco. Additionally, the city's proximity to other major cities in the Pacific Northwest, such as Seattle & Portland, makes it a convenient location for automobile shipping.
When looking for vehicle shipping in Pasco, it's important to choose a reputable & experienced company that can provide safe & reliable transport for your car. Many automobile shipping companies offer services to & from Pasco, so it's a good idea to compare quotes & read reviews before making a decision.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Vehicle?
There are several variables to consider when trying to determine the cost of shipping an automobile, but on average, vehicle 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.
These figures are just averages for automobile moving companies, however, & your vehicle transport may cost more or less depending on the circumstances. The best way to find out how much auto transport will cost you is to collect car shipping quotes from vehicle transport companies, which is very easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to get an idea of how much you can expect your automobile delivery to cost, take a look below at the factors that can affect the price of vehicle transport services.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Vehicle Transport
We all want cheap automobile transport, but there are several factors & variables that can affect how much your vehicle shipping will cost. Below, we'll lay out the main ones so you can get a rough idea of whether your auto transport requirements will be expensive or cheap.
As mentioned above, distance is one of the factors that will play a big part in how much your automobile transport will cost, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing a lot more than an interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest vehicle shipping.
While longer distances do cost more, thankfully, the average price per mile drops the longer the journey is, meaning you aren't paying over the odds.
International shipping will always result in expensive automobile shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a vehicle overseas & the distance it needs to travel. It can also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your car.
Route - Along with distance, the route needed to take your automobile from its pick-up spot to its delivery spot can affect the pricing of your car carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, in LA, for example, may end up costing more than quieter roads due to the time this can add to a journey. Likewise, unforeseen circumstances such as major roadworks could also incur extra costs from the automobile moving companies or mean that a different route is required that may take longer.
Shipping Dates - How fast you need your automobile transportation service to operate can also affect the price. For example, if you're able to be flexible around timings, you may find that your vehicle shipping service charges a lot less. This is because they're able to fit your car delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads for themselves, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require auto transport in a strict timeframe (often known as expedited shipping), this will typically end up costing you more due to the vehicle transport company likely having to dedicate a trailer & driver just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length, & width of the car will all affect how much it will cost to transport your vehicle. Automobile shippers will require larger trailers for bigger vehicles, with SUVs typically costing more on average to transport than a sedan. Further, you should always make sure to let the auto transport company know 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, this may make your auto transport cost more expensive. This is because it may require extra equipment such as a winch or forklift to get your automobile on & off the trailer. If your vehicle has a locked wheel, for example, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto a trailer & off again, & it takes more time, effort, & machinery to complete the delivery than a standard car transport service. Most vehicle carriers would consider an automobile that can brake, roll, & steer to be in good enough condition to ship easily.
Auto Transport Service Type - The type of vehicle transport service you select will also affect the cost of your automobile shipping. Having someone drive your car to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you're essentially just paying for a driver's time & petrol, whereas with single car trailers & enclosed transport, the price is likely to be higher as there is extra equipment required. Something like enclosed automobile shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a vehicle, as it means not only is your car traveling on its own, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, & protect your automobile during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - Depending on where you need the vehicle picked up from & dropped off, this may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas will usually have automobile shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you'll tend to 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 also in an unusual or hard-to-access space, extra steps may need to be taken to load your car, which can also increase the automobile shipping cost.
Vehicle Transport Insurance - While all auto transport companies are required to carry liability insurance, many do not offer any additional insurance as it's not required by law. If a vehicle transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it's highly recommended that you seek out & acquire some for your car during its transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you're clear on what type of damage is covered, whether there's a deductible, what parts of the vehicle are covered by the insurance, & any other questions you may have.
Time Of Year - Seasonality can also affect the price of automobile shipping, with many services costing more to ship a vehicle 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 car. This is because ice, snow, & blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads, as well as reduce the maximum speed at which the vehicle delivery service can transport automobiles. December is typically a difficult time to have a car 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 automobile shipping services during this month.
Spring is a great time to ship your car 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 automobile. March is often a better time to ship than April or May, however, as there is often a rush to move vehicles from colder to warmer states.
Summer is the prime season for shipping automobiles - 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 auto transport industry, & you should not expect cheap vehicle shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a car if you're looking for a slightly cheaper price. Automobile shipping companies are less busy, & there's typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you're better off looking to move your vehicle in October or November rather than September, as this is peak time for students shipping their cars to university.
How To Ship A Vehicle - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know a bit more about what vehicle shipping & a car shipping service are & what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & actually try to find a vehicle transport service that's going to be right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of automobile transport companies out there. Trying to find them on Google can end up resulting in scrolling through hundreds of pages trying to find the best vehicle shipping company for the best price, & the same is true if you were going to go through phone books. Further, many of these companies are reluctant to give you pricing, meaning you'll most likely need to apply for a quote & fill out details with each of them individually, which can become 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 get started with collecting quotes. All we need from you are the make & model of the automobile that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, & the dates that you need to move the vehicle. This gives the auto transport providers on Shiply enough information to be able to provide you with an accurate quote for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll 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 pick from.
Once you have a few, you can ask them any questions you may have, such as when they're available (if a time frame is given), what insurance they have, & how they would secure your automobile. 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 also highly recommend looking at before selecting a quote to ship your vehicle. This system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company, as well as view their overall score.
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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 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, 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.
Better For The Environment - Not only is using Shiply for auto transport more affordable, but it is also better for the environment. 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.
Preparing For Your Vehicle To Be Shipped
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:
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 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.
Check 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 vehicle 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.
Check 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 vehicle 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 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 vehicle shipment? Most vehicle transport organizations 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 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.
If you're looking for reliable & affordable vehicle shipping pasco or pasco vehicle shipping services, consider using Shiply to compare quotes from top-rated auto transport organizations & find the best deal for your needs.
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