What Is Car Shipping?
Car shipping, also known as vehicle transport or auto transport, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your vehicle from one location and transporting it to another. It's beneficial for transporting a car in various situations where you're unable to drive the vehicle yourself. For instance, you might be buying or selling a used car online and need to transport it to another state, or perhaps you've recently moved and need to ship your car across the country. Car shipping services can also be extremely useful when you need to transport your vehicle overseas and ferries aren't available, requiring you to rely on an auto transport company to manage the task.
Luckily, there are numerous car transport services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we'll discuss below.
Types Of Auto Transport Services
Here's an overview of the various auto transport services available. It's advantageous to read through and identify the precise type of vehicle transportation service you need or prefer for transporting your car.
The first decision you need to make is where you want your car collected from and delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a car to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection and drop-off points, often the car transport company's stores or operating bases, are used. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is usually more affordable but requires more effort on your part to get the car home. However, most people require a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their cars are collected and dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just moving a car to another state. This is often preferable as it eliminates the need to go somewhere else to retrieve your vehicle, which can be challenging without your car in the first place!
Car transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone drive your car to the destination or putting it on a trailer and transporting it.
Have Someone Drive Your Car
This straightforward solution to car shipping involves hiring someone to drive your car to the desired location, whether you need to ship a car across the country or to another state. The advantages of this auto transport method are that it's often more affordable since trailers and an extra vehicle aren't required, and it can be faster due to the straightforward nature of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks to this method offered by car shipping companies that lead some people to choose other types of car transport. Firstly, mileage is added to your vehicle during the journey, meaning that if you're shipping a car across the country, significant miles will be added, although less so when simply shipping a car to a nearby state. Secondly, there's a slight risk of damage occurring to your car 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 car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Car On A Trailer
Placing your car in a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone drive your car to its destination. With car shipping trailers, there are multiple options available depending on the value and size of your vehicle.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your car. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great choice if you're moving an expensive or classic car that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The safest way to transport a car 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 cars at once and comes in a few variants:
Open car shipping by any car shipping company is the most affordable and common option when transporting a car. Your vehicle is placed on an open carrier and 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 ship a car cross-country, long journeys in open trailers obviously run a higher risk of damage and leave your car exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple cars secured on a carrier, but they are enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, and debris during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during auto transport.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas through an auto transport company, try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one with experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car?
Several variables affect the cost of shipping a car, but on average, auto transport companies in the US charge around $2.92 per mile for journeys less than 200 miles, $0.93 for journeys between 200 and 500 miles, and $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles.
These figures are just averages for car moving companies, and your car 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 car transport companies, which is very easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to get an idea of how much you can expect your car delivery to cost, take a look below at the factors that can affect the price of car transport services.
Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of Auto Transport
We all want cheap car transport, but several factors and variables can affect how much your car shipping will cost. Below, we'll outline the main ones so you can get a rough idea of whether your auto transport requirements will be expensive or cheap.
As mentioned earlier, distance is one of the factors that significantly impacts how much your car transport will cost, with cross-state and cross-country journeys costing much more than interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest car shipping option.
While longer distances do cost more, fortunately, the average price per mile drops as the journey lengthens, ensuring you aren't paying excessively.
International shipping always results in expensive car shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a car overseas and the distance it needs to travel. It may also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your vehicle.
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 car carrier service. Routes with known higher traffic, such as in LA, may end up costing more than quieter roads due to the added time. Likewise, unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks could also incur extra costs from the car moving companies or necessitate a different, longer route.
Shipping Dates - How quickly you need your car transportation service to operate can also affect the price. For example, if you can be flexible with timings, you may find that your car shipping service charges significantly less. This is because they can fit your vehicle delivery into their schedule and reduce overheads, passing the savings on to you. However, if you require auto transport within a strict timeframe (often known as expedited shipping), it will typically cost you more since the car transport company likely needs to dedicate a trailer and driver just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length, and width of the vehicle 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 auto transport company about any bike racks, roof racks, or other accessories on the car, as these can also change the size of the trailer required for the delivery.
Vehicle Condition - If your car is not in drivable condition, it may make your auto transport more expensive. This is because it may require extra equipment, such as a winch or forklift, to get your car on and off the trailer. For example, if your car has a locked wheel, it will be impossible to simply roll it onto a trailer and off again, taking more time, effort, and machinery to complete the delivery than a standard car transport service. Most car carriers consider a car that can brake, roll, and steer to be in good enough condition to ship easily.
Auto Transport Service Type - The type of auto transport service you select will also affect the cost of your car shipping. Having someone drive your car to its destination will always be the cheapest option, as you are essentially just paying for a driver's time and petrol. In contrast, single car trailers and enclosed transport are likely to be more expensive, as they require extra equipment. Enclosed car shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means not only is your car traveling alone, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, and protect your car during transport.
Locations Of Pickup and Delivery - Depending on where you need the car picked up from and dropped off, the price of shipping a car may also increase. Urban areas usually have car shipping services in close proximity, and if it is a common destination route, you will tend to get cheap car shipping. Rural deliveries can cost more, as they require deviations from normal routes and 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 be needed to load your vehicle, which can also increase the car shipping cost.
Auto Transport Insurance - While all auto transport companies are required to carry liability insurance, many do not offer any additional insurance, as it is not required by law. If a car transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it is highly recommended that you seek out and 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, what parts of the vehicle are covered by the insurance, and any other questions you may have.
Time Of Year - Seasonality can also affect the price of car shipping, with many services costing more to ship a car in the winter due to ice and snow slowing the routes. Here is a quick breakdown of how each season can affect auto transport costs:
Winter is often the most expensive season to ship your vehicle. This is because ice, snow, and blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads, as well as reduce the maximum speed at which the car delivery service can transport cars. December is typically a difficult time to have a vehicle shipped, as drivers are on holiday, while many travel to warmer states in January, leading to increased vehicle shipping costs. However, February is usually quiet, so great rates are often available from car shipping services during this month.
Spring is a great time to ship your vehicle with a car transportation service. With improved weather conditions, longer days, and more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean cheap rates and high availability when it comes to moving your car. 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 cars - the days are the longest in the year, students are traveling home from universities, employees take vacations, and it is also a very popular time to move house. This means that June, July, and August are all busy months for the auto transport industry, and you should not expect cheap car shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a car if you are looking for a slightly cheaper price. Car shipping companies are less busy, and there is typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you are 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 Car - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know a bit more about what car shipping and a car shipping service are and what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead and actually try to find a car transport service that is going to be right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of car transport companies out there. Trying to find them on Google can end up resulting in scrolling through numerous pages trying to find the best car shipping company for the best price, and the same is true if you were going to go through phone books. Furthermore, many of these companies are reluctant to give you pricing, meaning you will most likely need to apply for a quote and 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 and variables involved with finding a car shipping service, actually searching for and finding the right one can seem like a daunting task, and 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 and model of the car that needs shipping, the pickup location and delivery location, and 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 will receive quotes in your Shiply inbox and 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 are available (if a time frame is given), what insurance they have, and how they would secure your car. We recommend asking any company you may use these questions to ensure that everything goes smoothly and as expected.
Shiply has a feedback and ratings system which 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.
Neenah, Wisconsin, US - Car Shipping
Neenah, Wisconsin, is a city located in Winnebago County, known for its rich history and vibrant community. People often move cars to and from Neenah for various reasons, such as relocating for work, buying or selling a vehicle online, or transporting a classic car to a show or event. When it comes to car shipping in Neenah, residents and visitors alike can benefit from the convenience and expertise of professional auto transport companies.
Whether you need to ship a car to Neenah or transport a vehicle from Neenah to another location, there are reliable car shipping services available to meet your needs. Neenah car shipping companies offer a range of options, including open and enclosed trailers, door-to-door delivery, and terminal-to-terminal transport, ensuring that you can find a solution that fits your budget and preferences.
By choosing a reputable Neenah car shipping provider, you can have peace of mind knowing that your vehicle will be handled with care and delivered safely to its destination. With the help of online platforms like Shiply, finding the right car shipping company in Neenah has never been easier, allowing you to compare quotes, read reviews, and book your transport all in one place.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Auto Transport in Neenah
Time-Saving - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate estimate from a company on Neenah auto transport, on our platform you complete one quotation form & then can obtain estimates based on the information you supply from several companies. This can save you hours of time you would have spent phoning companies & completing forms. Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your auto shipping details in one location.
Price Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the auto shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in choosing which vehicle transport company to employ to transport your automobile. The challenging aspect is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't actually receive a definite auto transport quote without having to give information & fill in details. While this is understandable, it means that price comparison & getting an auto transport quote isn't exactly a simple task. Utilizing Shiply allows you to receive authentic, final price estimates from auto 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 company for you.
Affordable Auto Shipping - Vehicle transport companies 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 relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your automobile there, a company on Shiply 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 convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on vehicle transport by using our service.
Environmentally Friendly - Not only is using Shiply for vehicle transport more affordable, but it is also more environmentally friendly. In the above example, if your automobile didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate auto shipper, then the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be needed just for your automobile. Similarly, many auto 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 used that transporter to transport their automobiles in the opposite direction. Many of the vehicle transporters on Shiply are also looking to fill their trailers on return trips, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Automobile for Shipping
If you have chosen a vehicle transport company to transport your automobile & feel confident using them, then it's time to prepare your automobile for shipping. We recommend following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial 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 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 determine 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 auto delivery service to pick up is to take high-quality photographs of all parts of the automobile. This provides you with evidence of the automobile's condition before shipping should anything happen to it during transport.
What to Do After Delivery
Once the auto 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 automobile is in the expected condition, as well as enable you to immediately raise concerns with the auto 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 determine whether any extra damage has occurred. Shipping an automobile can, in rare cases, cause damage, & you want to be sure your auto transport service has not done so.
Check Mileage - This is more relevant to auto shipping services where the automobile is driven to the destination, but it can help to check the mileage to ensure that it matches up with the trip taken.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could also leave a review for the vehicle transport company you used through Shiply so that others can browse auto shipping services with the same peace of mind.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have answered some of the most asked questions about auto shipping:
How much to ship an automobile? Auto shipping prices can vary drastically depending on the circumstances, but on average a trip should cost you around $2.92 per mile if the trip is less than 200 miles, $0.93 if the trip is between 200 & 500 miles, & if the trip is over 1,000 miles, then this drops to $0.78.
What is the most affordable way to ship an automobile? Having someone drive your vehicle to its destination is the most affordable way to ship an automobile; 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 an automobile.
How do I pay for my vehicle transport? This is down to each individual vehicle transport company on Shiply & is something you should discuss with your chosen auto delivery service before confirming the delivery. Most companies will be flexible with payment options, however.
Can I track my auto transport online? Each auto shipping company on Shiply has different ways of operating, but many offer the ability to track your auto shipment, with some even able to provide personal updates. If you require tracking, you should message individual auto transport companies to confirm that this is possible with them.
Does someone have to be present for pickup & delivery? In most cases, the auto 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 automobile keys.
Can I keep items in my vehicle during my auto shipment? Most auto transport companies will be fine with you keeping some personal belongings 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 automobile 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.
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