What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as auto transport or car shipping, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one spot & delivering it to another. It's beneficial for transporting a vehicle in various circumstances where you're unable to drive the car yourself. For instance, you may be buying or selling a used automobile online & require it to be shipped to another state. Perhaps you've recently relocated & need to transport your vehicle across the nation. Another situation where car shipping services can be incredibly useful is when you need to move your car overseas, & unless ferries are available, you'll have to depend on an auto transport company to manage it for you.
Luckily, there are numerous car transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've described below.
Varieties Of Auto Transport Services
There are various auto transport services available, summarized below. It can be extremely advantageous to read through & decide precisely what kind of vehicle transportation service you require or prefer to transport your automobile.
The first decision you need to make is where you want your car collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car transport or shipping a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, which means designated pick-up & drop-off points are used, often the car transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is typically more affordable but will require more effort on your end to get the automobile home. However, the vast majority of people require a door-to-door auto transport delivery service so their cars are picked up & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car transport or just moving a vehicle to another state. This is often preferable as it means you don't need to go anywhere to collect your car - something that can be challenging without your vehicle in the first place!
Car transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone drive your automobile to where it needs to be, or it's put on a trailer & taken there.
Have Someone Drive Your Automobile
This is a straightforward solution to car shipping that involves hiring someone to come & drive your vehicle to where it needs to go - whether the need is to ship a car across the country or to ship cars to another state. The advantages 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 drawbacks to this method offered by car shipping companies that lead some people to choose other types of car transport. First, mileage is obviously added to your vehicle on the journey, meaning if you're shipping a car across the country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply shipping a car to a nearby state. Second, there's a slight risk of damage happening to your automobile while it's driven from point A to point B. These are particularly concerning for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in exactly the same condition as it was advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Placing your car in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone drive your vehicle to its destination. With car shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to choose depending on the value & size of your automobile.
First, 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 option if you're moving an expensive or classic automobile that you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute 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 vehicles at once, & there are a few variants:
Open car shipping by any car shipping company is the most affordable & by far the most common option when transporting a vehicle. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to the destination. All cars are safely secured, but as the name suggests, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended by car shipping companies for highly valuable vehicles. Furthermore, while it may be the cheapest way to ship a car cross-country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your automobile exposed to the elements for longer periods.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple cars secured on a carrier, but they are enclosed, meaning they aren't 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 auto transport.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas through an auto transport company, you should try to find one of the specialist services on our platform or one with experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide you with tailored advice based on your requirements.
Why People Often Move Cars To & From Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin, is a city located on the western tip of Lake Superior, right across the border from Duluth, Minnesota. Many people transport automobiles to & from Superior for various reasons. One common reason is relocation - people moving to or from Superior for work, family, or other reasons often need to move their vehicles. Superior is also a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, with many parks, trails, & recreational opportunities nearby, so people may bring their cars to enjoy these activities. Additionally, Superior is home to a port & several transportation companies, so it's a hub for shipping vehicles across the Great Lakes region. Whether you're moving to Superior, visiting for a trip, or need to transport a car through the area, there are many car shipping companies that can assist you.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Vehicle?
There are several variables to consider when trying to determine how much it will cost to ship 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 & 500 miles, & $0.78 for journeys over 1,000 miles.
These numbers are just averages for car moving companies, however, & your car transport may cost more or less than these figures depending on the circumstances. The best way to find out how much auto transport is going to cost you is to collect some car shipping quotes from car transport companies, which is very easy to do on Shiply.
If you want to try & 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 there are several factors & variables that can affect how much your car 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 car transport will cost, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing a lot more than an interstate car delivery, which is often the cheapest car 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 car shipping quotes due to the logistics of transferring a car overseas & the distance it will need to travel. It can also require special enclosed trailers or even a shipping container for your vehicle.
Route - Along with distance, the route needed 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, 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 car moving companies or mean that a different route is required that may take longer.
Shipping Dates - How fast you need your car 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 car shipping service charges a lot less. This is because they're able to fit your vehicle 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 car transport company likely having to dedicate a trailer & driver just for your delivery.
Vehicle Size - The height, length, & width of the vehicle will all affect how much it will cost to transport your vehicle. Car 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 car, 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 car on & off the trailer. If your car 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 car carriers would consider a car that can brake, roll, & 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'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 car shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means not only is your car traveling on its own, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, & protect your car during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - Depending on where you need the car picked up from & dropped off, this may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas will usually have car shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you will tend to get cheap 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 also in an unusual or hard-to-access space, extra steps may need to be taken 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's not required by law. If a car transport company does not 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, 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 car shipping, with many services costing more to ship a car in the winter due to ice & 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, & 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. February, however, 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, & more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean cheap rates & high availability when it comes to moving your car. March is often a better time to ship than April or May; however, again, 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, & 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 car shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a car if you're looking for a slightly cheaper price. Car shipping companies are less busy, & there is 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 Car - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know a bit more about what car 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 car transport service that's 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 hundreds of pages trying to find the best car 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 will 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 car 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 car 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 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 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, & how they would secure your car. 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.
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 for transporting a vehicle, on our site you complete one quotation form & can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can conserve you significant time that you would have otherwise spent phoning businesses and completing forms. Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all your vehicle transport details in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle transport quote is the most crucial factor when selecting which auto shipping company to employ for transporting your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most businesses are willing to provide average costs & rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without supplying information & completing details. Although this is reasonable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not precisely a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price quotes from vehicle transport companies & compare them in one place, offering the ability to message them individually to inquire about any questions you may have & ultimately choose the optimal company for your needs.
Affordable Vehicle Transport - Auto shipping businesses on Shiply can typically provide their services at a lower cost than if you approached them directly. This is because they are often seeking to fill space on trips they are already making & have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply may already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, & they are simply 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 frequently save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Eco-Friendlier - Using Shiply for auto transport is not only more affordable but also more environmentally friendly! In the previous example, if your vehicle didn't get on that multi-car transporter & instead you arranged transport from a separate vehicle shipper, the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire trip would be required 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 many individuals who could have utilized that transporter to move their vehicles in the opposite direction! Many of the auto transporters on Shiply are also seeking to fill their trailers on return trips, resulting in even less wasted CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Readying Your Vehicle for Transport
If you have selected an auto transport company to ship your vehicle & feel confident using them, it's time to prepare your vehicle for shipping. We suggest following these steps:
Documents - It is crucial to ensure that any necessary documents are available at pick up or drop off, particularly if you are selling your vehicle.
Cleaning - You should take care to remove all personal belongings from your vehicle before 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 assess 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, 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 superior 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.
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