Auto transport, commonly known as car shipping, is the vehicle moving service provided by auto transport companies. This service involves transporting your vehicle without putting a mile on it from one location to another via trailer. Shipping a car over long distances is more cost-effective than driving it. Here’s what auto shipping is all about.
Types of Car Shipping
Many transport companies offer various techniques and methods of car shipping to provide the ultimate service to customers with unique demands. You will know all you need about auto transport in this article.
1. Open Transport
- Description: Open car shipping uses an open-air trailer to transport vehicles fully exposed to the elements. It can haul up to 7 to 9 vehicles at once, which reduces the cost per vehicle.
- Pros: Generally less expensive and used for the majority of regular vehicles.
- Cons: Vehicles are exposed to weather and road debris.
2. Enclosed Transport
- Description: The vehicle will be shipped in a completely enclosed trailer, covered with solid walls and ceilings that protect it from weather and road hazards.
- Pros: For very high-value, luxury, or classic cars.
- Cons: More expensive than open transport.
3. Door to Door Auto Transport
- Description: Door to door auto transport is the most convenient car shipping service. The car is delivered right to your doorstep directly from your location to the destination address.
- Pros: Convenient and faster.
- Cons: Most expensive and requires coordination for pickup and delivery locations.
4. Terminal to Terminal Auto Transport
- Description: The car is dropped off at a shipping terminal and then picked up at another terminal near the destination.
- Pros: Often less expensive and flexible.
- Cons: Requires more customer effort to get the car to and from terminals.
Steps Involved in Auto Shipping
Shipping a car is very simple these days. In a few simple steps, you can book your car shipment, and everything will be taken care of by the transportation company. The step by step guide is mentioned here:
- Get Quotes: Contact the auto shipping company and get a car shipping quote by providing the distance of transport, mode of transportation, and the details of the vehicle being shipped.
- Book the Service: Once a shipping company has been selected, book the pickup time.
- Car Preparation: preparing your car helps shield it during transport. Hare the tips mentioned to help you prepare your car.
- Remove personal belongings from the vehicle.
- Remove or secure accessories of the vehicle.
- Check for any mechanical or engine issues.
- Deactivate or remove toll tags.
- Turn off the alarm system.
- Wash your vehicle.
- Click a picture of your vehicle.
- Get your keys ready for pickup.
Pick up: on the scheduled pickup date your selected trailer(open or enclosed) comes to the designated location. An operator will inspect your car, complete the documentation, and safely load it on the trailer.
Transport: once your vehicle is picked up from your location, the carrier will depart to deliver it. To know the status of your shipment, stay in contact with the auto transport company or track the location if a GPS tracking service is available.
Delivery: After successfully completing the routes, the carrier will come to the delivery location and unload the vehicle safely from the trailer. In case you are not available to take the delivery you can assign a substitute.
Inspection: Inspect the vehicle upon arrival for damage and verify that the vehicle is in the same condition as it was prior to shipping. If you find any damage that happened during the transportation, quickly record it or document it and report it to the transport company or file for a claim.
Cost to Ship a Car
The average cost to ship a car starts from $500 to $1,000 for short to medium distances and up to $2,000 or more for longer distances. Also, the actual cost depends on several factors, which are mentioned below.
Shipping distance: The longer the distance between shipping locations, the more drive time, fuel, and labor it consumes, which increases the overall cost of shipment.
Shipping methods: The cost of shipping a car also depends on Shipping methods, like open transport is cheaper then enclosed transport.
Vehicle type: Smaller vehicles occupy less space and are easy to handle while transporting. Bigger and heavier vehicles require more space in trailers, which increases the cost.
Vehicle condition: Moving & operational vehicles are easier to handle in the pickup and delivery process, and cost cheep while transportation. Transporting a non-movable vehicle, which is somehow not operating from its own power, requires a special type of equipment and handling, significantly increasing the cost.
Seasonal cost: The demand for car shipping fluctuates throughout the year, during the off-season it may cost cheaper, and in peak season often costs more to arrange a trailer to ship a car.