What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by vehicle shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one location & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in numerous situations where operating the vehicle yourself is not practical, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online, relocating to a new residence across the nation, or moving your automobile overseas. Vehicle shipping companies provide a variety of services to accommodate different requirements.
Categories Of Vehicle Transport Services
When selecting a vehicle transport service, the initial choice you must make is where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car shipment or transporting a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an alternative, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, frequently at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this option is typically more affordable, it necessitates more effort on your part to get the vehicle home. Most individuals, however, opt for a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of the distance. This is more convenient as it eliminates the need to arrange transportation to retrieve your automobile.
Vehicle transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone operate your car to the destination or placing it on a trailer for shipment.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Hiring someone to drive your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether it's across the country or to another state. This method is often more affordable as it doesn't require trailers or an additional vehicle. It can also be quicker due to its simplicity. However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Firstly, the journey will add mileage to your automobile, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your vehicle during the drive. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the car arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. Vehicle shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your automobile. Single trailers, which transport only one car at a time, are more expensive but are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that require extra protection. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, but this is also the most expensive option. Multi-car transporters, which can carry several automobiles at once, come in different variants:
Open car shipping is the most affordable & most common option offered by vehicle shipping companies. Your automobile is placed on an open carrier & driven to its destination. While all cars are securely fastened, they are exposed to the elements during the drive, making this option less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Long journeys in open trailers also pose a higher risk of damage & exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option is preferable for more expensive or newer vehicles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage.
If you need to move your automobile overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
How Much Does It Cost To Transport A Vehicle?
The cost of transporting a vehicle varies depending on several factors, but on average, US auto transport companies 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. However, these are just averages, & your vehicle transport may cost more or less depending on your specific circumstances. The best way to determine the cost of auto transport is to obtain quotes from vehicle transport companies, which is easy to do on Shiply.
Factors That Can Influence The Cost Of Vehicle Transport
Several factors can affect the cost of vehicle shipping, including:
Distance: Cross-state & cross-country journeys cost more than interstate car delivery, which is often the most affordable option. However, the average price per mile decreases as the journey length increases.
International shipping: Transporting a vehicle overseas is always more expensive due to the logistics involved & the distance traveled. It may also require special enclosed trailers or shipping containers.
Route: The route taken from the pick-up spot to the delivery location can affect pricing. Routes with higher traffic, such as in LA, may cost more due to the added time. Unforeseen circumstances like major roadworks can also incur extra costs or require a longer alternative route.
Shipping dates: Flexibility in timings can lead to lower costs, as vehicle shipping companies can fit your delivery into their schedule & reduce overheads. Expedited shipping, where you require auto transport within a strict timeframe, typically costs more as it may require a dedicated trailer & driver.
Vehicle size: The height, length, & width of the automobile affect the cost of transport. Larger vehicles like SUVs cost more to transport than sedans. Accessories such as bike racks or roof racks can also change the required trailer size.
Vehicle condition: If your car is not drivable, it may cost more to transport as it requires extra equipment like a winch or forklift to load & unload. A car that can brake, roll, & steer is considered in good enough condition for easy shipping.
Auto transport service type: Having someone operate your car is the most affordable option, while single car trailers & enclosed transport are more expensive due to the specialized equipment needed.
Pickup & delivery locations: Urban areas usually have vehicle shipping services nearby, & common destination routes often offer cheap car shipping. Rural deliveries can cost more due to deviations from normal routes & extra mileage. Unusual or hard-to-access pick-up or drop-off points may also increase costs.
Auto transport insurance: While all auto transport companies must carry liability insurance, many do not offer additional insurance. If a company does not provide cargo insurance, it's highly recommended to acquire some for your vehicle during transit. Clarify what type of damage is covered, any deductibles, & which parts of the vehicle are insured.
Time of year: Seasonality affects vehicle shipping prices, with winter being the most expensive due to ice, snow, & blizzard conditions causing delays & reduced speeds. Spring is a great time to ship, with improved weather, longer days, & more available drivers. Summer is the busiest season, with higher demand from students, vacationers, & those moving homes. Fall offers slightly cheaper prices due to less demand, especially in October & November.
How To Ship A Vehicle - Finding A Vehicle Transport Service
With hundreds of vehicle transport companies available, finding the right one can be overwhelming. Searching on Google or through phone books can be time-consuming, & many companies are reluctant to provide pricing without a detailed quote application.
How Can Shiply Help Find Vehicle Transport Companies?
Shiply simplifies the process of finding a vehicle shipping service. To get started, fill out a simple form with your car's make & model, pickup & delivery locations, & the dates you need to move the automobile. This information allows auto transport providers on Shiply to provide accurate quotes for your job.
Once your listing is live, you'll receive quotes in your Shiply inbox & email. We recommend keeping email notifications on to stay informed about new quotes, which can start arriving within minutes of posting your listing. It's best to wait for a few quotes before making a decision to have multiple options to choose from.
After receiving quotes, you can ask the companies any questions you may have, such as their availability, insurance coverage, & how they secure cars during transport. We recommend asking these questions to ensure a smooth & expected experience.
Shiply's feedback & ratings system allows you to view previous customers' experiences & overall scores for each company, which we highly recommend checking before selecting a quote to ship your vehicle.
Why People Often Move Vehicles To & From Massachusetts
Massachusetts, a state in the northeastern United States, is a popular destination for vehicle shipping due to various reasons. Many people relocate to Massachusetts for job opportunities, especially in the thriving tech, healthcare, & education sectors. The state is home to renowned universities like Harvard & MIT, attracting students from across the country who often need to ship their automobiles. Additionally, Massachusetts' picturesque coastal towns & vibrant cities like Boston make it an attractive place to relocate. On the other hand, people also ship cars from Massachusetts when moving out of state for work, retirement, or family reasons. The state's harsh winters & high cost of living can also prompt some residents to move elsewhere, necessitating vehicle shipping services. Whether moving to or from Massachusetts, reliable vehicle shipping companies play a crucial role in ensuring automobiles reach their destinations safely & efficiently.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Massachusetts
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 a single quote form & can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can conserve you hours of effort that you would have spent phoning companies & inputting details. Communication with these businesses is also feasible via our platform, allowing you to store all your Massachusetts vehicle shipping details in a single location.
Rate Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial aspect in choosing which auto transport 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 & obtaining a vehicle transport estimate is not precisely a simple process. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one place, offering the opportunity to message them individually to inquire about any concerns you may have & ultimately select the optimal company for your needs.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport businesses on Shiply can usually provide their services at a lower cost than if you approached them directly. This is because they are frequently seeking to occupy space on trips they are already making & have already invested the expense for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York & needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply might already have a multi-car transporter making that trip with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, & they are simply aiming to ensure they are not squandering any space. As long as the dates, times, & pick-up/drop-off locations are suitable for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Eco-Friendly - Using Shiply for auto transport is not only more economical 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 car shipper, the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey would be required solely for your vehicle. Similarly, many car transporters return empty-handed after a delivery, 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.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport 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, especially 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 during 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 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.
,378 words
