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. It's beneficial in various circumstances where you can't operate the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online & need to transport it to another state, relocating & requiring cross-country vehicle shipping, or moving your automobile overseas when ferries aren't available.
Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we'll explore below.
Varieties Of Vehicle Shipping Services
When it comes to vehicle shipping services, there are a few choices to consider. The initial decision you'll need to make is where you want your automobile collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country vehicle transport or shipping a car to another state.
Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is one option, where designated collection & drop-off points are used, often at the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. While this is typically less expensive, it requires more effort on your part to get the automobile home.
Most individuals, however, prefer door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's cross-country vehicle transport or just shipping a car to another state. This eliminates the need to collect your automobile from a different location, which can be challenging without your vehicle.
Vehicle transport services generally fall into two categories: having someone operate your automobile to the destination or putting it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
Hiring someone to operate your automobile to its destination is a straightforward solution for vehicle shipping, whether you need to ship a car across the country or to another state. The benefits of this method include lower costs, as trailers & extra vehicles aren't required, & faster delivery due to the simplicity of the transport.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Firstly, mileage is added to your automobile during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country. Secondly, there's 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 automobile arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Put Your Automobile On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle on a trailer offers a higher level of safety compared to having someone operate it. There are multiple options available depending on the value & size of your automobile.
Single trailers, while more expensive, are ideal for transporting expensive or classic cars that require extra protection. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, although this is the most costly option.
Multi-car transporters, which can carry several automobiles at once, come in a few variants:
Open vehicle shipping is the cheapest & most common option offered by car 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 it less suitable for highly valuable vehicles. Long journeys in open trailers also pose a higher risk of damage.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple cars on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This is often preferred for more expensive or newer automobiles to minimize the risk of damage.
If you need to move your vehicle overseas, it's best to find a specialist service or a company with experience in overseas vehicle shipping to provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in North Carolina
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 and can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you submit. This can save you a significant amount of time that you would have otherwise spent contacting companies and completing forms.
Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your North Carolina vehicle shipping details in a centralized location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor when selecting which auto transport company to employ for transporting your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without supplying information and filling in details. Although this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not a simple task.
Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies and compare them in one place, offering the opportunity to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately choose the most suitable company for your needs.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport 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 and have already invested the cost for. For instance, if you were relocating from Los Angeles to New York and needed to transport your vehicle there, a company on Shiply might already have a multi-car transporter making that journey with 5 of the 6 spots occupied, and they are simply looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, and pick-up/drop-off locations are convenient for you, you can often save up to 75% on auto transport by utilizing our service.
Environmentally 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 and instead, you arranged transport from a separate car shipper, the emissions into the atmosphere would have doubled as another entire journey would be required just for your vehicle.
Similarly, many car transporters return empty-handed after a delivery, which is not only expensive for them but also harmful to 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 looking 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 and 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 and 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 and 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, and 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, and 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 and 500 miles, and 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 and 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 and delivery?
In most cases, the car shipping company will require you to be in attendance for the pickup and 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, and 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 and 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 and 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 and has the right equipment to safely carry it out.
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