What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as auto shipping or car transport, is a service offered by vehicle shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one spot & transporting it to another. This service proves useful in various circumstances where you are unable to operate the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online & need to transport a vehicle to another state, or when you've relocated & require cross-country automobile shipping. Vehicle transportation services can also be incredibly beneficial when you need to move your car overseas, & unless ferries are available, you'll need to depend on an auto shipping company to manage this for you.
Fortunately, there are numerous automobile transport services available to fulfill your requirements, which we've enumerated below.
Varieties Of Auto Shipping Services
There are various auto shipping services available, which we've summarized below. It can be incredibly helpful to peruse & determine precisely what type of vehicle transportation service you require or desire to relocate your automobile.
The initial decision you need to make is where you want your vehicle collected from & delivered to, whether it's a cross-country car shipping or transporting a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are utilized, often the vehicle transport company's stores or operating bases. For this reason, terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is usually more affordable but will necessitate more effort on your end to get the vehicle home. However, the vast majority of individuals require a door-to-door auto shipping delivery service so that their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their door, regardless of whether it's a cross-country car shipping or just to move 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!
Vehicle transport services are generally divided into two categories: either you have someone operate your vehicle to where it needs to be, or it's put on a trailer & taken there.
Have Someone Operate Your Vehicle
This is a straightforward solution to vehicle shipping that involves hiring someone to come & operate your vehicle to where it needs to go - whether the need is to transport a vehicle across country or to ship cars to another state. The benefits 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 downsides to this method offered by vehicle shipping companies that lead some people to opt for other types of car transport. First, mileage is obviously added to your vehicle on the journey, meaning if you're shipping a vehicle across country, there will be significant miles added - less so when simply shipping a vehicle to another state (as long as it's close by). Second, there's a slight risk of damage happening to your car while it's operated from A to B. These are particularly worrisome 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 Vehicle On A Trailer
Putting your vehicle in a trailer is a safe way to guarantee a higher level of safety than having someone operate your car to its destination. With vehicle shipping trailers, there are multiple options you may want to go with depending on the value & size of your automobile.
First, you need to decide whether you want a single trailer for your vehicle. These are often more expensive as they only transport one car at a time but are a great option if you're moving an expensive or classic vehicle which you don't want to risk getting damaged. The absolute safest way to transport a vehicle 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, of which there are a few variants:
Open vehicle 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 & is driven to the destination. All cars are safely secured but, as the name suggests, they're exposed to the elements during the drive, so this may not be recommended by vehicle shipping companies for highly valuable automobiles. Further, while it may be the most affordable way to ship a vehicle cross country, long journeys in open trailers will obviously run more risk of damage & leave your car exposed to the elements for longer periods of time.
Enclosed auto transport involves multiple vehicles secured on a carrier, but they're enclosed, meaning they're not exposed to the dust, weather, & debris of the outside world during transit. This is often preferable for more expensive or newer automobiles where the owner wants to minimize the risk of damage during auto transport.
Should you need to move your vehicle overseas through an auto transport company, you should try & find one of the specialist services on our platform or one which has experience in overseas vehicle shipping, as they can provide you with tailored advice based on what you require.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Vehicle?
There are several variables when trying to work out how much it will cost to ship a vehicle, but on average in the US, auto transport companies charge 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, this drops to $0.78.
These numbers are just averages for vehicle 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 shipping is going to cost you is to collect some vehicle shipping quotes from car transport companies, something that's very easy to do on Shiply.
If you do want to try & get an idea of how much you can expect your vehicle 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 Shipping
We all want affordable vehicle 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 that 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 vehicle transport will cost, with cross-state & cross-country journeys costing a lot more than an interstate car delivery, which is often the most affordable vehicle shipping.
While longer distances do cost more, thankfully the average price per mile does drop the longer the journey is, meaning that you aren't paying over the odds.
International shipping will always result in expensive vehicle 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 automobile.
Route - Along with distance, the route needed to take your vehicle 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 vehicle moving companies, or mean that a different route is required that may take longer.
Shipping Dates - How fast you need your vehicle 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 vehicle shipping service charges a lot less. This is because they're able to fit your automobile 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 automobile will all affect how much it will cost to transport your vehicle. Car shippers will require larger trailers for bigger automobiles, 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 vehicle 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, & takes more time, effort, & machinery to complete the delivery than a standard vehicle transport service. Most car carriers would consider a vehicle 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 vehicle shipping. Having someone operate your vehicle to its destination will always be the most affordable 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 vehicle shipping will always be the most expensive method of shipping a car, as it means not only is your automobile traveling on its own, but it still needs specialist equipment to load, unload, & protect your vehicle during transport.
Locations Of Pickup & Delivery - Depending on where you need the vehicle picked up from & dropped off, this may also increase the price of shipping a car. Urban areas will usually have vehicle shipping services in close proximity, & if it's a common destination route, you'll tend to get affordable vehicle 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 automobile, which can also increase the vehicle 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 vehicle transport company does not offer cargo insurance, it's highly recommended that you seek out & acquire some for your automobile during its transit. As with all insurance policies, make sure you're clear on what type of damage is covered, whether there's 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 vehicle shipping, with many services costing more to ship a car in the winter due to ice & snow slowing the routes. Here's a quick breakdown of how each season can affect auto transport costs:
Winter is often the most expensive season to ship your automobile. This is because ice, snow, & blizzard conditions can all cause delays on the roads, as well as reduce the maximum speed at which the vehicle 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 automobile shipping costs. February, however, is usually quiet, & so great rates are often available from vehicle shipping services during this month.
Spring is a great time to ship your automobile with a vehicle transportation service. With improved weather conditions, longer days, & more drivers ready to work, Spring can often mean affordable 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's often a rush to move vehicles from colder to warmer states.
Summer is the prime season for shipping vehicles - 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 affordable vehicle shipping during the summer.
Fall is a good time to ship a vehicle if you're looking for a slightly more affordable price. Vehicle shipping companies are less busy & there's typically more driver availability after the summer rush. However, you're better off looking to move your automobile in October or November rather than September, as this is peak time for students shipping their cars to university.
How To Ship A Vehicle - Finding An Auto Transport Service
Now that you know a bit more about what vehicle shipping & a car shipping service are, & what sort of auto transport service you need, you probably want to go ahead & actually try & find a vehicle transport service that's going to be right for you.
The issue is that there are hundreds of vehicle 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 vehicle 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'll 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 vehicle 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 vehicle that needs shipping, the pickup location & delivery location, & the dates that you need to move the automobile. 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'll 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're available (if a time frame is given), what insurance they have, & how they would secure your vehicle. We recommend asking any company you may use these questions to ensure that everything goes smoothly & as expected.
Shiply has a feedback & ratings system which we also highly recommend looking at before selecting a quote to ship your automobile. This system allows you to view previous customers' experiences with a company, as well as view their overall score.
Why People Often Move Vehicles To & From Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina, is a popular destination for people moving to & from the area. As a result, there is a high demand for vehicle shipping services in Raleigh. Many people choose to move to Raleigh for its strong job market, excellent education system, & high quality of life. The city is home to several major universities, including North Carolina State University, & is part of the Research Triangle, along with Durham & Chapel Hill.
On the other hand, people may also need to move their vehicles out of Raleigh for various reasons, such as relocating for work or personal reasons. Regardless of the reason for moving, vehicle shipping companies in Raleigh, such as "vehicle shipping raleigh" & "raleigh vehicle shipping", can help make the process of transporting an automobile to or from the city much easier & more convenient.
When looking for a reliable vehicle shipping service in Raleigh, it's essential to consider factors such as the company's experience, reputation, & the types of services they offer. By choosing a reputable "vehicle shipping raleigh" or "raleigh vehicle shipping" company, you can ensure that your automobile will be transported safely & efficiently to its destination.
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The Benefits of Using Shiply for Car Shipping in Raleigh
Time-efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each instance you desire an accurate cost from a company for Raleigh car shipping, on our platform you complete one quotation form and 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 contacting companies and completing forms. Communication with these companies is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your car shipping details in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the car shipping estimate is the most crucial factor when choosing which auto transport company to employ for shipping your vehicle. The challenge is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices and rough estimates, you won't receive a definite car transport quote without supplying information and filling in details. Although this is understandable, it means that comparing prices and obtaining a car transport quote is not a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to acquire genuine, final price estimates from car shipping companies and compare them in one place, offering the opportunity to message them individually to ask any questions you may have and ultimately select the optimal company for your needs.
Affordable Car Shipping in Raleigh - Auto transport companies 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 car there, a company on Shiply may 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 suitable for you, you can frequently 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 car 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 trip would be required just for your vehicle. Similarly, many car 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 utilized that transporter to move their cars 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 Car for Shipping
If you have chosen an auto transport company to transport your car 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 Raleigh 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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