What Is Vehicle Transportation?
Vehicle transportation, also referred to as car shipping or auto transport, is a service offered by car shipping companies that involves collecting your automobile from one location & transporting it to another. This service is beneficial in various circumstances where you are unable to drive the vehicle yourself, such as when purchasing or selling a used car online & need to transport it to another state, relocating & requiring long-distance car shipping, or moving your automobile overseas when ferries are not an option.
Luckily, there are numerous auto transport services available to cater to your specific requirements, which we will explore below.
Varieties Of Car Transport Services
When it comes to car transport services, there are several crucial decisions you need to make. Firstly, you must decide where you want your automobile picked up from & delivered to, whether it's a long-distance car transport or shipping a vehicle to another state. Terminal-to-terminal auto delivery is an option, where designated collection & drop-off points are used, often at the car transport company's stores or operating bases. While this alternative is typically less expensive, it requires more effort on your part to get the automobile home.
However, most individuals prefer a door-to-door auto transport delivery service, where their vehicles are collected & dropped off at their doorstep, regardless of whether it's a long-distance car transport or just shipping a car to another state. This option is more convenient as it eliminates the need to collect your automobile from a separate location, which can be challenging without your vehicle.
Car transport services can be categorized into two main types: having someone drive your automobile to the destination or placing it on a trailer for transport.
Have Someone Drive Your Automobile
One straightforward solution to car shipping is hiring someone to drive your automobile to its destination, whether it's shipping a car across the country or to another state. This approach is often less expensive as it doesn't require trailers or an extra vehicle, & it can be quicker due to its simplicity.
However, there are some drawbacks to this approach that lead some people to choose other car transport options. Firstly, mileage is added to your vehicle during the journey, which can be significant when shipping a car across the country, although less so when shipping to a nearby state. Secondly, there is a slight risk of damage to your automobile during the drive. These concerns are particularly relevant for people buying or selling cars online who want to ensure the vehicle arrives in the same condition as advertised.
Place Your Automobile On A Trailer
Placing your automobile on a trailer is a safer way to ensure a higher level of protection than having someone drive your car. Car shipping trailers come in various options, depending on the value & size of your vehicle.
Single trailers are often more expensive as they only transport one automobile at a time, but they are a great choice for moving expensive or classic cars that you want to protect from damage. The safest way to transport a vehicle is in a shipping container, but this is also the most expensive option.
Multi-car transporters can carry many automobiles at once & come in a few variants:
Open car shipping is the least expensive & most common option for transporting a vehicle. 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, so this may not be recommended by car shipping companies for highly valuable vehicles. Additionally, long journeys in open trailers pose a higher risk of damage & exposure to the elements.
Enclosed auto transport involves securing multiple automobiles on a carrier that is enclosed, protecting them from dust, weather, & debris during transit. This option 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 automobile overseas, it's best to find a specialist service on our platform or one with experience in overseas car shipping, as they can provide tailored advice based on your requirements.
The Benefits of Using Shiply for Vehicle Transport in Winston-Salem
Time-Efficient - Rather than filling out a quotation form each time you desire an accurate cost from a winston-salem vehicle transport company, on our site you complete one quotation form & can then obtain quotes from various companies based on the information you supply. This can save you a significant amount of time that you would have spent phoning companies & providing details. Communication with these businesses is also feasible through our platform, allowing you to store all of your vehicle shipping data in a single location.
Cost Comparison - Ultimately, the price of the vehicle shipping estimate is the most crucial factor in selecting which auto transport company to employ to transport your vehicle. The challenging aspect is that, while most companies are willing to provide average prices & rough estimates, you won't receive a definite vehicle transport quote without having to give information & complete details. While this is understandable, it means that comparing prices & obtaining a vehicle transport quote is not a simple task. Utilizing Shiply enables you to receive authentic, final price estimates from vehicle shipping companies & compare them in one location, providing the opportunity to message them individually to ask any questions you may have & ultimately choose the best company for your needs.
Affordable Vehicle Shipping - Auto transport businesses on Shiply can usually offer their services at a lower cost than if you went directly to them. This is because they are frequently 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 trip with 5 of the 6 spots filled, & they are simply looking to ensure they are not wasting any space. As long as the dates, times, & 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 less expensive 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 just for your vehicle. Similarly, many car transporters return from a delivery empty-handed, which is not only costly for them but also for the environment as there are many people who could have used 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 journeys, meaning even less wasted CO2 is being released into the atmosphere, as well as continued affordable transport for our users.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Shipping
If you have selected 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 in transit. It is also highly recommended that you clean your vehicle before transport as this will allow you to determine 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 assess 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 determine 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.
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