When it comes to shipping to other locations, driving a car for long distances may not be the best option. You can easily find a car shipping company that will load your vehicle on a trailer and deliver it to your specified location without spending even a mile. Shipping your car on a trailer will save your car from any possible damage, wear and tear on the road.
Many transportation companies offer multiple shipping methods to meet customer demands. You can easily find the method that best suits your needs. Here in this article, you will find all the information you need to know about car shipping.
Why Choose Car Shipping?
You may wonder why you should hire car shipping services instead of driving the car by yourself. Here are some of the common reasons:
- Relocation: Moving into a new city or state is overwhelming and right on top of that, driving for a long distance can turn out really exhausting.
- Buying/Selling: Shipping can make buying a car from that out-of-state seller or getting rid of your vehicle when you're ready to sell relatively painless.
- Seasonal Moves: Snowbirds and seasonal travelers often ship their cars to avoid the headache of long drives in bad weather.
Types of car shipping methods
Knowing your options will empower you to make the best decision for your needs. The following are the primary types of services for car shipping:
- Open Transport: This is the most common and affordable method. Your car is moved around on an open trailer, exposed to the elements, but usually safe.
- Enclosed Transportation: In case you require extra care, especially for high-class, classic, or otherwise expensive cars, enclosed transportation puts your car out of reach of weather conditions or road debris.
- Door-to-Door vs. Terminal-to-Terminal: This would mean door-to-door shipping, whereby your vehicle is picked up and delivered directly to and from respective addresses, while terminal-to-terminal shipping would involve you dropping off and then picking up your car at specified terminals.
Understanding the Cost to Ship A Car via Trailer
Trailer car shipping is one of the most common options many make for safe and efficient vehicle transportation. It's always good to understand what the cost factors can help you decide on. The following is a detailed look at what influences the cost of shipping a car via trailer and how best you can budget for it.
- Shipping distance: The longer the shipping distance, the more cost you will expect to pay
- Vehicle type: The bigger and heavier the vehicle, the more space it is required to ship and the costlier the shipment
- Vehicle condition: If your vehicle is somehow not movable, then it requires extra labor to load and unload on the trailer, which can increase the cost.
- Shipping method: Open car shipping is cheaper than enclosed car shipping
- Season: During the peak season, demand for car shipping is high, and in the off-season, it is low. Fluctuation in demand also influences the cost of shipping.
These are the primary factors that cause fluctuations in the cost of car shipping. For a better understanding, the estimated time and cost to ship a car is mentioned here:
1. Local or Short Distance Shipping (0 to 300 miles)
- Cost Range: $200 to $500
- Examples: shipping a car within the same state or to a nearby state.
2. Medium Distance Shipping (300 to 600 miles)
- Cost Range: $400 to $800
- Examples: shipping a car from New York to Ohio or from Texas to Louisiana
3. Long Distance Shipping (600 to 1,000 miles)
- Cost Range: $600 to $1,000
- Examples include shipping a car from Chicago to Atlanta or from Denver to Dallas.
4. Cross-Country Shipping (1,000 to 2,000 miles)
- Cost Range: $800 to $1,500
- Examples: Shipping a car from Los Angeles to New York City or from San Francisco to Miami.
How do Car Transport Companies Ship Your Car?
Shipping your car might be a little complicated, but knowing how it goes down with a car transport company will give one a better insight into the process and leave one contented with the transaction. Here's an in-depth look at how car transport companies ship your car, from initial booking to delivery.
- Get Multiple Quotes: First, in the process, you will need a quote from a transportation company. You can surf online for car shipping quotes because most of the companies provide free online quotes to check the estimated price of your shipment.
- Book the Shipment: select the best-suited quote from a reputable car shipping company and book the shipment.
- Prepare the Car for Pickup: After booking the shipment, you must prepare your car for pickup. Some tips are mentioned here to help you:
- Remove personal belongings from the vehicle.
- Remove the vehicle accessories or make them secure.
- Inspect any mechanical problems.
- In the case of EV, charge the battery but not fully.
- Check the pressure in the tires.
- Deactivate or remove the toll tags.
- Deactivate the alarm system.
- Clean the inside of your vehicle.
- Wash your vehicle.
- Click a picture of your vehicle.
- Prepare the keys to be picked up.
- Pickup: on the scheduled time and date, the trailer reaches the location of the pickup. First, an operator will inspect the vehicle and note down the condition, then load it into the trailer safely.
- Transportation: After picking up the vehicle, the trailer will leave for the delivery location. During transit, you will need to stay in touch with the transporter to know the status of your shipment. Most transportation companies offer GPS tracking services.
- Delivery: After all things considered, your vehicle will be safely delivered to the specified location. The operator safely unloads your vehicle from the trailer, and then you can inspect the vehicle to ensure its condition.
