In today’s age, auto transport services are quite common. Relocating to another state, purchasing a car overseas, or any other reason that requires you to transport your car requires knowledge on how auto transport services operate. In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about auto transport services, including how costs are calculated, how door-to-door shipping works, and tips for choosing a reliable service.
What Do You Mean By Auto Transport?
Auto transport is the act of moving cars from one place to another, usually, from one state to another. These auto transport service. are provided by specialized transportation companies that adopt different techniques to ensure safe delivery of the cars. The industry serves a myriad of purposes such as the need to move vehicles due to immigration or sale or purchase of automobiles across state borders or even the shipping of expensive cars.
The one lazy bone reason everybody loves modern auto transport services nowadays is the door-to-door car shipping service. There is no need to move the car to the carrier as it is collected from one location and delivered to another in a door-to-door shipping. With this service, the inconvenience of transfer of pickups and drops is eliminated since the car is taken from the existing address and taken to the desired one.
Key Factors Influencing the Cost to Ship a Car
The cost to transport a vehicle will depend on a few variables including, the distance between places and understanding these aspects will help you to choose wisely among various services. Some factors are most responsible for shipping car and include:
Distance
The distance between the place of pick up and the place of delivery affects the rates quoted. Shipping within a state or region is considerably cheap in relation to cross state or international shipping.
Size and Weight of the Vehicle
Cost-cutting measures dictate effective packing techniques while shipping bulky and heavy items. Large vehicles such as SUVs, trucks and vans consume more space and resources when being transported, which explains why the application of the car shipping cost calculator by most transport companies will always increase the cost for such types of vehicles compared to compact cars.
Transport Type
There are two types of auto transport services that are generally offered bare and enclosed. The latter is more popular and cheaper and makes the use of open transporters. For road or car shipping vehicles use open trailers which remain open which may subject the vehicles to holding for oppressive weather or even dust from the roads. Simply put, Premium car shipping to the USA or sites like Australia often would include enclosed transport, whereby the car remains in an enclosure throughout the journey. This mode is however more suited for high end, vintage or expensive cars only and costs more
Time of Year
Also the seasonality on which you decide to send your automobile may complement your costs positively or negatively. Like during the summer season and also the latter months of the calendar year, this is usually a period when many companies and individuals require vehicle shipping services and so tends to have high car shipping services prices. In other situations, shipping your car during the off peak period helps to bring down the cost.
Speed of Delivery
If it’s particularly urgent and express shipping is necessary, you will have to pay more. Whereas standard shipping could take between a few days to weeks depending on the distance, expedited shipping options will guarantee swifter delivery but at a higher price.
What is the Benefit of Using the Cost of Car Shipping Calculator
Most car shipping companies include a car shipping cost calculator in their websites for the purpose of attracting clients to find out how much they are going to spend on shipping. This tool usually requires you to furnish basic information such as the make and model of your car, pick up and drop locations, which means, type of transportation and when you expect the car to be delivered.
In terms of shipping requirements, the cognitive tool explains the approximate cost to ship a car based on your requirements. Although this is a handy option for the customers it would be to their disgust as well to be reminded that the final amount most likely is going to change due to other factors such as fuel price fluctuations, bad road conditions or alterations of the shipping timetable at the last hour.
Door-to-Door Car Shipping
The greatest amenity that most auto transport companies provide is called door-to-door car shipping. With this service, you won’t have to take your vehicle to a terminal, and you won’t have to go to a given location to collect it. Instead, the transport company sends a carrier to your local specified address to pick the vehicle and subsequently deliver it to the desired location.
This type of service is particularly recommended in instances when a person is busy, there are no means of transport, or several vehicles are being transported. But it should be noted that sometimes the transport truck will not be able to come closer to your house because the location is too big for your house. The driver will then coordinate with you to come to a more convenient location within the vicinity.
Benefits of Door-to-Door Shipping
Convenience: Going to a terminal or arranging a drop-off or pick-up is easy.
Door-to-door shipment saves time while transferring from the old residence to the new, especially if you’re moving or working.
Peace of Mind: Your automobile will arrive on time, so you don’t have to worry.
Premium Car Shipping to the USA
Premium car shipping to the USA will make sense, especially to persons moving high-value, classic, or luxurious cars. Some premium shipping options may include enclosed transport, which limits exposure to weather conditions, flying debris, and other structures, thus lowering the risk of damage.
This service may not be the cheapest, but for those who need their vehicles in the same condition as they left, it is reasonable. Many premium services offer GPS tracking, additional insurance, delivery in a certain timeframe, etc.
Tips for Choosing the Right Auto Transport Service
Choosing the right auto transport service can be a trying exercise especially taking into consideration the viability of the options available. Following are the few tips to take care to ensure that you make the right choice:
Research Multiple Companies
Prior to choosing any service, it is important to browse through different auto transport services before narrowing down to one. Check their reputation, feedback from clientele, and types of services provided. Ensure that the concerned transport company is licensed and insured to minimize any costs regarding damage to the vehicle during movement.
Request for a Comprehensive Quote.
As much as it is important to use a car shipping cost calculator, a detailed quote should always be requested from the carrier company. The quote in question should even contain all possible extra charges like insurances, terminal or customs fees in case of overseas transportation.
Find Out About the Coverage offered by the Transporting Company.
Always ask for the provisions that the automobile transport service will be responsible for any insurance. Ensure that there will be a cover against damages that will be caused to your car while it is being transported. If you feel it is necessary, you may get extra cover, especially if your vehicle is luxury.
Check for Licensing and Credentials.
Perform a proper check so that the company is licensed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These organizations seek to ensure that the company is more concerned with and adheres to all the rules and standards set forth in the professional industry.
If you need to transport a vehicle long distances, auto transport services can help. When shipping a sedan, SUV, or high-end sports vehicle to the US, it’s important to know the cost, how convenient door-to-door car shipping is, and the benefits of premium car shipping.