How Do I Ship A Car?

This is a question you rarely stop to think about until you actually have to ship your vehicle, which is when you may go down the rabbit hole and start reading about the world of auto shipping.

It’s not an easy world to understand, so you’d be forgiven if after a few hours researching you still have a lot of questions in your mind. Let Ship Vehicles bring some answers!

How Should You Choose an Auto Transport Company?

To choose a good auto transport company you should consider:

• Their car shipping rates
• Their fleet
• Their reputation
• The type of insurance they offer
• The areas they deliver
• The extra services they offer

More often than not, people will look for auto shipping companies that offer the lowest rates, as they are trying to spend as little as possible. However, the price of shipping is only one factor to consider here.

You should also focus on what the company has to offer before you sign anything. For example, see if the company can transport to the exact location where the car needs to arrive. Smaller businesses, for instance, may not be able to accommodate shipping to any location.

Also, consider the reputation of the company by looking at what other former clients have to say about it. A simple Google search can unveil many customer reviews you can check to get a better sense of how the company is beyond their polished website.

What Auto Transport Service Do You Need?

Usually, you have two options here: open and enclosed trucks. Enclosed trucks are more expensive, and are usually reserved for luxury or vintage cars that can get damaged if transported in an open truck.

For regular vehicles, however, and open carriers is the ideal solution. Contrary to popular belief, it’s a perfectly safe means of transport, especially if you choose a company with the right equipment to secure the vehicle in place.

How Much Should You Expect to Pay?

Pricing in the auto shipping industry is pretty complex since it’s not just the average rate per mile that affects your price. Extra services, such as door to door shipping, will cost extra, and companies can establish greatly different rates.

So, how do you get a clear picture of how much your shipping should cost?

The best way to do so is to research multiple companies based on their experience, reputation, and types of services they offer. Then, you should take your top choices and contact them to ask for price estimations.

The company representatives will ask for details about the shipping in order to make the estimation. While these are not set in stone and can suffer some modifications when translated to the final price, they still give you a good sense of how much you’ll end up paying. You can then take these company estimations and compare the companies to see which one is more affordable.

Should You Prepare the Vehicle Before Transport?

Yes. This is often an issue people overlook, but you do need to prepare your vehicle for transport. It’s important to make sure your car’s exterior is washed. You should also make a list of any scratches or dentures the vehicle has before transport, ideally taking lots of pictures. This will help in case the car suffered some damage during transport, and you can show the condition the car was in before it was picked up.

Additionally, remember to remove any objects or valuable items from your vehicle. Loose objects can damage the inside of the vehicle during transport, and the company isn’t liable for these types of damages, so you’ll likely need to pay for them out of pocket. As a general rule, you should only leave behind the floor mats and a spare tire in the trunk.

Lastly, you should never drop off a car with an empty tank. Your vehicle will need to be driven on and off the truck, as well as around the company terminal, so it will need some gas in the tank. If you leave it empty, the company will need to fill it, and they will charge you for it.

The company you hire for the job should explain all the preparations you need to make before they can transport your vehicle.

Ship Vehicles Is Here to Help

Are you looking for a reliable auto transport company to ship your car? That’s us! Ship Vehicles has more than 30 years of experience in the business and has a strict customer satisfaction first policy that drives us to deliver the best results time after time. Get in touch with us now for a free cost estimate and more information.