Vehicle Shipping: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2020
Vehicle Shipping can be hard and timeconsuming. But there are things you can do to make the whole process a piece of cake.
The first decision for you to make is – whether ship your vehicle or drive by yourself. If you have chosen the first option then you can read further, however, if you have chosen the second option, consider to ship your vehicle next time.
We say this because we have collected some very useful information on the vehicle transport service that will leave you in awe’. Let us see an overview of what this article is all about and what important things you can learn from it.
1: Introduction to vehicle transport services
2: Brokers and Carriers
3: Cost
4: Vehicle shipping checklist
5: Vehicle shipping process
6: Top companies in shipping vehicles in the USA
If you are a person who loves driving over long distances and want to save money on your car transport services then its fine to carry on with your interest. But it is our duty to remind you of some aspects of transporting your vehicle all by yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you are an expert in your vehicle or know its functioning inside out, the worst thing that could happen in transporting your vehicle all by yourself is being stranded somewhere between thousands of miles and home. To avoid that situation you can opt for a better option which is shipping.
Okay, so now you have decided to take the shipping’ option what’s next?
Well, you need to know what kind of services are available out there. Most of the services are available online so you don’t have to worry about physical meetings and discussion. This saves a lot of time and effort.
But to be more precise here are two types of vehicle moving services that you can try according to your convenience.
Brokers and carriers
Carrier –
It is the service option in shipping, where one single owner owns and operates the whole operation. Such companies have more control over the shipping process.
The owner has its own shipping company – does the driving – is in direct communication with the client via phone or text – gives regular updates of the status – help you determine when the vehicle will reach the location.
It has only one downside, which is Carrier services are not always available or easy to get. That doesn’t mean that there are no other options available, the other option for vehicle transport is via a broker.
Brokers –
There are a lot of shipping companies out there that own their transport services but they also contract out. Meaning the company hires some broker to make the reach more easy and wide. The prime example is Montway.
But not all the companies are the same, most of the companies totally contract out. Meaning they don’t own the trucks, they don’t own the drivers, they are just there for providing an easy network between the car transport services and the clients.
Meanwhile, they also provide lower service charges because they have many other brokers or carriers competing for the services. Now, if you think they are some sort of fraud you can check their verified license, USDOT authority, and cargo insurance of the company that is assigned to transport your vehicle.
Once you have sorted out the service that you want for your vehicle transport, your next step is to find out what kind of trailer you want. There are two types of trailers that we will briefly discuss in the next paragraph.
Open and Closed Trailer
An important decision that you have to make is whether you are going to ship your vehicle through an open trailer or enclosed trailer, and like the name suggests an open trailer means the process is going to be in a flatbed or a multi-car carrier that is exposed to all the elements in the environment.
An enclosed trailer is just what it sounds like, you load your vehicle inside a semi vehicle container where you can either carry single or multiple vehicles.
As you can expect the enclosed trailer demands a lot of money and more time to schedule because there is not as much availability of such types of fleets. Also, an enclosed trailer is mainly used to ship or transport vintage cars, luxury cars, or really low sports cars.
There is a reason why the enclosed trailer is much costlier than the open trailer – with an enclosed trailer you don’t have to worry about so many things like the paint of the vehicle getting damaged, or the whole vehicle not getting damaged because it is enclosed and not exposed to the weather conditions. It is important to note that the enclosed trailer has much better insurance coverage than an open trailer.
For your convenience here are the advantages of each trailer type, starting with the open trailer.
Open trailer Advantages:
1: Fuel efficient due to their lightweight
2: More visibility when loading and unloading the vehicle
3: It is cheaper than an enclosed trailer.
Enclosed trailer Advantages:
1: Protection from weather and environment
2: Extra security due to closed cargo container
3: Can be utilized as a storage
Now comes one of the most crucial things for which you may have chosen the shipping service. We are talking about the money that you will spend for the shipping process.
Cost
The cost of shipping vehicles in the USA can depend on various factors such as – distance from point A to point B, type of vehicle, and season.
Here are some usual cost of shipping vehicles in the USA
1: In summer season, the cost of a 4-door sedan is around $600
While in the winter season, the cost of shipping rises up to $1000
2: Small vans, SUV and pick up cost from California to NY –
Summer season – $800
Winters season – $1,080
3: Shipping between Hawaii and West coast in summer season – $800 and in winters $1,370
4: Luxury cars, vintage cars or other high-end cars demands extra security and less exposure that is why such vehicles are shipped in closed containers that can charge extra amount ($300 – $800)
5: The Company may charge extra cost for vehicles that requires very high attention in the loading and unloading process.
NOTE: If you decide to use any company for shipping services online, make sure to go through all sorts of reviews. Beware of paid positive reviews, as the companies may instill some paid reviews for potential customers.
Also, don’t lowball on price when dealing with the broker, because in such a situation most of the brokers are not serious about your vehicle’s safety or any kind of protection that your vehicle demands.
So now you have decided what service to choose, how much money to spend, you are almost ready to go, but before you pay any amount of money here is something that you must do.
Vehicle shipping checklist
Your car will be out of your sight for few days and anything could go wrong inside that car, or maybe not, but who knows. This is where you will need a checklist.
A checklist is nothing but a list of certain items that you need to check before you ship your vehicle to a new destination. Here is what your checklist should contain.
1: Clean your car before shipping.
2: Prepare a separate checklist of any cosmetic damage on the vehicle.
3: IMPORTANT – Take pictures of your car
4: Remove any personal belongings
5: Try to keep the vehicle free from any other items that may fall or roll around.
6: Check your tires
7: Check your batteries
8: Check your gas tank
9: Check if any mechanical issue is already present
10: Disable car alarm
11: Make a copy of your car keys
Vehicle shipping process
Anyone who needs reliable, affordable and safe transportation of their vehicles from one point to another can get their services done from vehicle shipping companies. Here is a process that is to be followed –
1: Plan your schedule in advance.
2: Clean your car before shipping.
3: Make a checklist and follow it well.
4: Take pictures of your car and thoroughly inspect it.
5: To ensure safety, fill only a quarter tank of gas.
6: Decide the picking and delivery location.
7: Delivery of the vehicle can get delay due to factors like weather and traffic condition, so be patient
8: As soon as the vehicle arrives, inspect the vehicle to make sure there is no damage or other issues.
Final Words
Shipping a vehicle is a process that has made it easy for vehicle owners to move their vehicles from one point to another without driving. The company provides the transportation service for which you have to pay a certain amount of money for the delivery.
The cost of delivery in the USA depends on several factors, thus the cost varies in seasons, type of car and distance. The most important thing as a car owner, you should keep in mind that before shipping your vehicle and after its delivery thoroughly inspect the vehicle’s condition.
Vehicle Shipping can be hard and timeconsuming. But there are things you can do to make the whole process a piece of cake.
The first decision for you to make is – whether ship your vehicle or drive by yourself. If you have chosen the first option then you can read further, however, if you have chosen the second option, consider to ship your vehicle next time.
We say this because we have collected some very useful information on the vehicle transport service that will leave you in awe’. Let us see an overview of what this article is all about and what important things you can learn from it.
1: Introduction to vehicle transport services
2: Brokers and Carriers
3: Cost
4: Vehicle shipping checklist
5: Vehicle shipping process
6: Top companies in shipping vehicles in the USA
If you are a person who loves driving over long distances and want to save money on your car transport services then its fine to carry on with your interest. But it is our duty to remind you of some aspects of transporting your vehicle all by yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you are an expert in your vehicle or know its functioning inside out, the worst thing that could happen in transporting your vehicle all by yourself is being stranded somewhere between thousands of miles and home. To avoid that situation you can opt for a better option which is shipping.
Okay, so now you have decided to take the shipping’ option what’s next?
Well, you need to know what kind of services are available out there. Most of the services are available online so you don’t have to worry about physical meetings and discussion. This saves a lot of time and effort.
But to be more precise here are two types of vehicle moving services that you can try according to your convenience.
Brokers and carriers
Carrier –
It is the service option in shipping, where one single owner owns and operates the whole operation. Such companies have more control over the shipping process.
The owner has its own shipping company – does the driving – is in direct communication with the client via phone or text – gives regular updates of the status – help you determine when the vehicle will reach the location.
It has only one downside, which is Carrier services are not always available or easy to get. That doesn’t mean that there are no other options available, the other option for vehicle transport is via a broker.
Brokers –
There are a lot of shipping companies out there that own their transport services but they also contract out. Meaning the company hires some broker to make the reach more easy and wide. The prime example is Montway.
But not all the companies are the same, most of the companies totally contract out. Meaning they don’t own the trucks, they don’t own the drivers, they are just there for providing an easy network between the car transport services and the clients.
Meanwhile, they also provide lower service charges because they have many other brokers or carriers competing for the services. Now, if you think they are some sort of fraud you can check their verified license, USDOT authority, and cargo insurance of the company that is assigned to transport your vehicle.
Once you have sorted out the service that you want for your vehicle transport, your next step is to find out what kind of trailer you want. There are two types of trailers that we will briefly discuss in the next paragraph.
Open and Closed Trailer
An important decision that you have to make is whether you are going to ship your vehicle through an open trailer or enclosed trailer, and like the name suggests an open trailer means the process is going to be in a flatbed or a multi-car carrier that is exposed to all the elements in the environment.
An enclosed trailer is just what it sounds like, you load your vehicle inside a semi vehicle container where you can either carry single or multiple vehicles.
As you can expect the enclosed trailer demands a lot of money and more time to schedule because there is not as much availability of such types of fleets. Also, an enclosed trailer is mainly used to ship or transport vintage cars, luxury cars, or really low sports cars.
There is a reason why the enclosed trailer is much costlier than the open trailer – with an enclosed trailer you don’t have to worry about so many things like the paint of the vehicle getting damaged, or the whole vehicle not getting damaged because it is enclosed and not exposed to the weather conditions. It is important to note that the enclosed trailer has much better insurance coverage than an open trailer.
For your convenience here are the advantages of each trailer type, starting with the open trailer.
Open trailer Advantages:
1: Fuel efficient due to their lightweight
2: More visibility when loading and unloading the vehicle
3: It is cheaper than an enclosed trailer.
Enclosed trailer Advantages:
1: Protection from weather and environment
2: Extra security due to closed cargo container
3: Can be utilized as a storage
Now comes one of the most crucial things for which you may have chosen the shipping service. We are talking about the money that you will spend for the shipping process.
Cost
The cost of shipping vehicles in the USA can depend on various factors such as – distance from point A to point B, type of vehicle, and season.
Here are some usual cost of shipping vehicles in the USA
1: In summer season, the cost of a 4-door sedan is around $600
While in the winter season, the cost of shipping rises up to $1000
2: Small vans, SUV and pick up cost from California to NY –
Summer season – $800
Winters season – $1,080
3: Shipping between Hawaii and West coast in summer season – $800 and in winters $1,370
4: Luxury cars, vintage cars or other high-end cars demands extra security and less exposure that is why such vehicles are shipped in closed containers that can charge extra amount ($300 – $800)
5: The Company may charge extra cost for vehicles that requires very high attention in the loading and unloading process.
NOTE: If you decide to use any company for shipping services online, make sure to go through all sorts of reviews. Beware of paid positive reviews, as the companies may instill some paid reviews for potential customers.
Also, don’t lowball on price when dealing with the broker, because in such a situation most of the brokers are not serious about your vehicle’s safety or any kind of protection that your vehicle demands.
So now you have decided what service to choose, how much money to spend, you are almost ready to go, but before you pay any amount of money here is something that you must do.
Vehicle shipping checklist
Your car will be out of your sight for few days and anything could go wrong inside that car, or maybe not, but who knows. This is where you will need a checklist.
A checklist is nothing but a list of certain items that you need to check before you ship your vehicle to a new destination. Here is what your checklist should contain.
1: Clean your car before shipping.
2: Prepare a separate checklist of any cosmetic damage on the vehicle.
3: IMPORTANT – Take pictures of your car
4: Remove any personal belongings
5: Try to keep the vehicle free from any other items that may fall or roll around.
6: Check your tires
7: Check your batteries
8: Check your gas tank
9: Check if any mechanical issue is already present
10: Disable car alarm
11: Make a copy of your car keys
Vehicle shipping process
Anyone who needs reliable, affordable and safe transportation of their vehicles from one point to another can get their services done from vehicle shipping companies. Here is a process that is to be followed –
1: Plan your schedule in advance.
2: Clean your car before shipping.
3: Make a checklist and follow it well.
4: Take pictures of your car and thoroughly inspect it.
5: To ensure safety, fill only a quarter tank of gas.
6: Decide the picking and delivery location.
7: Delivery of the vehicle can get delay due to factors like weather and traffic condition, so be patient
8: As soon as the vehicle arrives, inspect the vehicle to make sure there is no damage or other issues.
Final Words
Shipping a vehicle is a process that has made it easy for vehicle owners to move their vehicles from one point to another without driving. The company provides the transportation service for which you have to pay a certain amount of money for the delivery.
The cost of delivery in the USA depends on several factors, thus the cost varies in seasons, type of car and distance. The most important thing as a car owner, you should keep in mind that before shipping your vehicle and after its delivery thoroughly inspect the vehicle’s condition.