ShipA1
Oct 18, 2019
Either relocating to a new state or just buying a new or pre-owned vehicle, Americans are in dire need of car shipping. They require transportation of their domestic and exotic cars to be securely transported in a timely and reliable fashion, with the least amount of worry and inconvenience. The challenges of searching, analyzing, and risk assessing across numerous possible options can seem daunting for ordinary people.
This guide to ultimate vehicle shipping will give you insight on how you can choose the best possible service for your vehicle, respecting your budget. You would also get to know the effect of seasons on your quotes, the difference between various shipping services, and what's best for you.
Do Research
When choosing the right company to ship your vehicle. It is advisable to do extensive research. It is generally a great practice to contact multiple shipping companies to compare prices, services, and customer satisfaction. Contacting various companies is the way to go when looking for competing bids for a service you are seeking.
Distance & Location
The auto shipping companies factor in fuel charges, tolls, and labour costs in long-distance auto shipping. The type of location is the main determinating factor as compared to distance. For example, if you are going to ship your vehicle to a significant city like New York. Auto carriers may offer a cheap auto shipping quote because steering in the city is easier for carriers. Shipping your car to a rural area, where the airline may have stir away from their main route, they may request higher fares.
Seasons
Weather and time of the year can affect your car shipping cost. Shipping industry business boom in summer, there is more demand for shipping and loads are picked up faster. Since the market is higher than supply, some people are willing to pay a higher price in the warmer months to get their vehicles onto trucks more quickly. Auto transport companies take advantage of this fact to compensate for the winter season. It is always advisable to wait in the summer season to save some money and transport your vehicle in winter, though carrying in winter would not save you time.
In winter, car shipping services can be cheaper due to less demand. Therefore, carriers are competing for business and have more open spaces on their carriers that they are trying to fill. During winter, the roads are dangerous to maneuver. Moreover, road visibility is low. These factors compel trailer drivers to slow down as a safety precaution. Thus, making the transit process slow.
Size and Weight
The most common factor affecting the price of shipping a vehicle is the size and weight. The larger the car, the more space and weight is has made it expensive to transport. Smaller and more compact cars take less space and are lighter, which reflects a cheaper cost for transporting. Large vehicles, and taking more space on the trailer, affect the consumption of the car carrying truck.
Services Provided by Auto Shipping Companies
- Open Auto Transport: A wench is required to haul the vehicle onto an open carrier. This service is cost-effective than enclosed carriers. Open carriers save your time as your car is picked and delivered faster, but this service is not best for you if you do not want your exotic and classic car being exposed to earth elements, dust and road debris.
- Enclosed Auto Transport: A liftgate is used to load your vehicle onto an enclosed trailer. This service comes with added features like higher insurance, constant communication, and GPS tracker. The enclosed carriers may contain additional hydraulics ramps to help low ground clearance cars. This service is a premium service costing you more, but this service protects your vehicle in extreme weather conditions.
- Door to Door Service: This is an affordable service providing you with the leisure that your car would be picked and delivered at your preferred location. Since the driver will travel from place to place, the hauling rate will be expensive than the terminal to terminal service.
- Terminal To Terminal Service: This is an affordable service in which you have to take your vehicle to a terminal for pickup. After shipping, you have to collect it from the terminal. In this service, you do not need to pay extra to the shipping company for transporting your vehicle to your doorstep.
- Expedited shipping: Sometimes, the speed of delivery is what matters to the customer the most. If you wish that your vehicle to be delivered within a particular time and can not afford the delay. On average your car would be delivered within three days as compared to the standard shipping time which takes more than three days
Ship-A1 also provides more services, and you can find out more on the website. You can avail of free online quotes and also get expert advice from our experienced crew.
Timing is Important
Many transport companies require a specific window of time for scheduling a pickup and transporting when shipping a car, some times At least five to seven days because trucking is not like the airlines. The trucks operate on different routes every day, and the variables are a lot higher such as seasonal changes, traffic, and customer's schedules. So the essential tip is that make your scheduling needs knowing.
Preparing Your Car For Transport
After picking your auto transport company, nigh is the time to make your car for shipping. Auto shippers typically charge a non-operable fee if the vehicle is not in the condition to be driven on and off the carrier. Make sure your battery is full, and there is fuel in the tank. This helps prevents being charged with this fee. It is critical to inform your auto shipping agent about those quirky things about your car, such as kill switches, alarms, and brakes.
