By Ryan Ellis on October 15, 2021 in Travel
Okay, we just couldn’t help ourselves with this interesting topic. It’s probably something you don’t think about often, but once you do, you can’t fathom or understand the concept of a car being shipped. We’re here to break it down.
Why You’d Need to Ship a Car
Let’s cover an important aspect of this whole thing – why would you need to ship your car? While your first instinct might be to drive it, you could save time, money, and peace of mind by shipping your ride instead.
Here are some reasons you’d find yourself looking for a shipping company:
- Moving – Cross-country moves (or really moves of any kind or distance) are tough. We get it. Take one thing off your endless to-do list by shipping your car. Plus, it frees you up to drive that massive moving truck.
- Buying a New Car – Getting a new or used car, especially now, is a battle that takes lots of time and money. Avoid a little bit of the time consumption by opening your search to other states. Then, you can have the car shipped right to your door. Easy peasy!
- Classic Cars – Classic car shows are rad. That’s just the bottom line. However, classic cars aren’t meant to drive modern speeds and distances. Connect with a car shipping company and get your prized ride delivered right to the show looking spick and span.
- Vacations – Obviously, we’re big fans of road trips. We understand that some people aren’t fans of long drives and prefer to fly to their destination and drive once they arrive. For these folks, no stress – just ship your car and drive it at your destination.
Best Car Shipping Companies
We handle the car insurance, not the car shipping. So, we listened to Move.org’s research on 2021’s top 5 car shipping companies. Move.org rated these companies based on low prices, customer satisfaction, online marketplace, and guaranteed rates.
- Montway Auto Transport – Best Overall
- AmeriFreight – Low Prices
- American Auto Shipping – Guaranteed Rates
- Sherpa Auto Transport – Customer Satisfaction
- uShip – Online Marketplace
Just like with car insurance, it’s helpful to get multiple quotes when deciding what company is the best fit for you. Move.org’s rankings are based on 700+ quotes and 20 years of industry experience, so these companies are definitely a good starting point to compile some quotes for your specific vehicle and move!
How to Ship a Car
Now we get into the nitty-gritty. At this point, we’ve established you can’t just roll up to a UPS or FedEx and pop your car on the scale or in a flat rate shipping box. Let’s walk through the steps together:
- Step #1 is to choose a shipping company. This process should include receiving quotes from several reputable companies. To get a quote, you’ll have to provide information about your vehicle and locations for pick up and drop off shipping.
- Step #2 is to book it! Be sure to book in advance because shipping options aren’t as regular as normal mail. The company will either ask you for the full payment or a partial deposit – factor this into your monthly or yearly budget.
- Step #3 is an important one – prepare your vehicle. Put all your valuables like sunglasses, insurance cards, etc. inside your house before your set pick-up time. A little fun fact: most companies won’t allow you to ship your vehicle with anything in it for either insurance or weight reasons.
- Step #4 is the final one! Get your vehicle back. Based on your agreed upon terms with the shipping company, you will either pick up your ride from a set location or they’ll deliver it right to your doorstep. Make sure to give your vehicle a high-quality once-over before and after shipping to ensure no damage happened in transit.
The shipping process requires a lot of trust in a company. Aside from a home, your vehicle might be the most expensive thing you own. Pick a company that:
- Offers services you need. Look for door-to-door delivery or location pick up.
- Has reliable reviews from previous customers. Checking reviews is a quick and easy way to confirm their customer service level and customer happiness during or after service.
- Gives payment terms and pricing that works with your budget. While it’s not always best to go with the lowest price, sometimes that’s the one that’s the perfect fit in every other way too – score!
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car
Here’s the kicker – you have to pay for it! Just kidding, hopefully that was obvious from the beginning. According to Better Homes & Gardens, “Auto shipping costs an average of $1,200.” They list factors that affect the price of car shipping as, “miles traveled, transport type, time of year, carrier competition, price of fuel, vehicle operability, vehicle size, and hidden fees.”
So, again just like auto insurance, your best bet is to compile a couple of quotes from different companies before making any decisions!
Conclusion
WOW. We hope that was as riveting for you as it was for us…or maybe we’re just car nerds? Either way, hopefully you learned a bit about shipping a car and got any answers to questions you had about the process.
If you have additional questions about anything car related, reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and we’ll get right on it!