Many people benefit from the services of auto shipping companies in different ways, from relocating vehicles to a new settlement to online car trading. However, many are unaware of auto transport processes, how to ship a car, and how to deal with auto shipping companies.
Understanding the auto transport industry is crucial for a smooth auto shipping experience. After all, car owners must be prepared and know what to expect when trusting one of their valuable possessions to an auto transporter.
This guide discusses several aspects related to auto transport, answering the critical question of how to ship a car and covering these points:
- Understanding Auto Shipping
- Types of Auto Shipping
- Cost of Auto Shipping
- Choosing the Right Auto Shipping Company
- Shipping a Car across State Lines
Understanding Auto Shipping
The first thing in the auto shipping process and before hiring an auto transport company is doing a little research to understand how auto shipping works. Most auto transport companies have different carriers and equipment necessary to ship vehicles of various types, including heavy equipment, SUVs, ATVs, and even boats.
Auto transport companies either have their fleet of carriers or run brokerage work where they connect car owners to reliable auto shippers. Still, not all auto transport companies offer the exact same services or ship all vehicle types.
At all events, many auto transport companies in the United States make it easy to find carriers that can ship a car regardless of its special requirements and condition.
Types of Auto Shipping
The next step after knowing the different types of auto shipping companies is knowing the two main auto transport methods: open and enclosed auto shipping.
- Open auto shipping: This method is the standard car shipping option and works for most vehicle types. Open carriers can haul between eight and ten regular vehicles at a time and are perfect for shipping heavy equipment. Open auto transport is more affordable and known to be an economical car shipping option. Still, one major drawback to using this method is cargo exposure to external elements, debris, and inclement weather.
- Enclosed auto shipping: Unlike open auto transport, enclosed ones are less common and more expensive. This method is used for shipping vehicles of rare and special value, in addition to valuable and expensive ones, such as luxury, sports, and antique vehicles. Enclosed trucks can haul between two and six vehicles simultaneously, depending on the size of the vehicles and the truck’s hauling capacity. They protect vehicles from all road elements while in transit, enhance their safety, and deliver them in the same good condition they had before transport.
Cost of Auto Shipping
How much does it cost to ship a car? In fact, no specific auto transport cost applies to all vehicles since several factors impact the shipping cost of each. These factors include fuel prices, distance, vehicle type, and shipping method.
Factors Affecting Auto Shipping Costs
- Fuel prices: The changes in fuel prices are directly passed on to auto shipping services, which makes it difficult to give a fixed car shipping cost estimation being subject to change with fuel price changes.
- Distance: The longer the distance between the pick-up location and delivery destination is, the more auto shipping will cost. Although auto transporters charge less per mile for long distances, the extra miles sometimes significantly add up to the final auto transport quote.
- Vehicle type: The shipped vehicle’s type, make, and model play a role in determining auto shipping costs. This information allows auto transporters to estimate how the vehicle will fit in the carrier. If the vehicle takes extra space or adds more weight, auto transporters will charge more money for shipping it.
- Shipping method: Enclosed auto shipping is more expensive than open auto shipping, so car owners opting for enclosed auto transport can expect higher shipping rates.
Choosing the Right Auto Shipping Company
Choosing the right auto transport company is a major factor in a hassle-free process. The right auto transport company enjoys a good reputation and can prove its reliability by having a track record of safe and successful vehicle deliveries.
Furthermore, reliable auto transport companies have these features in common:
- Officially licensed and certified by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Highly rated on the many review and rating platforms, mainly the Better Business Bureau
- Provide excellent customer service
- Transparent about car shipping costs and details related to the process
- Provide adequate insurance coverage that covers the vehicle’s value
Shipping a Car across State Lines
After doing the necessary research and choosing an auto transport company, there are still a few steps car owners have to take to ship a car across state lines. Car owners must know how to communicate with the auto transport company and what happens after they choose one.
Ordering a Car Shipping Cost Estimation
In the first stage, car owners can obtain a free car shipping quote estimation without directly communicating with the company. They can rather use the company’s online cost calculator featured on its website.
This step lets car owners know the shipping costs and determine whether the offer suits their needs, considering the services and quality. Additionally, car owners can easily and instantly receive a cost estimation by filling out the information related to their vehicle transport, and they include:
- The shipping locations.
- The vehicle’s make and model.
- The shipping method.
Tempus Logix is one of the leading auto shipping companies in the United States. The company works with over 25,000 carriers with insurance coverage of up to $1,000,000 and ships all vehicle types.
Customers can also order an instant and free auto-shipping quote using the company’s online AI-based calculator. The new online tool provides accurate auto-shipping quotes in real-time.
Contact the Auto Shipping Company
The following stage is contacting the auto shipping company to arrange the vehicle shipment after accepting the given auto transport offer.
At this stage, car owners will be required to provide their vehicle shipping details and be guided step by step by an expert customer service agent on how to prepare their vehicles for shipping. There are many aspects auto shipping companies focus on, including:
- Washing the interior and exterior of vehicles.
- Properly documenting vehicles’ condition.
- Performing necessary maintenance work and informing the company beforehand about any discovered technical problems.
- Emptying vehicles from personal belongings and informing the company if they need to leave some necessary items that don’t weigh over 100 lbs. The auto shipping company may have specific policies associated with packing personal belongings.
- Removing spoilers and other aftermarket accessories.
- Disabling alarms and emptying the fuel tank to quarter.
Preparing for Pick-Up
The auto transport company and car owners schedule pick-up and delivery dates. On the day of pick-up, the carrier driver takes the shipping details and contacts car owners to confirm receiving their orders.
Then, the driver brings the carrier to the scheduled pick-up location if car owners choose door-to-door service, which means that the carrier driver picks up vehicles and drops them off at locations of customers’ choice.
On the other hand, if car owners choose terminal-to-terminal pick-up and delivery, they drive their vehicles to the company’s lot on pick-up day and receive them from another upon delivery.
Major Procedures Before Picking Vehicles Up
Whether at the customer’s predetermined location or in the company’s lot, the carrier driver and car owners conduct a general inspection of the vehicle’s condition before loading them into the carrier.
Both parties check for any existing damage to vehicles. Then, the carrier driver documents any spotted damage on an official document called the ‘Bill of Lading,’ which contains all the information related to the vehicle’s shipment, including its condition before transport.
However, one important thing car owners must be aware of is showing up at the pick-up location on time to avoid delaying the driver who has already arranged for pick-up with other car owners.
If car owners are unsure they can be at the determined location at the scheduled time, they can send a friend or relative over 18 years to attend the process and sign the Bill of Lading.
Otherwise, if car owners fail to attend to their vehicle’s pick-up or send someone else, they may be charged a large fee for delaying the driver and causing inconvenience to other customers.
Receiving the Car
When vehicles almost reach their destination, the carrier driver contacts car owners to confirm the scheduled delivery date. Then, car owners, with the carrier driver, conduct another inspection for vehicles and examine them for any newly incurred damage during transport.
If any damage is found, the carrier driver notes it on the Bill of Lading with the proper documentation showing the vehicle’s condition before shipment. Then, car owners sign the Bill of Lading, file a claim and wait for reimbursement.
Still, if car owners accept their vehicles and sign the Bill of Lading before documenting the damage, the reimbursement process can become more complicated. Car owners will have to prove that the damage didn’t occur after they received their vehicles, and auto shipping companies may deny their responsibility.
Therefore, it is always recommended that car owners file a damage claim within 24 hours of accepting the car, if any is incurred. After all, accidents of damaging vehicles during transport are quite rare, especially when hiring a professional auto transport company to handle the task.
Final Thoughts
Shipping vehicles across state lines is easy if car owners know how the process works. This knowledge also allows car owners to discern reliable auto transporters from scammers.
Therefore, it is always a good idea to research and compare different auto transport companies to examine their reliability and choose one that meets the car shipping requirements and owners’ preferences.
While some customers prioritize budget-friendly offers and look for affordable auto transport companies, others are mainly concerned with service quality. However, a professional auto transport company like Tempus Logix tries to combine the two advantages.
We offer high-quality auto shipping services at Tempus Logix at the most competitive prices in the market. We also work with qualified and seasoned carrier drivers who will properly take care of vehicles until they safely reach their destination.
Tempus Logix is now accepting online bookings with a $0 upfront payment, so order a free shipping quote and book your auto-shipping at your convenience.