How to Ship a Car

Car Shipping: What Are Your Options?

How to ship a car 101: find a professional mover and determine the type of service you’d be interested in. Generally speaking, most movers offer either of the following two services:

• Door-to-door services: with this type of service, a professional mover will pick up your vehicle from a designated departure area (e.g.: your current home) and drop it off at a desired destination (e.g.: your new home).
• Terminal-to-terminal services: with this type of service, your vehicle will depart from a designated terminal and it will be consolidated with others that are meant to be shipped to the same final terminal destination.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car?

First things first, let’s talk money. When it comes to shipping a car, the average cost tends to be around $700-$750. However, this final cost will be affected by a few factors, including:

• Type and weight of the car you’re shipping: the heavier the car, the more expensive it’d be to ship your car;
• Shipping date: rates tend to be affected by seasonality, you can expect lower prices during the winter season;
• Distance: the longer the distance, the more expensive it’d be to ship your car;
• Transport type: in case your vehicle will be transport via road you will be able to choose between open transport –the cheapest option, or enclosed transport –the option which offers the most protection for your vehicle;
• Vehicle condition: if your car isn’t precisely functional, it will most likely cost you a bit more to transport it as extra equipment will be needed to load it into the semitrailer and/or boat if needed.

Tip!: Make sure you empty the inside of your vehicle before the day of shipment. This will help you avoid paying any unnecessary extra weight costs and any possible damage caused by such during transport!

Cheapest Way to Ship a Car: 4 Important Tips

To give you an extra hand, we’ve compiled a few tips that might help you save a few bucks when shipping your car to your new home. 😉

1. Request Several Quotes

Requesting quotes from multiple professional movers is always one of the best ways to save on your move. This is what ultimately will allow you to compare prices, services, and reviews to find the mover who best fits your budget, needs and standards!

But don’t forget! Be mindful of any offer that simply seems “too good to be true” —unfortunately this is more than a saying sometimes. Check out our article on the most common moving scams to make sure you know exactly what red flags to look for!

Tip!: Unsure where to find a mover who will help you transport your car to your new dream home? Don’t worry, we got your back! Fill out our quote form by clicking the banner below so we can connect with you up to 5 different movers.

2. Make Sure Your Vehicle is Properly Insured

Even though it’s required by law that companies who offer auto-transport services must carry liability and cargo insurance, it might be a smart move to upgrade your insurance for theft and collision. If there’s one thing you’d certainly want to avoid is having to spend a pretty penny in case of any eventuality!

Tip!: Don’t forget to carry a thorough inspection of your vehicle before it’s loaded on a semitrailer –put your photography skills up to test and snap some pre-shipment photos so you can later use them to inspect your vehicle upon arrival. 😉

3. Use Open Transport

Opting to have your vehicle shipped via open transport is probably one of the easiest ways to save a few hundred dollars. However, do keep in mind that this means your car will be exposed to the environment –making it more vulnerable to damages.

4. Make Sure You Have All the Required Documents

To avoid any delays that might cost you a pretty penny, make sure you have the following documents in check before shipping your car:

• Bill of landing;
• Lienholder authorization (in case you’re still paying for your vehicle);
• Title and authorization;
• Insurance terms and conditions of the carrier transporting your vehicle.

We hope that after this short read you’ve managed to get a better grasp of what shipping a car entails. In case you’re interested in further assistance with your move, we recommend that you check out the pages we have linked for you below. Best of luck with your move!