Did you know that thousands of individuals a year use a car shipping service to move their vehicle from one area of the country to another? This service is provided by many different companies and helps individuals save a lot of money and miles on their vehicles. 

A vehicle transport service is used for a variety of reasons such as moving a young adult into college across the united states, or military relocation.  Some people buy a new or used vehicle in another state and need that purchased vehicle brought to their house. A lot of people use a car shipping company simply because they are moving to a new home or relocating for a job.  

How To Ship A Car?

If you are on the hunt for a car transport service, the first thing you will need to do is find the correct car shipping company for you. When selecting a car shipping company, you will most likely have to deal with two different companies, a broker and a carrier.  The Broker is the middleman, as they will work with you and your needs and connect you to a company that is willing to do the job. 

The Carrier is the one that will transport the vehicle from destination A to destination B. When discussing your car shipping needs with the broker, you will need to provide vehicle information, location, destination, time frame, along with general contact information so that they can provide it to the carrier.   

Once you have scheduled a car shipment, you will want to book it, and pay for it!  Usually, you can either pay for it in full, or you can pay a partial amount, along with the rest once your vehicle is delivered to the destination.  

Once your car shipment has been booked, you will want to remove all personal items from the vehicle.  This is a requirement by most car shipping companies because they typically will weigh your vehicle to lower the transport fee.  

On the day of shipment, you and the carrier will inspect your vehicle together to account for any damage to the vehicle.  Make sure you take some photos of your car in case there is any damage during shipment.  Most vehicle transport companies will have GPS tracking information, so you can watch your vehicle being transported, along with watching for any potential delays.  

Different Ways to Ship a Car

It is worth noting that there are a few variations to car shipment, and each one will depend on the price you are willing to spend, along with the destination of travel that the vehicle needs to endure.  

The most popular vehicle transportation methods are an open trailer and an enclosed trailer.  An open trailer tends to be the most common and will expose your vehicle to the elements outside such as sun, rain, snow, etc.  An enclosed transport means that the vehicle will be kept inside an enclosed trailer space to prevent damage.  

If you are worried about your vehicle, the enclosed trailer space is a better option, however, it will probably have a high cost.  

If you are willing to spend big bucks, you can upgrade your vehicle shipment to a single-car shipment, meaning that the vehicle is shipped by itself in an enclosed shipping container with no other vehicles in it.  

Where Will My Vehicle End Up?

Depending on the motor vehicle shipping service, your vehicle will either be delivered as close to your home or destination as possible, or it will be dropped off at a predetermined location such as an auto-shipment lot.  

You can also pay extra typically to have your vehicle shipped within a few days instead of waiting a week or two.  

How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car in the USA?

On average, the cost of shipping a vehicle will be around $1,000 to $1,500 depending on a variety of factors but it can also cost less or more.  This all depends on the miles, transport vehicle type, price of fuel, size, and of course additional service fees.  

If you want to avoid paying to ship a car and decide to drive it yourself to the destination of your choice, you might want to consider equipping your vehicle with a DriveSmart Auto Warranty.  In event that your vehicle suffers a malfunction or breakdown on the road, you can call the DriveSmart roadside assistance phone number, and they will take your vehicle to the nearest certified repair shop and DriveSmart will pay for your repairs,  All you will have to do is pay a small deductible, and you will be back on the road to take your vehicle to the final destination.  

Written by: Stephen Lubas