Shipping a car any distance might seem like something difficult to achieve without having to drive it on your own. Unfortunately, doing that can be a challenge, especially if you’re in the middle of a big move or you’re otherwise occupied. Driving for hours on end isn’t really anyone’s idea of fun, at least if it’s in this context.
That’s where something like car transport comes into play. It provides us with an alternative option to taking a road trip, and that sort of thing can really be a relief for us. The thing is, it’s not always obvious how to go about the process.
So, if you’re looking for a guide to cheap vehicle shipping, you’re in the right place. Today, we’ll be covering the process and how it works in general, as well as how you can reduce your costs overall!
The Simple Stuff
We can start out with the basics. What is vehicle shipping in the first place? Truthfully, it’s not exactly difficult to figure out.
The main thing to know about it is that it’s the process of putting a car into a shipping container and then having it travel that way. There are a few different types of containers that you should be aware of, but we’ll touch on that again a bit later on. No matter what you opt for, you can expect the actual shipping to take a bit of time.
Typically, you’ll get an estimation or approximation of that from your shipping company ahead of time. It could even be included in the quote, which will give you an idea of what to expect in terms of pricing. Depending on your choices as well as which provider you’re going with, this might look a bit different.
Realistically speaking, it probably shouldn’t cost more than a thousand dollars for a normal-sized vehicle. The exceptions will be if you try to have it shipped within the day or if you’ve got an exceptionally large car. Just some things to be aware of, of course.
The Process: What’s Involved
At first glance, it’s fair to assume that this can be quite complicated. However, as you can see in articles like this one, it’s actually quite manageable. Something quite nice about it is that most depots and/or service providers offer door to door service. What does that mean in this context, though?
Essentially, it means that they’ll arrive at your door to pick up your vehicle, and then they’ll drop it off at the proper location post transit. As far as convenience goes, it’s hard to beat that sort of service, right? Of course, this does require some preparation on our end to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch.
For one thing, it will certainly help if you are ready as soon as the driver arrives. This involves a few different things, though – most importantly, you should have your car cleaned out and ready for shipping. Try not to leave any personal belongings inside, since if they get lost, you won’t be reimbursed for them.
Additionally, have your own driver’s license or other type of personal identification to present to the driver. Registry documents would also probably be ideal since they’ll be asking for it. If you’ve prepped ahead of time, the pickup will be a lot less stressful.
The last thing we’d like to touch upon here is that prior to pick up, you’ll be deciding whether or not you want a closed container or an open one. The open ones will cost you less, but your car could end up a lot dirtier. Some shipping providers will offer a car wash once the transport is over, but not all of them, as you can learn about here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03088830600783152.
Is It Worth the Cost?
Although there are ways to ship our vehicles affordably, many people are still concerned about whether or not it’ll be worth it. After all, the price tag might seem a bit excessive at first glance. However, if you’re going for an open container and you clear your car out entirely, you’ve likely already saved yourself some cash.
For anyone who’s still uncertain, though, we can certainly understand. Bear in mind that one of the comparisons that you should probably be making is the cost of gas and the other aspects of a road trip. If you’ve got people travelling with you, then driving your car yourself can end up even more costly.
Taking that into account, it’s usually safe to say that vehicle transport services are worth it. The door-to-door nature of them is convenient and saves you a lot of time and stress, too, which is always important when considering this question. Next time you’re considering going through this process, think about this article and remember how to make it less expensive for yourself!
