According to research, Americans paid an average of $46,437 for a new car this year. Your car is an expensive investment, so protecting it while shipping is essential.
Moving across the country means three primary options: selling your car, driving it to your destination, or using vehicle transport services. If you decide to have it shipped, you must determine how you want it sent. This decision will largely depend on the car you have and your budget.
So keep reading if you need to get your car from point A to B. This blog covers your vehicle transport options in North Carolina.
What Are Vehicle Transport Services?
You can hire vehicle transport services to get your car from one location to another. Typically these services are used by people traveling cross country and take, on average, between 7 and 14 days.
There are several reasons to hire a vehicle transport service. For instance, if you’re a family moving from one state to another or a company transporting one or more company vehicles to another branch.
When choosing between North Carolina vehicle transport services, you want to ensure the company you choose is properly licensed and insured. If the company is not insured, you risk having to pay for any damage your car sustains yourself.
Transit Service Options
Understanding your transportation options before choosing a vehicle transport company is best. You will have two primary options:
- Door-to-Door Car Transport Services
- Terminal-to-Terminal Transport Services
Door-to-Door
Door-to-door car transport services are when your vehicle is collected and delivered to your home or office. This option is the most convenient and requires the least amount of involvement.
Using this service, you’ll provide specific vehicle collection and delivery locations. The auto transport company will provide the service and conveniently deliver your car.
Terminal-to-Terminal
If you live in an area that is hard to reach or has narrow roads, terminal-to-terminal car transport services will be the best option. This service means your vehicle is dropped off at one terminal point, and the auto transport company ships it to another terminal. Once it arrives at the drop-off terminal, it must be collected within a specified period, usually 3 – 4 days.
Shipping Options: How To Ship Your Car
Fortunately, shipping your car is relatively straightforward. Here are a few steps that we’ll review:
Step One: Get Quotes
The first step is to find a few shipping companies and ask them for quotes. To do this, you’ll have to provide specific information for them to give an accurate quote. The data they’ll need to quote is as follows:
- Pick-up location
- Delivery location
- Car model, size, and color
- Estimated car value
- Service type (standard or priority)
Step Two: Type of Transit
Next, you’ll need to let the company know if you prefer to transport your car in an open or enclosed vehicle carrier. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, which we’ll discuss below.
Open Vehicle Carrier
Open vehicle transport will be more affordable if you’re on a budget. This transit method is the most popular and is suitable for almost all vehicles. Here, your car is loaded alongside other cars using the same open auto transport service.
During this mode of travel, your car is exposed to the elements and can be slower than other transit methods. This is because the transit vehicle must make multiple stops to drop off each car.
Closed Vehicle Carrier
Also called enclosed auto transport, this option is significantly more expensive than its open-air counterpart. Closed vehicle carriers differ from open carriers because your car is transported in a trailer with walls and a roof. This means your vehicle is protected from bad weather, flying rocks, etc.
This transit method is more expensive because you can ship fewer cars than an open vehicle carrier. However, because this is more of a personalized service, there will be fewer stops, which should reduce the delivery time. This transit method is best if you have an expensive or classic car that needs protection during transit.
Step Three: Pick a Company
When you’ve found a company matching your requirements, it’s time to make contact. Visit their website and see what methods they prefer you to use to contact them, for example, via online form, email, or phone call.
Step Four: Book Your Shipment
You want to book your shipment as early as possible. This way, you get the best pricing and can avoid disappointment if they book up quickly. If you need a rush job, you can typically pay an extra fee to have it shipped faster.
- Pro Tip: Check if the company offers flexible scheduling, which may save you money.
Cost of Vehicle Transport Services
Regarding vehicle transport quotes, the value will differ depending on your requirements. If you choose open-air transport, you’ll pay less than using enclosed transport, and transporting your vehicle a short distance will be less expensive than cross country.
However, on average, you can expect to pay between $500 – $2,000. Some auto transport companies will charge by the mile, for example, $2 per mile or more. Factors that can affect your quote are:
- Road Conditions
- Driver Hours
- Route Distance
- Drop-off and Pick-up Location
- Weather
- Extra Stops
- Weather
- Transportation Mode
How to Choose the Best Vehicle Transport Service
Choosing the right vehicle transport services is essential if you want the job done correctly. Here are a few things to consider when selecting a vehicle transport company:
Check Online Reviews
Spend some time on Google reading the reviews left by other customers. This is an easy way to get an idea about whether or not the company is worth shortlisting.
Ensure Insurance
You want to ensure the company you use is properly insured. This means that if anything happens to your vehicle while in transit, it’s covered by their insurance. If they’re adequately insured, you can avoid paying out of pocket.
Check their Services
You want to ensure the company you hire has services that fit your requirements. For example, if a company only uses enclosed vehicle carriers, you won’t be able to ship multiple cars simultaneously.
Making the Right Decision for You
Knowing your options regarding vehicle transport services is essential to save time and money. Knowing the pros and cons of open and enclosed vehicle carriers means you can best decide which one to use. Remember, enclosed auto transport will be more expensive than open-air, but if you have a particularly valuable car, you will want to choose that option.
If you’re looking for North Carolina vehicle transport services that put everyone else to shame, request a quote today. We have highly trained experts waiting to assist you.