Is it safe to ship my classic car?

Of course it is! Classic car shipping has never been easier or more affordable, and now with new advancements in car shipping technology, you can even ship your classic car on an open transporter and not worry about dings or scratches. Classic car shipping, however, does require some special attention, so it would be wise of you to read more about classic car shipping both here and on other sites so you know exactly what you should do and how to arrange your classic car shipping to make it as safe as possible.

Even with all the new technologies out there in the car shipping field, there are still dangers when shipping your car on an open transporter, so it would be in your best interest to secure an enclosed carrier. An enclosed container is just that – a fully enclosed container that will protect your vehicle from any and all inclement weather, as well as hazardous road stuff that could get launched into your car (such as rocks and dirt, things of that nature). It’s always important to know what you’re doing and who’s shipping your vehicle, especially when you’re shipping a classic, so read up on who is shipping your car before you book.

Another great tip that you should go by is always shop around for prices. As stated earlier, what you pay for is what you get, so don’t go cheap when shipping your expensive car. Either you paid a lot for your car, or you spent a lot restoring it, so shipping it for an extra five hundred dollars shouldn’t break your wallet. Always go with the company that you feel the most comfortable with, but don’t automatically go with the cheapest – chances are, they’re lowering the price so they’ll book you, and then the vehicle won’t move.

How can I compare car shipping rates?

Many companies out there today allow you to fill out one simple form and you’ll receive 5-10 different quotes in your e-mail from different auto brokerages, as well as phone numbers and e-mails for all these companies. This is a great way to compare prices, because the price is already included in the e-mail, so you don’t have to shop around for different quotes and call a million companies, which may or may not give you the runaround in trying to secure their services.

Or, if you like calling a million companies, you can simply type in “car shipping” in Google, Yahoo, or some other search engine, and call around. Many companies will put their phone number on their website, as well as a list of their services and maybe even some feedback from some of their clientele so you can see other people’s experiences with that company.

When looking, however, make sure that you understand what type of company you are going to be dealing with. Always deal with a broker, as opposed to a carrier, because they will secure you the best rates and make the shipping easier for you, and never take the highest price (because they’re gouging you) and never take the lowest (because the vehicle will never move). The lower the price, the harder it will be for a company to find a truck to haul it, so don’t automatically go for the cheapest. Remember, you get what you pay for.

What is a car shipping broker?

In car shipping, there are two types of companies: carriers, and brokers. Carriers are the actual trucks themselves, and if you deal with a carrier directly you need to be extremely careful about the prices that you’re given, because carriers are known for jacking up the prices on certain routes to maximize the amount of money they receive from unsuspecting customers.

Car shipping brokerages, on the other hand, are great services. They keep the prices low by offering a price and then fishing around for different carriers to haul it, and the best thing is that car shipping brokerages handle all of the paperwork and the money for you, so you don’t have to worry about any of the fine details when it comes to shipping your car, and you don’t have to place your trust in a shady carrier that may or may not just take your car and be off with it. Car shipping brokers use only the best car carriers, ones that they trust the most, so rest assured that they’re working hard for you.

Also, car shipping brokerages help you find the best rate they can for your car shipping, and they’ll offer helpful advice on how to get the most out of your experience. They’ll offer tips on how to keep your car looking nice during the move as well as what you can and cannot put in the vehicle, and other helpful tips that make your car shipping experience as smooth and as quick as it can be. When you’re looking for car shipping, always deal with a broker: they keep the price low and make it worth the while.

Who uses car shipping?

Everyone who needs to ship their vehicle can use a car shipping service. Whether you’re poor, rich, or in between, you can ship your vehicle and rates are at their lowest point of the season. Typically, people wait until they’re moving or are buying a car on the other side of the country for their car shipping purposes.

Dealerships, too, utilize car shipping companies and services, mainly because of the fact that they can get a better deal on shipping multiple cars with someone else rather than the manufacturer, and in many cases this is true. Independent companies often have lower prices than the manufacturer because they’re able to provide cheaper services due to the way they operate. Brokerages can get cheap prices because they aren’t tied down to certain trucks and certain routes, meaning they can shop around to get you the best prices on shipping your vehicle.

Military servicemen, too, utilize car shipping services. Since the military can only ship one of their vehicles, and many servicemen (and women) have families with multiple vehicles, it falls on them to ship their car with a car shipping company. Many companies offer a military discount, so if you’re in the military be sure to ask different companies if they offer military discounts, and always remember to shop around – you don’t want to book with the first company you see.

What is car shipping?

Car shipping is, in a simple definition, the act of transporting a car from one location to another. However, there are many nuances to shipping a car that many people are unaware of, and we’ll attempt to clear those up here. The first, and probably most major, is the idea of shipping your car on an open carrier, or in an enclosed carrier. Open carriers are just giant trucks with six to ten slots for vehicles (typically there’s ten slots) to fit into. This is called open transport. Enclosed transport is when your car is loaded into a giant container that protects it from inclement weather and different road hazards. Typically, your car is safe on an open carrier, and most car shipping occurs on these types of trucks.

Another distinction in car shipping is door-to-door shipping or terminal-to-terminal shipping, and we’ll break that down right now. Door-to-door shipping is when the truck will come straight to your house and pick up the vehicle, right in front of you. The vast majority of shipping happens door-to-door, and it is by far the safest and most convenient way to ship your car because you see the vehicle get onto the truck, whereas with terminal-to-terminal shipping, you drop your car off at (typically) a junkyard or open lot, and leave your car there until a truck can come pick it up – sometimes months later!

Car shipping is a relatively simple process, once you know some of the terms involved, and these two included here are the most important two terms you can know. You typically want to ship your car on an open, ten-car carrier door-to-door – which is something that most transport companies provide anyway. Always check quotes and shop before booking a shipment, though, and always check those companies out for their reliability before ever booking an order.

Ease Your Car Shipping Experience

There are several things you can do to make your transport experience easier. One of the biggest things you can do is to make sure that your car is clean – on the inside, and that you have less than 100lbs of stuff in the trunk. This is because trucks aren’t licensed to carry household goods, but if you keep the load light in the trunk only, they never have to know about it and can just call it “junk in the trunk,” so to speak. You would be responsible for any lost and stolen items, however, so proceed at your own risk. Make sure that all loose change and trash is out of the interior of the car, and you may want some dirt on there to show any new damages.

Make sure you mark any damages on your vehicle prior to transport, then when the car is delivered go through a thorough inspection again.

Always know what type of transport is which – terminal to terminal is where you drop your car off at a terminal, whereas door to door auto transport is when the trucks comes to your house (or somewhere close) and picks up the vehicle. Terminal to terminal shipping typically costs less, but is generally less reliable than door-to-door transport. If you’re shipping an exotic or expensive vehicle, we recommend door-to-door transport.

Car Shipping Hot Spots

In the auto transport industry, there are always going to be “hot spots” (and, conversely, “cold spots.”) – places that trucks are moving into, or where a lot of people are going to, making it easier and cheaper to ship your vehicle. Some hot spots to look out for are (during the summer months) Florida, Alabama, South Carolina—pretty much anything in the deep south. Cold spots are places that trucks don’t really want to travel to, thus making your shipping a bit more expensive – in summer, this typically means California and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. Trucks going here seem to be scarce because of all the traffic backups going through California during the summer—just be careful.

In winter, it really changes. Florida and the deep south are places that become more expensive as the months turn, because everyone is coming out of there to get back home. Conversely, car shipping to the Northwest actually goes down—why this is, no one really knows.

About

My name is Ian, and I’ve been working in the car shipping industry for roughly two years now. It’s been an interesting two years, and I’ve heard my fair share of horror stories, hang ups, yelling and screaming, and sob stories. I’ve also had a chance to speak to some of the leaders in the industry, and I’ve worked hard to relegate their tips and tricks onto you, my fair readers. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a satisfied customer, and I work hard to make sure that the customers that visit this blog leave it with a newfound sense of what they need to do when it comes to shipping their car, as well as some helpful nuggets of information.