Vehicle Movers and You

What is a vehicle mover? Where do they come from, how are they made? These are burning questions in the  minds of our auto transport customers, and this blog - and this site - is here to lay some of those questions to rest.

But what is it? A vehicle mover is just that - someone who moves vehicles. They are responsible for timely transportation of customers' vehicles, from wherever to wherever in the U.S., and this responsibility is one that most vehicle movers don't take lightly. They are fully licensed by the DOT and are required by federal law to have an insurance policy that covers all vehicles they are transporting. Vehicle movers take moving vehicles very seriously - and you can read more about them by visiting our helpful vehicle movers page.

You can also fill out our free online quote request form and get a free quote from different vehicle movers to ship your car, or you can call us at our toll-free telephone number and speak to a live representative who can answer your questions, take your information and help you find the best vehicle movers for your needs.

The FAQ's - What's a Broker?

In your constant search for the right auto transport company, you've probably come across the term "auto transport broker" (or some variant thereof) more than once. That's not surprising. A broker, in a nutshell, simply coordinates your transportation between you and the carrier and gives you a constant contact line during the transportation process. Carriers can't drive and talk on the phone with customers at the same time, so they rely on brokers to talk to customers and set everything up.

This is a good system. Carriers rely on brokers to find them loads and keep their trucks running, and brokers rely on carriers to make sure that their customers' vehicles get moved for a good price in a timely manner. Going through a middleman, so to speak, may not always be the best, but in the auto shipping industry it's really the only way to go. You can read more about brokers and how they work in our helpful Auto Shipper FAQ.

Auto Shipping by State: Michigan

When it comes to auto shipping to Michigan, you could either land a great auto transport experience...or it can be a nightmare, depending on what company you shipped with, when you're shipping, what you're shipping, where exactly in Michigan you're shipping to...it can be frustrating to deal with. 

But don't let that get you down! Michigan is a great state during the summer months to ship to, as there are always carriers running to and from the state - with cities such as Lansing, Detroit and Farmington Hills all being popular auto transport destinations during the summer months. During the winter, though, auto shippers tend to stay away from Michigan thanks to its hardcore winter weather. Winter driving conditions are a nightmare for transport carriers and as such they don't like having to deal with it, and will avoid it if they can. So keep that in mind when you fill out our free quote form on our website, and you can read more about the state of Michigan by visiting our official Auto Shipping to Michigan page.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Vancouver

$20 says you assumed this blog post was about shipping a car to Vancouver, BC - but it's not! Believe it or not (and if you're not from the Pacific Northwest you probably won't believe it) there's actually a city named Vancouver just 300 miles south from Vancouver, BC, located in Washington State. It's actually a county seat, and has a pretty decent population for its size.

When it comes to shipping a car to or from Vancouver, you're in luck. It lies between Seattle and Portland, Oregon, and lies directly on a major interstate highway frequented by auto transport carriers, making it easy for them to get to and from the city. Snow is fairly uncommon during the winter months, which makes car shipping prices that much lower and easier to afford for most people. If you're looking to ship a car to Vancouver, Washington, you can check out our Auto Shipping Vancouver page for more information.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Columbia

First off, no, we're not talking about the country. We're talking about the city in South Carolina. We know, there are a lot of cities out there named Columbia, but in this specific blog we're going to be talking about Columbia, South Carolina - probably the most well-known of all the cities in the U.S. named Columbia anyway - and nothing else.

Now that we've got that out of the way, Columbia is actually a pretty easy city for shippers to get to and from, pretty much year-round, which makes it great if you're looking to ship there during the winter months. Winter auto shipping can be a major hassle, especially if you're shipping to the northern states, but if you're shipping to Columbia you really don't have to worry about snow or anything because it doesn't really get much. If you're shipping from New England, though, you may have a harder time finding a carrier to pick it up - but taking it to Columbia isn't a problem.

Anyway, you can read more about the city itself by visiting our Auto Shipping to Columbia page on our official website.

Auto Shipping by State: South Carolina

South Carolina perhaps isn't the most popular state in the auto transport industry, but there are still plenty of auto transport carriers that will ship to and from just about anywhere in the state. Because of its location along the southeastern seaboard, it's a popular state for tourists and makes for a pretty good winter home, especially Myrtle Beach, which is perhaps the most popular city in the entire state.

Shipping there is easy because there are lots of interstate highways criss-crossing the state and there are few days where there's any major snow in any major areas. South Carolina sees its fair share of snow, but at the lower elevations it's pretty clear year-round, making it easier for shippers to get in and out. 

You can fill out our free quote form to get a shipping to or from South Carolina, and you can visit our official Auto Shipping to South Carolina page for more information about the state.

The FAQ's: Cheap Auto Shipping Quotes

Looking for cheap auto shipping quotes? It's okay, everyone likes a bargain - it's why places like Winco and Wal-Mart exist. But there are times when cheap is better, and times when it's not (though times when cheaper usually means better are pretty rare indeed) - and the auto transport industry is one of those things where you don't want to go bargain hunting.

It's one thing to get a good deal, and another to not pay enough and end up sitting with your car while your shipper either continues to look for a carrier (who's going to laugh at how much they're offering [i.e. your price to move your car]) or just take off with your money and leave you in the lurch. You don't want that, and we don't want that to happen to you. 

So take your time, do your homework, and go with a price that's in the middle - get a bunch of quotes (you can get ten by visiting our website and filling out our free quote form), find a price that fits your budget but that isn't the cheapest of the bunch, and go from there. You'll be surprised at how much better your shipping services end up being, and you can visit our automobile transport FAQ page for more information.

The FAQ's: Will My Vehicle be Driven?

This is a question we get asked about a lot - "will my vehicle be driven if I book with an auto transport company?" And to start, no, your vehicle won't be driven from the pickup to the delivery location. It will be loaded onto the back of an auto transport truck, which will secure it and then transport it - without driving it - to the delivery city. There's no Ferris Bueler moments when it comes to auto transport, not only because it's illegal and will most definitely carry huge penalties, but drivers could lose their licenses - and they won't risk that.

It will, however, need to be driven onto and off of the truck, but you're going to be there watching the driver as he drive it on and off at pickup and delivery, so there's really no worries there. I mean, how else do you expect them to get it onto the truck? 

So I guess, technically, yes, your vehicle will be driven, but it's only going to be like 30 feet all told, so there's really no worries in regards to that aspect of it. The driver will only drive it onto the truck and then back off, and that's it. You can read more about this subject thanks to our handy car transport FAQ.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping Long Beach

Long Beach is a popular auto shipping destination for several reasons. For starters, it's close to Los Angeles and is a major tourist trap; second, it's a big city with lots to do, a growing population and burgeoning economy; third, it's a major port that sees ships transport vehicles to Hawaii all the time, so most shipments to Hawaii have to go through the city; and fourth, it's in California and doesn't see any snow at any time, really. So there's a lot of reasons why auto shippers like shipping to Long Beach.

And because they like to ship there, you're going to get some good deals. Not only is it going to be super easy for you to find a carrier (depending on the pickup city, of course - if you're shipping from the boonies or a snow-covered city, you may have a harder time), but it's almost always going to be at a pretty good price. You can get a free quote from our website by filling out our free quote form and you can read more about shipping vehicles to Long Beach via our helpful Auto Shipping to Long Beach article.

Auto Shipping by State: Tennessee

Tennessee is one of those states that can be easy to ship to, but it really depends on where exactly in the state you're looking for auto shipping services to. With cities like Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis within its borders, Tennessee is definitely a popular (and populous) state, but its geography and seasonal compositions make it difficult for shippers to get and from certain areas at certain times.

Watch the weather reports in the winter months to see if snow and wintry weather will be affecting your car transport, and be sure to talk to your car shipping company about ways to save money shipping either to or from the state. You can also read more about Tennessee by visiting our official Auto Shipping to Tennessee article on our website.

The FAQ's: Overseas Shipping

Wen it comes to overseas shipping of vehicles, there are a few different things that that statement could mean - are you shipping to Alaska or Hawaii? From the U.S. to another country, or the other way around? Different shipping locations can alter your price, availability of shippers, pickup and delivery times and more, so it's important to understand the distinctions.

We can provide quotes for you to ship your vehicle from the U.S. to Alaska, Hawaii, or any international port. We can't provide shipping quotes to landlocked countries (i.e. a country that has no borders on the ocean, and as such no ports for overseas shippers to ship to) - we could ship to a port in a country with a port, but you would need to arrange shipping with a company located overseas. It works the same if you're shipping into the U.S. from another country; for instance, if you were shipping from Great Britain to the U.S., you would need to contact a British shipping company to arrange overseas transportation.

You can read more about overseas auto transport right on our homepage. Just scroll down to the "Automobile Shipping Learning Center" to find out more.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Chicago

The Windy City, home of the Cubs and the Bears and the Bulls, just so happens to be one of the most popular auto transport destinations in the U.S. Since its founding in the early 19th century, Chicago has been a major transportation hub due to its location even before the advent of the interstate highway system or the automobile or the car transport truck, and even today it remains a vital part of the countrywide U.S. infrastructure.

Thanks to its popularity and location, it's quite a popular auto transport destination during the summer months especially, when the weather is nice and tons of people are moving every which way. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are shipped every year across the U.S., and Chicago is one of the top 5 destinations, which helps keep prices lower for customers and pickup often occurs in less time than in other cities.

It's a great place to live, too, or so I hear - but if you're moving there I'll let you be the final judge of that. Regardless, you can read more about the city and how to get free quotes to ship your car there by visiting our helpful auto shipping to Chicago page.

City Spotlight: Oakland Auto Shipping

Oakland, located just on the other side of the bay from San Francisco, is quite a popular auto transport destination, but maybe not as much as, say, New York City or Los Angeles - but it's pretty up there. But what makes Oakland so easy to ship to is the fact that it lies right along several major interstates, including a major north-south and east-west interstate.

Because of the ease of access to Oakland, many car shippers find it easy to ship in and out of the city, which means you stand to save some money (and some time) if you're shipping your vehicle to or from Oakland, California. You can fill out our free online auto shipping quote request form if you're looking for Oakland auto shipping services, and you'll receive multiple free quotes from our reputable and reliable car shippers. You can also read more about the city itself by visiting our official Oakland auto shipping page on our website.

Auto Shipping by State: Texas

If you're looking for auto shipping services to or from the state of Texas, you're definitely reading the right blog! Texas is a huge state - there's no denying that, and your auto transport quotes and prices will most likely vary wildly not just from one company to the next, but also depending on where exactly you're shipping to in Texas.

Cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston are popular because they're large cities with major metropolitan areas, and lots of people ship their vehicles to and from those particular cities each year. But what about cities like El Paso, or Wichita Falls? These can be more difficult to ship a vehicle to - but for various reason. El Paso is difficult because it's located near the international border with Mexico, and it's relatively out of the way as far as auto shipping carriers are concerned; Wichita Falls, on the other hand, is on the other side of the state, yet  still a relatively small town that shippers don't like going to. 

You can fill out our free online quote request form and get multiple free quotes from reputable and reliable car shipping companies, and you can also read more about the great state of Texas by reading our auto shipping to Texas page on our website.

Auto Shipping Testimonials from Real Customers

In the car shipping industry, it can be hard - sometimes really hard - to find a reputable, reliable and secure auto transport company to ship your vehicle, especially if you're shipping to or from a hard-to-reach location or you're shipping a car that not a lot of carriers can haul for whatever reason. The larger, heavier or more awkward a vehicle is, the harder a time you'll have of shipping it - it goes the same if you're shipping to or from hard-to-reach locations or areas that are otherwise difficult to get to or from for shipping companies.

So before you pay out a ton of money to have someone try and ship your car, you should probably check out our Auto Shipper Testimonials and get an idea as to what they look like and what you should really be searching for. Testimonials are a great way to gauge the overall experience, worth and reliability of a car shipping company that you're looking to ship your vehicle with. Check it out, and you can also fill out our free form and see what we can do in regards to finding a great vehicle shipper for your needs.

City Spotlight: Kansas City Auto Shipping

Now, in article, we're discussing Kansas City, MO, not Kansas City, KS - it's easy to confuse the two, especially considering they're really, really close to each other (and really, when it comes down to it, it probably won't cost you an arm and a leg to ship to either of them). Kansas City is a popular auto transport city, especially during the spring and fall months when the weather is more rainy than anything else.

Snow and ice are not friends of auto shippers, so they try and avoid them. Kansas City is great for avoiding snow and ice, on the whole, especially before the deep winter sets in - but even in the winter months it's not that difficult to ship a vehicle to or from the city. You can learn more about Kansas City by reading our auto shipping to Kansas City article, and you can always get free vehicle shipping quotes by visiting our website.

The FAQ's: Pickup Times and Dates

In the auto shipping industry, there's a lot of talk about guaranteed this, and guaranteed that, and finding a carrier to ship specifically on such-and-such a date. Customers want auto transport on demand, and get upset when most shipping companies tell them they can't guarantee a pickup date because it's impossible to 100% guarantee pickup.

The reason for this is that most car shippers schedule their pickup windows for their customers at least a few days out, and - if you've ever tried to host a holiday meal with the extended family - planning everything out a week or two in advance invites a lot of opportunity for change to occur. It's this same principle that is at work behind auto transport pickup - there are so many variables that go into your auto transport pickup date that there's no guarantee they'll get there on that day. Traffic, mechanical problems, problems with another pickup or delivery - these are just some of the things that can delay an auto transport carrier.

If you're REALLY in a rush, some shippers can find a local tow company to pick it up and tow it to a specific pickup location that a nationwide carrier can pickup from at their convenience, but that's something that you would need to speak about with your auto transport company. You can read more about guaranteed pickup times and dates thanks to our helpful auto shipper FAQ page on our official website.

Looking for Motorcycle Shipping Quotes?

Finding a good motorcycle shipping company isn't easy, but that's why we're dedicated to the task of making it somewhat easier for you to find a great motorcycle shipper to haul your chopper around. Unlike most car transport websites, we break down our quote forms - we have one each for domestic auto transport, international auto shipping and motorcycle transportation services, each with their own specific questions and required information. 

When you're shipping a motorcycle it's important to understand that while, on the whole, motorcycle transport services will be cheaper than auto shipping services, they won't always be less expensive and can be less reliable, depending on who you ship with. Motorcycles are generally shipped in specialized crates designed to protect the motorcycle while it is being transported, and you can read more and get free quotes from our reputable and reliable motorcycle shipping companies via our motorcycle online quote request form.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Denver

With a population of over 560,000, Denver is the most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 24th largest in the U.S. Transporting a car to or from Denver is no easy feat, though, considering its location and the relatively few interstate highways running through the area. Plus, the city sits at literally a mile above sea level - 5,280 feet, to be precise, at least where they measured it. They don't call Denver the Mile High City for kicks.

When you're shipping a car to or from the city, you need to keep that in mind. During the winter months it can be hard for auto shippers to transport vehicles through the tough, snowy terrain, but in the summer months the sailing is usually pretty smooth - well, smoother, anyway. If you're looking for cheap, hassle-free auto transport services, you can fill out our free online quote form and get up to ten free quotes to ship your vehicle, and you can also read our auto shipping to Denver article for more information about shipping a vehicle to or from the Mile High City.

Auto Shipping by State: Missouri

Missouri is one of those states that's really big, really cool, and - depending on where you're shipping to in the state, anyway - usually pretty cheap and easy to ship a car to. There are numerous major cities in the state, with perhaps the largest being St. Louis, a major and popular auto transport destination. What's nice about most of the state of Missouri is the fact that it receives relatively little snowfall throughout the year, which makes it easier for auto shippers to move vehicles to and from there.

Of course, like anywhere, there are places that auto shippers won't be able to get to, whether it's because of inclement weather, geographical location, Divine acts of wrath, or what have you - but on the whole, Missouri is one of those states that shippers can get around easily, which makes it better (not to mention cheaper) for you to ship your vehicle from anywhere, to anywhere in the state of Missouri. You can fill out our free online quote form and get some free quotes to ship your vehicle to Missouri, and you can also read more about the state by visiting our Missouri Auto Shipping article on our website.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Jacksonville

There are several different cities named Jacksonville in the U.S. - okay, maybe more than several. A handful? I know for sure there's one in North Carolina, but there are a total of eight states that have a city named Jacksonville in them - that's a lot of Jacksonvilles! In this blog post we're going to be talking about shipping a car to Jacksonville, Florida, perhaps the most well-known of the eight different Jacksonvilles in the U.S.

As the county seat of Duval County, in Florida, Jacksonville is fairly popular in terms of auto transport. Started as a small army outpost during the early 19th cenutry, the city grew thanks to its location and has slowly evolved into a major area of trade and commerce in the northeastern corner of the state. Shipping to Jacksonville is relatively cheap year-round, depending on where you're shipping from; seasonal weather doesn't have much effect, except during the late summer and into the fall (because of hurricane season). You can read more about the city itself by visiting our helpful Auto Shipping to Jacksonville article on our website.

The FAQ's: Auto Transport Insurance

Insurance for auto shipping is a pretty tricky subject, if you don't know what you're talking about and you don't know much about shipping a car - but for those of you in the know, you know it's really not as bad as you might think.

Your auto shipping carrier must have at least $750,000 of total cargo insurance on his or her auto transport truck; this means that every vehicle on the truck will be fully insured regardless of condition or value and any damages sustained during transport will be dealt with and paid for by the truck's insurance. Your vehicle will be insured from the moment it is loaded until the moment it is unloaded from the carrier, and any insurance policies you have on your vehicle through a personal insurance agent will be relegated to the back seat; you won't submit any damage claims through your own insurance, but rather through the carrier's insurance company.

You can read more about auto transport insurance by visiting our helpful auto shipping FAQ page, and you can also get free auto shipping quotes by filling out our free online quote request form at the top of every page on our website.

Auto Shipping by State: Montana

With the largest city in the state of Montana being Billings, with just over 104,000 residents, and the smallest city being Ismay, with just 19, Montana is definitely a city of minor extremes. Sure, 104,000 people won't crack the Top 50 cities in the U.S., but it is a cool place to live, according to people I know who have lived there - except there isn't much to do, they say, and auto transport services (from my experiences) are really hard to find going to Montana.

Montana is known for its snowy winters, so if you're going to ship to Montana you'll want to try to ship in the summer months, when the skies are clear - it is Big Sky Country, after all, in Montana. But that doesn't mean it's going to come cheap, because auto shippers don't like shipping to areas that don't have a lot of people in them - less chances for new loads after they drop a vehicle off, and that doesn't sit well with most shippers. If you're looking to ship to Montana we can help you out with that; you can fill out our free form and get some quotes to ship your car to or from there, and you can read more about Montana by visiting our Auto Shipping to Montana page on our website.

City Spotlight: Dallas Auto Shipping

Dallas, despite its size, is actually one of the most popular auto shipping locations in the state of Texas and continually tops top-10 lists of most popular auto transport or auto shipping cities. It's located in the heart of the state of Texas, and with many interstate highways and major state routes running through the city (and its size, that definitely helps the cause) it's definitely a favorite of many shipping companies.

It also helps that it's located in Texas, in the desert, which means that there's not a lot of snow falling on Dallas during the year - which, in turn, means that more shippers will likely travel there during the winter months as well as during the summer, which helps lower winter auto transport prices for you and makes everything a bit easier in the long run.

You can visit our website and get some free quotes from reputable and reliable car transport companies to ship your vehicle to or from Dallas (or, truly, anywhere in the U.S.), and you can also read more about the city by visiting our official auto shipping to Dallas page on our website.

Auto Shipping by State: Hawaii

Hawaii is one of those states that most shipping companies will have a separate auto transport quote process for, because it's one of only two states that lies outside of the contiguous United States. We cover auto transport and auto shipping to both Alaska and Hawaii in our Automobile Shipping Learning Center, but it's always nice to have a bit of a refresher as well.

For starters, Hawaii is going to be more expensive to ship to than most cities in the U.S. because you're going to have to ship it overseas. This means working with two different physical shipping companies in addition to your car transport company - the car transport carrier will ship your vehicle to the port (most likely in Long Beach, CA) and then the port shipping company which owns and operates the cargo ship will transport it on said cargo ship to the port in Hawaii.

You can get up to ten free quotes to ship your vehicle to or from Hawaii by following the link we provided above; it takes you to our homepage, where you can fill out our form at the top, as well as scroll down to our Automobile Shipping Learning Center, which is at the bottom of the homepage. 

Happy 4th from Automobile Shipping Quotes!

On this momentous day in history, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in United States history. To celebrate, each year we surround ourselves with family and friends, barbecue hot dogs and hamburgers and have an awesome time watching fireworks and lighting them off yourself (unless you live in Oregon, where you can't have any fireworks go higher than six feet...poor Oregonians). 

So today, we're taking a small break from our different blog series' and focusing on remembering today in its entirety. Most auto transport companies will be closed for today, as the entire nation - except for some service industries, like fast food - takes a break to celebrate our freedom. Of course, we're still working - if you call us, someone will probably answer the phone (though it won't be me!), and you can always visit our website and fill out our free online quote form, because the internet never sleeps. 

So happy 4th of July to everyone out there, and have a safe and happy holiday from us here at Automobile Shipping Quotes!

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is a resort city located on the eastern shores of the state of Virginia. Despite its size, it continues to be a major auto transport location and one that plenty of people like to move to every single year. Prices will tend to go up during the summer months, as there will undoubtedly be more people shipping to Virginia Beach during the summer and there typically aren't any additional trucks running routes there.

But that's okay, because during the fall and winter months, prices tend to drop a bit - not a lot, perhaps, but a little bit. Be careful during hurricane season, though; Virginia Beach may not get hit hard by hurricanes (like Florida or Louisiana), but it's seen its fair share through the years, and as such most auto shippers are pretty wary about shipping through the area during hurricane season. You can read more about the city by visiting our official auto shipping to Virginia Beach article and you can get some free shipping quotes by filling out our free online car transport quote request form at the top of every page on our website.

Multiple Vehicle Shipping Tips

If you're on our website and you're looking to fill out our free online quote request form, you've probably noticed a distinct lack of multiple vehicle information spaces. It's true - our form is designed so you can only fill out the year, make and model of one vehicle, which for people looking to ship multiple vehicles can be difficult to fill out correctly.

But here's what we recommend if you're shipping multiple vehicles and want to get great auto shipping quotes from our rotation of awesome auto shipping affiliate companies. Fill out the form for one of your vehicle - make it the largest, if you're shipping a mix of cars, trucks and SUV's - and, once you get some quotes from shipping companies, you can let them know via phone or e-mail what the makes and models of all the other vehicles you're shipping are and they can give you a full quote right over the phone.

This is the best way, because the more vehicles you're shipping, the more expensive and complex your shipment will be, and you're going to want to talk to someone who can handle all those vehicles at once. All our affiliate shipping companies can handle multiple vehicles, but since our form is limited we recommend filling it out the best you can and then going from there.

The FAQ's: Shipping to Puerto Rico

There are companies that ship everywhere, companies that ship only in the U.S., and some that do a combination of both. And it's easy enough to find a shipping company that ships overseas - at least to Alaska and Hawaii. But what about shipping a car to Puerto Rico, or to Guam, or other U.S. territories that are overseas?

That's going to be a bit tougher, but we can definitely help you out there. Our free online quote request form can get you quotes to ship from anywhere, to anywhere in the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Guam, so long as you have either the city name or the zip code to fill in. It's a pretty simple quote form, all things considered, and as it's at the top of every single page on our website. So go ahead, fill out our free form and find out what we here at Automobile Shipping Quotes can do for you and all your vehicle transport needs.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Seattle

Located in the Pacific Northwest on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Seattle is a major port city and one of the primary ports for vehicle shipping up to Anchorage, as well as shipping from various ports in Alaska. It was built primarily as a transportation and manufacturing hub in the area during the period of U.S. westward expansion, and has grown into the largest city in the state of Washington and is still one of the largest transportation hubs north of San Francisco.

Shipping a car to or from Seattle can be easy or difficult, depending on where you're shipping to. Shipping down to California, or other states in the southwest, is pretty easy because of the interstate highways and how they run; shipping east from Idaho or Montana may be more complicated, mainly because of the amount of snow those states get during the winter months and the relative lack of major east-west interstates running through the area. You can read more about Seattle by visiting our auto shipping to Seattle page, and you can also get free quotes to ship your vehicle by filling out our free form on our website.

Auto Shipping by State: Wyoming

Wyoming...no offense to anyone living there, but there's really not much for a person raised in a large city to really do in Wyoming. Its largest city is Cheyenne, which has a population of just around 60,000 people - that's gotta tell you something (Missoula, Montana has a bit over 67,000 residents). Because of its low population (and low popularity in the auto transport industry), not many auto transport trucks are running routes to or from the city, which can make it hard to find a good deal on auto shipping to or from the area.

It doesn't help that during the winter, snow and ice can cause major delays and problems on the few interstate highways that run through Wyoming, and because its so rural chances are you're going to have to pay a bit more for auto transport services to this particular state than most others. You should definitely fill out our free quote form on our website, as prices are always subject to change based on a myriad of different factors, and you can read more about the state itself by visiting our Auto Shipping to Wyoming page too.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Los Angeles

As the second largest city in the U.S. and the largest city in the state of California, Los Angeles is one of the most popular auto transport destinations in the United States and sees a lot of people shipping vehicles to, from and through the city every single day. It's considered an Alpha world city, meaning it is a major center of international finance and culture, and we really can't disagree with that.

It's the home of the Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest ports on the west coast that handles international and overseas shipping of goods such as foodstuffs, manufacturing items, and vehicles. Since its founding in the 19th century it grew rapidly and today has over 3.8 million residents - a far cry from the 8.2 million in New York, but still a lot more than the third highest city, Chicago (which has just 2.7 million residents). You can read more about the city of Los Angeles by visiting our official Auto Shipping to Los Angeles page on our website, and you can also get free quotes to ship your vehicle to anywhere, from anywhere in the U.S., including L.A., by filling out our free online auto shipping quote request form.

The FAQ's: Shipping Multiple Vehicles

When it comes to shipping multiple vehicles at once, it can be somewhat of a hassle, especially if you're trying to organize transportation for two different vehicles in two different locations. But we can help you get multiple vehicle shipping quotes from reputable and reliable companies regardless of where you're shipping from and to.

To start, shipping multiple vehicles is going to be more expensive than shipping a single vehicle, but how much more expensive is really up to you. There are many companies who provide incentives for their customers to book their multiple vehicle shipping needs with them, typically in the form of multiple vehicle discounts and the like. We talk about this a bit in our helpful car shipping FAQ, which you can visit by following that link we provided. There's a lot more information regarding shipping more than one vehicle in that helpful article, and we think you'll be surprised. You can also fill out our free form and get some free quotes for shipping multiple vehicles as well, and we recommend doing so, because you can't go wrong with free quotes from reputable and reliable shippers.

The FAQ's: An Introduction

Like we've done twice before, we're going to unveil a brand new blog series that will help you gather even more information about auto transport, vehicle shipping and the car transportation industry in general. Only instead of focusing on cities and states that you can ship to, we're going to try and answer some burning questions about the auto shipping industry in our new series, "The FAQ's" (and if you say it like a word, it sounds like "the facts," which I thought was pretty clever).

In addition to our Auto Shipping by State and City Spotlight segments, we'll be tossing our FAQ blog posts in whenever we feel like it. We'll discuss some of the burning questions posed to us by callers and e-mailers over the years, and hopefully you'll glean some new information about the auto transport industry and how you can get the best quotes to ship your vehicle. You can visit our website to read more frequently asked questions posed to us by our customers, and you can fill out our free form to get some free auto shipping quotes from reputable and reliable auto shipping companies. 

City Spotlight: Memphis Auto Shipping

Memphis is a popular city in the state of Tennessee, characterized by hot, humid summer days and chilly, breezy winter nights. First founded in the late 18th century, Memphis grew into a major agricultural powerhouse until the end of the American Civil War, when it began to turn to more manufacturing and less cotton (thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation), but today it is still considered to be a vital agricultural center of the state.

Transporting a vehicle to Memphis is usually pretty easy and cost-effective during the summer months, given its location and relatively nice weather throughout most of the year. There are times when auto transporters just aren't in the area, of course, but there's usually someone no more than a few days outside of Memphis going in that your auto shipper can dispatch your vehicle to. You can fill out our free form to get some quotes from reputable and reliable car shippers, and you can also read more about the city by visiting our auto shipping to Memphis page on our website.

Auto Shipping by State: New York

We've talked about New York City on this blog before, but unless you've read our Auto Shipping to New York article on our website, you may not know about the intricacies of shipping a vehicle to New York state, which can be a problem for you - which is why we're writing this blog post, so you can be informed and know a bit more about what you may be getting into when you're shipping a vehicle to New York state.

Most customers that ship a vehicle to New York state want to ship to somewhere near New York City, which is completely understandable considering just how many people live and work in the city itself. But New York is a big state, and auto transport to places in western New York like Rochester or Buffalo can be a bit harder. Upstate New York can be difficult too, considering that there's a giant forest preserve cutting through much of the northern areas. You should definitely talk to your car transport representative about where in New York you're shipping to or from and how you can save some extra money when shipping to or from the state.

Auto Shipping by State: An Intro

Just like we started the city spotlight series (and you can check out our first post in that series via last week's post), we're starting up our brand-new auto shipping by state series, which will focus on the auto transport process when shipping to or from specific states in the U.S. We're going to be adding them on Wednesdays, of course, and we'll be alternating between our City Spotlight and Auto Shipping by State posts every week, so make sure you keep coming back for more.

Every post in our Auto Shipping by State series will cover a state that we have an article about, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. You'll learn some of the finer details, such as how seasonal shipping can affect your automobile shipping quotes and rates, as well as some cool information regarding each state. You can read about each state yourself via our auto shipping by state index, in case the state you're shipping to or from has yet to be covered in our blog.

City Spotlight: New York City

New York City, the City that Never Sleeps, the Big Apple - there are so many nicknames for New York City that I can't even list them all. It's the most well-known city in the U.S., home to over 8 million residents in the city proper. Four of its five boroughs (The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens) have over a million people living in them and would rank in the top 10 cities in the U.S. if they were independent cities.

The mass amount of people makes getting auto shipping quotes to or from the city relatively easy, though getting into the city itself can be a challenge for auto transport carriers. Because of its long history, New York City's streets are relatively narrow and auto transport trucks have a hard time maneuvering within them. It doesn't help that in areas like Manhattan they can't even go there at all, due to city ordinances preventing large trucks from roaming the crowded streets of New York's busiest area, but it's easy enough to get quotes to ship near New York, or to one of the other boroughs - so long as the truck can get there.

You can fill out our free form to get quotes from multiple reliable auto shipping companies who can give you the full lowdown on shipping to New York City, and you can also visit our own New York Auto Shipping page on our website if you're looking for more information.

Introducing City Spotlight

We're unveiling one of new recurring topics here on the ASQ blog - the City Spotlight! Each installment of the City Spotlight series will focus on one of the top 200 auto transport destinations in the United States, to help you if you're shipping to or from that particular city. Insightful information will always be presented, and we'll also provide links to each individual city's auto shipping article on our homepage.

We'll cover things that you need to know about shipping a car to each city that we spotlight; for instance, if we're discussing Fargo, North Dakota, we may make mention of the fact that shipping your vehicle to Fargo in the winter time can be hard to find and expensive to do because shippers don't like the cold weather. That's just an example, of course, but it's a very important example.

You can check out our entire list of cities by visiting our auto shipping by city index, which is a long list of every auto shipping by city article we have on our website - we're still working on getting the ordering right, but a simple Ctrl+F function can find a specific city for you with relative ease. Check it out!

Give Us a Call For Your Free Auto Shipping Quotes!

If you're searching the interwebs out there for some good, free auto shipping or auto transport quotes, you've definitely hit the mother lode; Automobile Shipping Quotes is a great resource not just to get free car shipping quotes from, but also to get some great information regarding automobile transportation. You can fill out our free online car shipping quote form and get your free quotes e-mailed to you, or you can call us and have us take your information for you.

Have a question that our helpful website can't answer? You can call us and our helpful staff members will answer any and every question you may have as best they can. Of course, they can't answer every question, because ultimately they don't ship any vehicles, but they'll do their best to help you out in whatever way they can. Our number can be found on our website, and you can read more articles, FAQ's, blog posts and much more there as well.

New Blog Format has Arrived!

In anticipation of our new website development projects we have lined up, we're going to be taking a different approach at our blogroll. Instead of focusing mainly on auto industry news and how it relates to the auto shipping world, we're going to go a bit more introvert and discuss some of the great things about our website and what you can explore and find there. Once a week - typically on Wednesdays - we'll post a small blog about one of the pages on our website, to help our customers find more information regarding the auto transport industry and how we can help them get the most of their car transportation experience.

Follow along as we shine a spotlight on some of the most important information in the industry. We're planning on running a few different segments on this blog, including a breakdown of various states and cities and how auto transport services work going to and from, as well as various frequently asked questions and maybe even some one-off blog posts about something cool that we find during our ramblings through the vast spaces of the internet. We're excited about this new change, and we hope you all are too.

My name's Dave, and I'll be your guide through our great website. Check out our other blog posts, and our archives will always be there, detailing great auto industry news and information.

Fuel Efficiency Key For Buyers

According to a report published by Edmunds.com, people are wanting fuel efficient compact cars, mid-size cars and small SUV's, with sales of those types of vehicle constituting 40% of all March sales so far. Vehicles like the Chevy Sonic, Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius are selling incredibly well, while the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima did well in their own categories. This comes as little surprise, considering the current state of the world, especially when it comes to fuel prices, which have been skyrocketing the past few months. Auto transportation companies haven't noticed a huge change in the number of vehicles being shipped, but chances are people are shopping more locally as opposed to online when they're looking for fuel-efficient, cheap vehicles. Who wants to ship a car when they can pick the same one up at their local dealership? But regardless, things are looking up for consumers, who traditionally want cheap, reliable, efficient vehicles. Here's to hoping that automobile manufacturers actually get on board with what their customers REALLY want.

Stop-Start System Being Introduced In Conventional Vehicles

While the idea of stop-start technology was introduced years ago with the Prius and other hybrid vehicles, the idea of having an engine that shuts itself off that runs on straight gasoline has been ludicrous - until now. The technology has finally found its way to conventional vehicles, and while adapting it to something as large as an auto transport truck may prove to be more challenging than a regular car, people are excited about it. The stop-start technology can save drivers up to 12% on their fuel consumption, meaning less trips to the pump and less money spent on fuel. The majority of new cars and trucks should come with stop-start technology standard in the next ten to fifteen years. This is really cool news, especially at a time when gasoline prices are at an all-time high and drivers are having a hard time getting from A to B without breaking the bank to do it. We'll make sure to keep track of which specific vehicles feature the technology and let you know when they'll be available as soon as we know.

Bad News From Ford

And just when things seem to be going so well, too.

The Ford Motor Company has been under the pressure cooker recently thanks to the filing of papers in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, stating that the company not only knew about problems with F-Series vans and trucks built between 1999 and 2008, but did little or nothing to warn their consumers. The company has yet to issue a statement, but the papers filed claim that the Ford Motor Company sent out a secret memo to its dealerships informing them of the problem with the F-Series fuel tanks, but essentially left it up to dealers to tell the customers. Toyota has recently dug itself out of a huge hole for problems relating to several of their models, and Ford could be the next big manufacturer to see major repercussions from shady business practices. Auto transporters have commented on Ford's recent success, stating that new Ford vehicles are shipping like hot cakes, but this could be a major problem for Ford going forward. We'll keep you appraised of what's going on as we learn more.

Subaru Unveils New Driver Warning System for U.S. Models

Subaru has long considered itself on the front lines in terms of vehicle safety, but the biggest problem with new technological advances in things like early warning systems and the like are expensive and reserved for people who can afford to shell out $60,000 or more on a nice car. Their solution: a side-mirror-mounted system that can help drivers avoid problems on the road - long before the driver even sees them. The EyeSight system, as Subaru has named it, can also stop a vehicle going speeds up to 19 miles per hour, which is something new for most safety systems. The company is looking forward to marketing this new technology extensively once it works out all the kinks, and consumers can expect them to be installed in new Subaru models sooner rather than later. Auto transportation companies have wanted to include systems not unlike this one for a long time, but as Subaru is proving, it can be costly to do so. Hopefully something like this winds up in all long-distance logistics trucks soon, though, as it can only make the road safer for everyone.

Used Fuel Efficient Cars See Prices Going Up

In an era of $4.25/gallon of gasoline, fuel efficiency for cars is a huge concern for buyers, whether they're looking at new cars or old cars. Kelley Blue Book, the company that prices every vehicle sold in the United States - not to mention keeping track of overall resale values - has noticed a sharp increase in the number of fuel efficient used cars being bought from used car dealerships. This high amount of demand has forced dealerships to raise prices on their fuel efficient used cars, something that is completely new for a lot of buyers. 2011 saw a huge raise - 20% increase in sales over 2010 - and that same number could be repeated in 2012. Auto transport companies first noticed the sharp rise near the end of 2010, but those numbers haven't really gone down much over the past year or so, which leads this blogger to believe that getting your hands on a car that gets 27 mpg - or more - could be difficult in the coming months. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Prius Sales Lead Toyota Demand

The Toyota Prius has seen its share of ups and downs. Introduced far before any other hybrid vehicles were on the market, the Prius has been a staple on the road for over a decade. Though it went through a rough patch a few years ago, thanks to defects in its regenerative braking system, Toyota Prius sales have climbed through the roof and are now leading all other Toyota brands in terms of sales numbers. But that isn't the end. All Toyota hybrids - including ones in the Lexus lineup - have seen increases of 62% on average, a huge jump from last year's sales numbers. Auto transporters have noticed a slight rise in the number of Prius and Lexus hybrids being shipped from dealerships, but on the whole the numbers have remained roughly the same. Most new Prius vehicles are bought at local dealerships and driven off the lot, but with the internet only continuing to grow and become more user-friendly, maybe that too will change.

Chrysler's Keys to Success Lie in New Marketing Strategy

The Chrysler Group has hired a French guy named Olivier Francois to run their marketing department, a move that has seen the company go from completely bankrupt to a powerhouse in the American market once again. Taking a novel approach to marketing for the company, Francois is focusing on selling the Chrysler name instead of the individual cars it sells. This will help put the Chrysler name back into daily discussions by everyday people by giving them brand recognition; instead of thinking about the new Chrysler Sebring Convertible, you'll be thinking about Chrysler, and that's more important because not everyone likes convertibles. The fact is that this marketing strategy has worked, with Chrysler boasting sales increases every time it runs a new sales report. It's insane. And auto transportation companies have seen it too, with new Chrysler shipping numbers up over the past year. It's a great time to be an American automobile manufacturer - thanks to Ford, they've finally gotten their act together. 

Honda Seeks To Incorporate CNG Fuel Stations in American Dealerships

Chrysler and General Motors have been working on providing compressed natural gas-powered vehicles to their customers, but Honda has been providing that for a few years now. Not only that, but Honda is committed to their CNG vehicles and are seeking to add more CNG fueling stations to their dealerships across America, allowing customers who have purchased or who are looking to purchase a CNG-powered car to quickly and easily refuel. In an era where electric vehicles and hybrids are all the rage (though still not as much as gasoline-powered efficient vehicles), Honda is seeking to do something new. Auto transporters haven't really seen many of their CNG-powered vehicles, but they're pretty low-key on the whole, with not a lot on the market right now. Little advertising has been done, and this blogger has yet to figure out what the model is even called, but I'm sure Honda will be pushing it before too long.

Cost of EV Batteries Will Go Down, White House Says

The White House recently released a report titled "A Secure Energy Future: Progress Report" that explains how the cost of electric vehicles will go down considerably over the next few years, with the primary reason being the drop in price of electric vehicle batteries, which are one of the largest costs for auto manufacturers and a main reason as to why electric cars and hybrids are so expensive. This, in turn, will help the U.S. dramatically reduce its dependence on foreign oil, as a cost of a 10 kilowatt battery that gives a car a 40-mile range will drop to $3,600 by 2015. Auto transportation companies have noticed a sharp decline in the number of new hybrid and full-electric vehicles being shipped, with consumers switching to more conventional automobiles thanks to better fuel economy, but that doesn't mean that the hybrid is doomed to be forgotten. On the contrary, many auto transporters are gearing up for more hybrids and more full-electric vehicles. Hopefully this is the wave of the near-future, as gasoline prices are just going to continue going up.

Buyers Want More Fuel Efficiency

According to the Ford Motor Company, buyers are more interested in fuel efficient vehicles than powerful ones, based on recent surveys and studies conducted by the company. What's interesting, however, is that most buyers aren't nearly as interested in electric vehicles or hybrids as they are in more fuel-efficient automobiles, and this is something that the Ford Motor Company has been noticing, thanks in large part to high sales of the Fiesta and Focus, the two cheapest models that Ford sells. Neither vehicle has a hybrid counterpart, but the sales are still up over other vehicles. Auto shipping companies have noticed a large drop in the number of hybrids being sold, but the exact reasons as to why are more difficult to establish. It doesn't help that Ford's average mpg across all its vehicles jumped by 5 miles per gallon over the past year, but it does show that the company knows what its customers want. And they want more gas-powered, efficient cars.

New Fisker Karma Fails Consumer Reports Test

The Fisker Karma is a new electric vehicle that's being prepped for introduction into various markets. Justin Bieber, apparently, received one for his 18th birthday (Bieber's 18?!), but that doesn't change Consumer Reports' test of the vehicle, which couldn't have gone worse. Apparently the testers got the vehicle up to 65 miles per hour and began testing calibration and other things wile in motion, when the car simply "died." The Karma is a plug-in hybrid sports luxury vehicle, apparently, and is priced around $100,000; auto transporters haven't even seen the vehicle yet (not unlike the Tesla "X" that we talked about yesterday, albeit with a lot more problems than Tesla's version), but that doesn't stop them from talking about it. We don't know when it will be released for sale or if the problems with the car suddenly dying will be fixed, but until they are, expect this car to stay out of the headlines.

Tesla Introduces New Family-Friendly "X" Model

Tesla is perhaps best known for its awesome Roadster, which is an all-electric sports car that can challenge the Porsche 911 Turbo in terms of speed and horsepower (if not range). Tesla was the first major company to step up production and advertisement of an all-electric vehicle, and has expanded its model lineup with the Tesla "S" and now, due in 2014, the Tesla "X." The X model is, according to the company, a mix between an SUV and a minivan and was designed for women drivers - what this means, I have no idea, but I'm expecting it to be much more accessible and comfortable for women. There have already been 500 orders for the X model, and it's still a year away from being complete and showable. However, it DOES have gullwing doors, so this blogger's pretty excited to see it. Auto transportation companies have yet to see it, considering that it's still in design and production, but at the same time they're anticipating more Tesla models being shipped in the coming years.

EV Sales Still Up Despite Brief Volt Shutdown

Following GM's decision to shut down production of the Chevy Volt for over a month, industry analysts were predicting a sharp decrease in the number of electric vehicles sold overall, but so far sales have stayed relatively strong despite the decision to halt production on the Volt. The Volt and the Nissan Leaf combined for over 1,500 sales in the month of February, which all-told isn't that terrible. As we begin to see more rising gas prices (seems like they always go up around this time, doesn't it?) and fuel shortages being predicted come summertime, electric vehicles and hybrids - along with alternative energy sources - are slowly creeping back into the minds of the consumers. While electric vehicle and hybrid sales have slumped in recent months, the fact that rising gas prices are forcing consumers to look to electric and hybrid vehicles again is a good sign for the fledgling technology. Auto shipping companies have noticed a slight cooling off of electric vehicle and hybrid transport numbers, but they're still moving around out there, which means that they're most likely here to stay.

New Technologies Help Auto Shipping Companies

This is rare indeed: a news article that directly pertains to auto shipping companies. While most blogs on this site deal with general automotive news and how it pertains to the industry, there are relatively few things out there that directly impact auto transport companies, but this time it's different. New commercial routing software is being produced specifically for logistics companies who have to pay their drivers by the mile, but there's a lot more going into it than meets the eye. Turn-by-turn navigation helps auto transporters especially, by offering a built-in navigation system that allows them to find pickup and delivery locations quickly and easily. Not only that, but new technology suites being introduced also include maps, fuel tax reporting applications, fuel management options and mobile communications, so drivers don't have to pull over every time they get a phone call. This is really cool, and I'm sure that most auto shipping managers are excited to see this technology in action. I know I am, and I don't even drive a truck for a living.

European Auto Sales Affecting U.S. Automakers

According to the Detroit News, the struggling automobile industry in Europe is having huge negative repercussions on American automakers, especially Ford and General Motors, who are projecting hundreds of millions of dollars in losses thanks to no one buying their vehicles in Europe. But it's not just them - other American companies, such as Chrysler, who have major stakes in Europe, as well as European-based auto manufacturers, are having major problems selling cars over there as well. The largest reason is the shape of the European economy, which has been getting worse ever since the global financial meltdown hit in 2008. Right now, Ford's projecting a $600 million loss, while GM has already lost $747 million and could be looking at more. This has also hit the European auto transport industry hard, as many auto shipping companies there have had to close up shop due to the lack of business. Hopefully things turn around, but right now...we'll just have to wait and see.

Chrysler Announces CNG Pickups

The Wall Street Journal has recently published an article stating that Chrysler Group, LLC is planning to launch an independent truck lineup that will feature trucks capable of driving on normal gasoline as well as compressed natural gas (CNG), which has been around for a long time but only recently begun making headlines in the automotive industry. Chrysler is looking at using CNG as their vehicle's main source of fuel, with gasoline a backup in case you run out of CNG or something of the like. With compressed natural gas prices being half of those of gasoline, it's a lucrative alternative, and Chrysler has stated that the CNG can provide a range of more than 250 miles for a bi-fuel Ram pickup, with an additional 112 miles for the gasoline. That's pretty impressive, considering my old Corolla only had a range of about 350 miles on a full tank of gas. Many car transport companies are excited to see how CNG fuel is used in the near future - maybe hoping they can adapt the technology into their own fleets. But only time will tell.

Ford Focus Named Most Fuel-Efficient Car

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently named the Ford Focus as the most fuel-efficient car sold in the United States, with a 110 mpg-e (miles per gallon equivalent) rating. This makes it the most efficient five-passenger car, beating out the next-closest Nissan Leaf by a wide margin. The Focus is all-electric and gets 99 mpg-e on the highway (electric vehicles are more efficient when it comes to city driving than highway), but the biggest draw for consumers is the quick recharge time (half the time of the Nissan Leaf) as well as how roomy and comfortable it is. Many auto shipping companies have noticed a slight increase in the number of Focus Electrics being shipped, but on the whole it just means that Ford is continuing to do what it set out to do after the global economic meltdown: made good cars at competitive prices so people have things to get around in.

Increase in Chrysler Sales No Accident

It's been a surprising change of pace, seeing the floundering Chrysler Group's sales skyrocket virtually overnight, but it's been a welcomed one. Chrysler, who had to accept government bailout money in 2008, has been hard against the ropes trying to salvage the company, but so far it seems they've done it - and more. Chrysler saw a 40% sales increase in February 2012 as opposed to 2011, marking its 23rd consecutive month with higher sales figures than the year before. Chrysler SEO Sergio Marchionne has attributed the recent success to creative marketing, customer satisfaction and an improvement in their vehicles, among other reasons. The auto shipping industry has noticed a steady rise in the number of Chrysler vehicles being shipped, which could only be good news for the company as it continues to compete in the ever-more-lucrative world of automobiles.

Vehicle Rearview Cameras Save Lives

According to recent government studies, most fatalities involving a car going in reverse are due to the driver not being able to adequately see behind the vehicle. The government is now planning on passing legislation that would force all automobile manufacturers to provide rearview cameras on all passenger vehicles starting in 2014 - standard, not as an option. This is good news for many pedestrians in cities where backing up into streets can be hazardous, especially on busy streets where driveways are obscured. Not only that, but having better rearview cameras in cars have been shown to not only reduce accidents in reverse, but accidents in general. The auto shipping industry is exempt from these new laws, as they aren't technically passenger vehicles, but the technology might not be too far behind for auto shipping companies.

2012 Top Vehicles for Fuel Efficiency

The numbers are in, and 2012's top vehicles for fuel efficiency have finally been announced. Auto shipping companies are somewhat surprised at the results, considering sales for some of these vehicles are lower than they should be. But this reflects the state of the automobile industry in the United States more than it does the auto shipping industry. Regardless, here are the top vehicles for each vehicle class for 2012 in terms of vehicle efficiency:

Two-seaters: Honda CR-Z (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Minicompacts: Scion IQ (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 37

Subcompacts: Mitsubishi i-MiEV - MPG: 112*

Compacts: Chevy Volt - MPG: 60*

Midsize Vehicles: Nissan Leaf - MPG: 99*

Large Vehicles: Hyundai Sonata (4 Cylinder) - MPG: 28

*As these vehicles are electric-gasoline hybrids, conversion factors must be used to determine overall fuel efficiency.

Clearly the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is your best bet for fuel efficiency, but not all these cars are the right fit for everyone. The Sonata is a popular vehicle not just because of its fuel efficiency, but because of its brand name and other factors that people use when buying vehicles. So it's not surprising that auto shipping numbers for the Scion IQ or the Mitsubishi I-MiEV are relatively low.

Hybrids Not As Popular As Once Thought

The auto shipping industry is baffled at this, and I am too: hybrid vehicles and plug-in electrics are actually losing favor with the American people, who are starting to turn back to conventionally-powered gasoline vehicles, despite the huge push by the government and automobile manufacturers for alternative-energy vehicles. The main reason is that most gas-powered vehicles have a fuel efficiency that most people are looking for - the Ford Fiesta gets 40 miles per gallon, and most small cars today are pushing 32-35 mpg on average on the freeway. This is big news, especially considering that most auto shipping companies ship conventional vehicles - but have noticed a large increase in the number of hybrids and full-electric vehicles being shipped over the past year or two. With GM now pushing diesel-powered cars in a new advertising campaign, are hybrids going the way of the dodo? It could be, but chances are hybrids are just starting out. Only time will tell.

Mercedes Strong Despite Struggling Economy

The Mercedes name, owned by Daimler Auto Group, has seen strong sales worldwide, selling a gross 1.26 million units. The numbers are impressive, and auto shipping companies can definitely attest to that - Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz vehicles make up part of the majority of vehicles that auto shipping companies ship. Demand is still high for the new B-class compact that Mercedes is unveiling, and a new A-class hatchback which has been in the works is expected to debut soon, much to Mercedes enthusiasts. The company is also pushing smaller, cheaper cars, aimed at young buyers who have a lot of cash to spend (let's face it, Mercedes makes expensive cars). Auto shipping companies have also taken note that Mercedes has secured an investor to allow an additional $2.4 billion in funding to their U.S. operations, a move that has auto shipping companies and, it would seem, auto workers in general, looking forward to Mercedes' bright future.

Distracted Driving Not a Concern?

According to The Wall Street Journal, distracted driving is slowly becoming a non-issue as automakers respond to what electronics consumers are looking for in their vehicles. There's always been a huge discrepancy in what consumers want and what auto manufacturers can deliver, but it's slowly becoming more apparent that technology is finally catching up to the automobile. New systems such as bluetooth, Wi-Fi, in-dash navigation systems that double as restaurant finders and radios are all the rage, and while some consumer advocate groups are decrying the amount of new technologies in cars, the fact is that most consumers not only like their toys-within-toys, but want more of them. This means that automobile makers can play around with including new technologies in their vehicles, and the DOT and NHTSA are going to have their hands full in seeing just what's going to come of it. However, auto shipping companies are keeping it old-school - most auto shipping trucks have some form of navigation system, but oftentimes it's on the driver's phone or a third-party navigation system. Over the coming years, auto shipping trucks might see the same new technologies as consumer cars, but only time will tell.

Chevy Makes Blunder With Cruze, Volt

The Chevrolet Cruze is a gasoline-powered, fuel-efficient car manufactured and distributed by Chevrolet, a marque owned by General Motors. It runs anywhere from $16,000 - $20,000, depending on the package, and is a real saver when it comes to gasoline, netting on average 26 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. While not as pretty as Ford's numbers, they're pretty good. The only problem is that Chevrolet also manufacturers the Volt, their all-electric vehicle. With a price-tag of $40,000, it's more than double the base price of the Cruze...and, ironically, for not much savings. Experts have crunched the numbers and have determined that for consumers to save the $20,000 in fuel savings they would spend up-front buying the Volt as opposed to the Cruze, it would take almost 20 years. This is a huge problem for the vehicle manufacturer, who expected Volt sales numbers to be higher than most other EV's on the road today. The auto shipping industry has noticed too the lack of Volts that are flowing off dealer show floors, and its a trend that shows no signs of stopping unless Chevy steps in. Perhaps lowering the Volt's price-tag would be a good start?

Oil Rising, No End in Sight

Iran has stopped all exports of oil to Britain and France, a move which has the entire NATO community in an outrage. But as we've seen countless times, political games between warring nations often wreak havoc on the citizens they are sworn to protect - and as oil prices continue to increase, with no end in sight, people are starting to wonder what's next. The auto shipping industry has been hit particularly hard by the hike in prices, with gas prices in some parts of the country hitting over $4/gallon. The auto shipping industry isn't the only transportation industry to be hit hard by the rising fuel prices, and with no sign of them slowing down or stabilizing in the coming days or weeks, some companies have been having a hard time making ends meet. The transportation and logistics industries are the backbone of this country; without them, nothing would get done. Auto shipping companies everywhere are trying hard to keep prices steady, but be warned: prices will most likely be going up for all you auto shipping customers out there. Just don't get too mad when you don't like the price you get.

DOT Not Giving Up on Fighting Distracted Driving

In a recent article by the Detroit News, the US Department of Transportation is pushing auto makers to make vehicles that actively work to limit driver distractions. The department is calling for in-dashboard technology to reduce how often drivers look away from the road or take their hands off the wheel. This includes things such as in-dash radios, GPS navigation systems, systems not unlike Ford's Sync system, and much more. Auto shipping companies are both excited and apprehensive about this; excited, because the roads can be a dangerous place, and many drivers who are distracted can be extreme hazards for giant trucks hauling multiple vehicles, and apprehensive because it's one more thing that the auto shipping companies will have to abide by. But no matter which way you look at it, it's important to limit the distractions that drivers face every day, and auto shipping companies know that as well. We'll keep you updated on the goings on of this as it develops.