Auto Shipping Quotes vs. Estimates

When you're looking for automobile shipping prices, many of you will likely search for some estimates to get a rough idea of what it's going to cost to ship your car from one state to another. Others will start looking for quotes from some different companies and compare actual prices. But which method is better in the long run? As a quote provider, naturally we're going to tell you that getting quotes is always the better option, but it's more than just that: it really is a better idea to know how much you're going to be paying as opposed to how much you might pay.

Estimates might not be a bad idea to start, but why settle for a maybe when you can get a good range from reliable companies all at once with actual quotes instead of estimates? When you fill out our free form you'll get multiple free quotes from reputable and reliable shippers e-mailed to you within the hour. Get the true prices to ship your car from the companies that'll ship them. Don't fumble around with clunky prices - get instant free quotes on demand. All it takes is filling out our free form on every page on our site. It's quick, it's free, and ultimately it's going to get you in contact with the people you want to talk to a lot faster than calling a bunch of random companies and getting estimates.

What NOT To Put In Your Trunk During Auto Transport Services

Automobile shipping companies will usually let you put at least a few things in your trunk while your vehicle is being transported. Typically they will say no more than 100 pounds at the absolute maximum, but many will say fifty pounds only of stuff in the trunk. It depends on who you talk to. But there are a few things that they will all say, and one of those things is that you can't put a few select items in your trunk - namely firearms, bombs, anything illegal or that is illegal to transport across state lines. But more than that, you should never put anything that is inherently valuable to you or that has any sentimental value to it; likewise, you should never put electronics or anything expensive of that nature into your trunk while it is being shipped. Only your vehicle will be insured during transport, so anything you put in the trunk you put AT YOUR OWN RISK. Please understand that. Your shipper is not and will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of items you place in your vehicle.

Why Bigger Cities Are Cheaper to Ship to and From

Major metropolitan areas are favored by auto transporters because of the simple fact that they're major population centers. People who ship their vehicles more often move from one major metropolitan area to another, and with hundreds of cities with populations over 100,000 in the United States, there are a lot of areas that shippers can easily get into and out of without deviating from the routes that they typically run. This is also why it's more expensive to ship to areas off a major interstate (or the occasional high-traffic state route, such as the 101 in western California) as opposed to areas that sit right along it, as transporters will have to spend more in time and fuel in order to get to areas off the beaten path. If you're looking to transport your vehicle to or from a rural area, you stand to save money by switching the pickup and/or delivery locations to major metropolitan areas nearby.

Auto Shipping by State: Kansas

When you're looking to ship a car to Kansas, you should probably know a bit about the state, especially if you're moving there and have never been there before. It's probably best known for its huge swaths of farmland, dominated by a variety of different crops including corn, wheat, and, of course, livestock. The trouble with the state, really, is the lack of major interstates running through it. There are only a few east-west routes that auto shippers can travel along, and since Kansas is fairly rural a lot of car shippers don't like going there because there's a definitive lack of customers.

With loads scarce and auto shippers reluctant to travel through the state, prices per-mile are mildly higher than it is in other regions of the country. Weather can play a big factor, and many shippers may also be reluctant to travel through the state during tornado season or during the winter months. You should talk to your auto transport representative about when the best time to ship a vehicle to or from Kansas would be, if you have the time to spare, and you can read more about the state on our Kansas Auto Shipping page.

The FAQ's - Open Transportation

Continuing our spotlight on various frequently asked auto shipping questions, we explore a bit regarding open auto transport carriers and how they benefit your during your auto shipping experience.

Open auto transport describes the specific type of transportation truck that will be transporting your vehicle - they are the most common carriers on the road today, with roughly 80-90% of all auto shippers operating an open transportation truck of some kind. Open transporters often haul up to ten cars at a time, and each vehicle is "open" to the elements - as opposed to enclosed transportation, which secures the vehicle(s) in an enclosed shipping container to protect against the various hazards of the road.

Open auto transportation is the cheapest and easiest method of transportation for shipping companies to book your shipment with, and as such they consider it the "default" method of shipping a car. If you fill out our free online quote request form you can get up to ten free quotes for open auto transport; you can request enclosed transportation, but it is considered an upgrade and will cost more in the long run.

You can read more about open transport on our Automobile Transport FAQ page.

City Spotlight: Auto Shipping to Birmingham

Founded during the heart of the Reconstruction period, Birmingham has been a major transportation and manufacturing center in the state of Alabama since its founding. Though its foundation was laid in part thanks to a major railroad junction, the city has boomed into one of the primary pillars of the manufacturing sector of Alabama proper - not to mention a fairly popular auto shipping destination.

Birmingham lies on several major north-south and east-west interstate routes, making it easy for auto shippers to transport cars to, from and through the city. Prices stay pretty standard on a per-mile basis throughout the year; shipping numbers stay fairly consistent throughout the year, whereas in many other areas prices could go up or down, depending on whether or not carriers are going to the area of if there is a large number of customers shipping in or out of a specific area. This means that your auto transport prices won't change too drastically, on the whole.

You can fill out our free form to get some quick auto transport quotes to or from the city of Birmingham, and you can read more about on our Auto Shipping to Birmingham page.

The FAQ's - Non-Running Vehicles

Are you looking to ship a non-running vehicle? If so, that's absolutely fine - you can fill out our free quote form to get quotes for both running and non-running vehicles. But what's different about shipping a vehicle that doesn't run? Well, for starters, any auto shipper that transports non-running vehicles has a special winch attached to his vehicle - and not all shippers have one of these. While it's normally not an issue, pickup times could be affected, with pickup windows being stretched by a few days to accommodate for the smaller pool of available carriers.

You should always specify if you're shipping a non-running vehicle; not doing so could very well end up with some very unhappy people, including yourself. If you try to pass your vehicle off as a running vehicle, and it isn't running, then you run the risk of your transport company booking with a carrier that can't ship it - this could net you not only a cancelled carrier, but a completely cancelled order, because many shippers state up front that you need to specify. You can read more about shipping non-running vehicles via our helpful Car Shipping FAQ page.

Auto Shipping by State: Alaska

Looking to ship your car to Alaska? It's a bit more involved than simple city-to-city auto transportation, and it's going to cost a fair bit more, but on the whole it's a lot easier to ship a car to Alaska than it is to drive up through Canada (it's a longer drive than you might think!).

Once you book your auto shipping to Alaska with a transport company, they're going to find a carrier to pick your vehicle up from wherever it is and transport it via overland truck to the port in Seattle (or Tacoma, but it's usually Seattle). Once there, it'll be put onto a large cargo vessel and shipped overseas to the port in Anchorage, usually, though some shipping companies can ship to other ports as well. Pricing depends highly on availability and the time of year, so talk to your shipper about when the best time to ship a car to Alaska would be. 

You can fill out our free online quote form, if you're looking for a transport company still, and you can also read more about the state of Alaska itself - as well as glean some helpful auto transport tips - by visiting our Alaska Auto Shipping page.

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: 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: 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.

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: 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.