A Quick Guide on Car Shipping Time

How long does it take to ship a car? That depends on a number of factors, including the size and state of the vehicle. Most of all, though, it’s the distance that dictates the bulk of the cost. Cars often become a big part of city living. We end up relying on the comfort and convenience they provide. Whenever life demands that you move across the country, bringing that convenience with you becomes all the more important. With so many vehicle transport companies out there now, you can get your car transported to your new location whenever you wish, but the car shipping delivery time itself may vary. Read on for a comprehensive deep-dive into car transport and the factors that influence it.

How Long Does It Take to Transport a Car? 5 Determining Factors 

Shipping your car away takes time. How much time exactly will depend on several factors that affect the ultimate result. 

Let’s take a detailed look at what determines car shipping delivery time:

Distance

The most important factor influencing car shipping delivery times is the distance between the start and the destination. It’s simple, really – covering large distances means multiple breaks for the carrier, which elongates the timeframe. Shorter distances, if booked in advance, can often be covered within 1-2 days, depending on the demand and your other transport choices.

Shipping Preferences

Generally speaking, car transportation providers offer two options: open or enclosed trailers. Open trailers make for a cheaper choice and are readily available for transport. The other (much safer) option is enclosed trailers, which are covered from all sides, protecting your car from exposure to the elements, like the sun, dirt or smoke. Fleets of enclosed trailers are smaller in number, which may prolong waiting times; however, this partially depends on the scale of the auto transport company’s business.

Vehicle Size

The size of the vehicle will determine the choice of transport system. If you’re shipping a large car, an enclosed trailer may not be available in that size, or if it is available, it won’t be able to load multiple cars in one trip. However, a small car might fit in either trailer, depending on your budget and needs. 

Shipping Season

Summer is considered the peak season in the vehicle transportation industry, as many people spend their summer break in a new city or even a new country. Consequently, waiting times skyrocket in the summer. Other ways that weather affects auto transport include heavy precipitation, snow, extreme winter, and natural disasters like earthquakes, tornados, or floods. If your location of origin or the destination is surrounded by difficult terrain, that can also cause delays in your auto transport journey.

Choice of Vehicle Transportation Company

Lastly, your choice of service provider also plays a major part. Many large and reputable companies like ours have a wide network of carriers nationwide. No matter the location, Sakaem can offer you timely delivery without any delays, be it due to carrier unavailability or lack of coverage. So, when you find yourself in need of car transportation, finding the best car transportation service will certainly help cut down on the time.

Types of Car Shipping

As discussed, the type of car shipping plays an important role in defining the time needed to get the job done. Both shipping choices have their own pros and cons that can address your concerns.

Open Transport

In open car transport, your car will be loaded onto an open trailer truck and transported between the source and the destination addresses.

A good option:

• When you are looking for a readily available transport option
• If you have a limited budget
• If you want to ship multiple cars, it is easier with open trailers as these can carry many cars at once, saving costs for you and fuel for the company

A not-so-good option:

• If you do not want your car to be exposed to sunlight, dirt, debris, and dust during transit
• If you want better protection for your car

Enclosed Transport

As the name suggests, enclosed car transport involves shipping a car in a truck that is covered from all sides during transit.

A good option:

• If you’re shipping a luxury car and want to pay extra for added protection to ensure safe delivery to your given location
• If you’re not on a time crunch
• If you have an expensive vehicle and you are flexible with your budget for auto shipping

A not-so-good option:

• If you have a limited budget
• If you are looking for readily available transport options

How to Choose the Right Car Shipping Company

Giving your car away to absolute strangers for shipping requires trust and reliability. It is a crucial decision to choose the right car shipping company that ticks all the boxes of your expectations for shipping your car to a new location. Need some questions to ask the car shipping company? Here are some parameters that can help you make the right choice.

Look for Registration Details

To check the legitimacy of any company, always check its licenses and registration details. Every car shipping company is approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency under the Department of Transportation(DOT) that regulates the trucking industry. Every car shipping company gets a unique license number to confirm it as a legal entity. Be sure to verify their credibility so that there is no room for disappointment.

Insurance Coverage

Once you are assured about their credibility, look for all the insurance coverages the company offers. If there are any discrepancies, your car might be in danger. It is always recommended that while you get price quotes from different car shipping companies, you also get the details about their insurance coverage. Usually, any company offers broker and carrier insurance with some supplemental insurance as per the company’s standards and rules.

Carrier insurance is a must, as it protects your car against any accident that may happen during transit.

Cancellation Policy

As a precaution, always check a company’s cancellation policy to understand any fines or fees you must pay for last-minute cancellations. Many companies come off as too good, but then, if things don’t go as planned, they surprise you with a large sum of money in terms of a cancellation fee.

Reviews

All car shipping companies want to paint a convincing picture for their potential customers, but the reviews never lie. Always check Google reviews by past customers and the company’s Better Business Bureau ratings. This will give you a direct insight into the car shipping experience with a company. If this is your first time researching car shipping companies, always go by recommendations from your family or friends for better results.

Shipping Cost Breakdown

Many car shipping companies lure in customers with exciting offer quotes, and upon final confirmation, they add surprise charges that catch you off guard. Since you have already finalized the deal, it may be too difficult to deny the payment. So, before getting into the final conversation, take time to understand the entire cost breakdown to avoid any last-minute disappointment.

How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping?

Once you understand all the details of car transport, it is time to prepare your car for shipping. Follow the checklist below to facilitate a smooth delivery from the source to the destination.

Get Your Car Washed

When your car arrives at its destination, you don’t want the hassle of having to wash it as the first thing. Think of your future self and give your car a good wash before you ship it away. Washing your car will also give you a clearer look at its external condition.

Take Pictures of the Vehicle

Once the car is properly washed, take proper, high-quality pictures of it from all sides right before the carrier loads it onto the trailer for transit. These images will help you verify the car’s condition upon delivery. That way, if anything happened in transit, you can check by comparing it against the pictures from before.

Secure or Remove Accessories

If you keep any accessories in your car that could possibly be damaged during the trip, either remove them or secure them with bubble wrap. This way, you’ll prevent the object from breaking or shattering while the car is being transported to your new location.

Check for Fluid Leaks

If the car is in an operable state, then get it checked for any fluid leaks that may be harmful to your car as well as other cars that might be loaded onto the same trailer. If a specific leak cannot be fixed, always keep the carrier informed to avoid any misunderstanding.

Get the Engine and Mechanical Checkups

Before shipping your car away, schedule a complete checkup with your mechanic to get a good overview of its condition. This will also give you the confidence to ship your car away, knowing it’s completely fine on all fronts.

Disable Alarms

Disable all alarms installed in your car. Though the carrier will have a set of your car keys for loading and unloading, there might be instances when a carrier has to move the car without using the keys.

Remove all Personal Belongings

Trailers travel through highways and very empty roads, so there are chances of theft or vandalism. We recommend removing all personal belongings from the car before it is loaded onto the trailer for shipping. Any hefty items can additionally increase the weight of your car, costing you more money as compensation.

Keep a Quarter Tank of Gas

Don’t fill up gas to the brim – for car shipping, only a minimum amount of fuel is required so that it doesn’t increase the overall weight of the car during loading.

Keep All Documents Handy

Once your car is ready to be shipped, keep all the documents handy, either with you or in the car. If the carrier requires any paperwork for transit, there won’t be any delays due to frantically searching for that one document.

What to Expect During Pickup and Delivery

During pickup:

• The carrier will check all the necessary documents of the car.
• The carrier will inspect your car to check for any leaks or areas that need to be secured.
• You’ll be asked to sign off on the Bill of Lading to comply with the company’s policy.
• Once all the formalities are resolved, the carrier will share the tracking number with you and load your car onto the trailer.

At the time of delivery:

• The carrier will unload the car so that you can inspect its final condition.
• If there is damage, you can call an executive to send an insurance person to verify the damage for the insurance claim. This usually takes 2-3 days.
• If your car’s condition is good, then you can sign the final bill of lading, a document that confirms the delivery of your car in a satisfactory condition.
• You can now make the final payment via transfer or any other method accepted by the auto shipping company.

Understanding Car Shipping Timeframes

We’ve already alluded to distance and how it influences car shipping times. Let’s see some rough estimates you can expect when shipping your car across different distances.

• Intra-city shipping can take up to 1–2 days, depending on the distance.
• For inter-city car shipping, you can expect delivery in 3–4 days.
• When shipping a car to another state, expect a delivery time of 7–9 days at a minimum.
• If you are shipping the car overseas, expect your car’s delivery in 30–45 days.

Tips for Faster Shipping

Since the shipping time is subject to many factors, here are a few tips to speed up your car’s transportation:

• Opt for open transport as it is a readily available trailer type.
• Plan to ship your car during the off-season for better discounts and quicker delivery.
• If you are flexible on budget, then simply opt for expedited auto shipping, wherein you pay more money for fast-tracking the shipping of your car.
• You can also make an advanced booking to avoid any last-minute delay and expect timely delivery.
• Plan to ship multiple cars at once so that you can get a good discount and the carrier is available as soon as possible.

Cost to Ship a Car

We’ve broached pretty much everything related to how long transporting a car can take, so let’s briefly discuss the cost of car shipping. Here’s what you need to be aware of:

• Distance: The more the distance, the more will be the cost of shipping and vice versa.
• Open/Enclosed transport: Open transport is readily available and hence cheaper than enclosed transport, which is limited and requires highly experienced carriers to drive it.
• Shipping season: Shipping your car during summer, peak winter, and situations like snowfall, earthquakes, tornados, and floods, cost more than the standard price because these situations are difficult to navigate in, and hence, carriers are given extra compensation for their dedicated efforts.
• Required delivery time (urgent or standard): Time is money, so if you want your car delivered as soon as possible, you will be charged extra over the standard prices for the same delivery.
• Vehicle size and weight: Your vehicle’s size and weight will decide the size of the trailer, which will alter the final cost of shipping your vehicle from one place to another.
• Operable/inoperable condition: If your car is operable, loading and unloading would be easy and require no special equipment. The same cannot be said for inoperable cars, where various equipment and tools are used to load and unload the car, driving up the service costs.
• Door-to-door/terminal-to-terminal auto transport: Because door-to-door transport requires more effort from the carrier, the company will charge more for it than the terminal-to-terminal auto shipping type. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does it cost to ship a car?

The average rates can vary from $500 for short, cross-state transports to more than $1,700 for cross-country transports.

How do I prepare my car for shipping?

Before shipping, wash your car, remove all personal belongings, deactivate all the alarms, and have it mechanically checked.

How do I choose a reliable car shipping company?

To choose a reliable car shipping company, look for the company’s license and registration under the Department of Transportation (DOT) and check for online customer reviews and their BBB rating.

Is it safe to ship my car?

Yes, if you choose a reputable auto-shipping company for the service.

How long does it take to ship a car overseas?

It can take up to 30 days or more, depending on various factors.

Can I track my car during shipping?

Yes, the car shipping company will share a link or number through which you can check the live location of your car during transit.

What is enclosed car shipping?

Enclosed car shipping is the type of transport wherein you ship a car in a truck that is covered from all sides during the transit.

Can I ship a non-running car?

Yes, you can ship your car even if it doesn’t run.

What should I do if my car is damaged during shipping?

You can claim insurance coverage to receive compensation for the damage during shipping.

Conclusion

Now that you know how long it takes to ship a car and know what to expect, you can better prepare for the whole ordeal and leave no stone unturned. Due diligence on both your part and the company’s is necessary for a stress-free auto transport experience. 

If you need a team of trusted experts who know precisely how to ship a car and are true professionals, contact our team. Sakaem Logistics will assist you at every step of the way, answering questions and walking you through our process to give you a hassle-free car shipping experience from start to finish.

You may also read: The Process of Shipping a Car in Three Phases

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