Subscribe to Car Buying Secret Content
Get car buying resources & secrets from Mike, former car salesman and join our growing community. Opt out any time, we never spam.
Blog
Car Shipping Near Me - Ultimate Guide
This page does contain affiliate links. We only recommend tools or companies who we have personally vetted and/or use ourselves.
Car Shipping Near Me | Car Transport | Finding a Car Shipping Carrier
Shipping a car? Car shipping near me is widely searched. We’ll tell you what you need to know about choosing a car transport company; as a professional car concierge, we arrange for car transport regularly for our clients all over the US. If you need a car shipping quote we’ll give you our recommendation too.
We’ve composed a list of common shipping questions and answered them:
- Where to get a car shipping quote?
- What does it cost to ship a vehicle?
- Should I choose enclosed or open shipping?
- When to arrange for shipping?
- Should I have the dealership ship the vehicle or hire a shipping company?
- What is the bill of lading?
- What if the vehicle is damaged on arrival?
- Can I have a vehicle shipped to somewhere other than my home?
- What about insurance when shipping a car?
- What are the shipping alternatives?
Let’s get to it.
Contents
Question 1
What Does it Cost to Ship a Car?
Question 2
Enclosed or Open Shipping?
Question 3
When to Arrange Shipping?
Question 4
Should I Hire a Shipping Broker?
Question 5
What is the Bill of Lading?
question 6
What if the Vehicle Gets Damaged?
Question 7
Can I Ship to Anywhere?
question 8
Car Shipping Insurance?
question 9
What are the Car Shipping Alternatives?
Question 10
Where to Get a Car Shipping Quote?
Question 1
What does it cost to ship a car?
This depends on a few factors.
- Cost of fuel
- Demand
Shipping prices went up due to rising fuel costs. In addition, it can depend upon the location you are shipping to. For example, shipping to a more rural part of the country will cost more. This is because a driver is going to want to pick up and drop off in a location where he/she can claim another shipment. If the driver is delivering out to Utah but has no shipments to take back or on the way, he/she is less likely to want to claim that route. The cost for that shipment is going to go up to get an interested driver to claim this shipment.
With a supply chain and chip shortage, you can also expect a rise in shipping prices.
Question 2
Should I Choose Enclosed or Open Shipping?
Enclosed shipping is more expensive than open shipping. It can often be double of that of an open carrier. You’ll want to check with the shipping company regarding their policies on damage during transit. For example, hail or damage from the elements. Enclosed shipping is going to protect the vehicle from any road damage or weather that could potentially damage the vehicle in transit. Depending upon the cost of the vehicle and the distance it’s traveling, you’ll want to evaluate the best choice. You also want to make sure you specifiy when getting a quote from a shipper that you want either open or enclosed shipping to ensure you are getting the appropriate and accurate quote. And get a quote for both to compare. Generally, most of our clients get open shipping but for those luxury cross-country shipments, we will arrange for enclosed shipping once in a while.
Question 3
When should I schedule shipping?
If you’re purchasing from a dealership, it’s important that you don’t schedule the actual delivery and shipment until you have signed the documents and paid for the vehicle. The dealership will need to “release” the vehicle and they do this when they receive the money.
Typically, you want to get a quote for shipping within a week or two of the time you actually want to ship the vehicle. This is because pricing can change based on fuel or drivers available.
Question 4
Should I Hire a Shipping Broker?
In most situations, we try to give the dealership the opportunity to arrange the shipping of a vehicle if they want to. This makes it easier. However, get a quote from a reputable shipping company and then allow the dealership to provide a shipping quote as well. You can decide how to move forward and sometimes the dealership will match or beat the price. When hiring a shipper you pay for the shipping costs outside of the sale of the vehicle, so this needs to be accounted for when deciding whether it’s worth it to you to ship a car or not across the country.
question 5
What is The Bill of Lading?
When you ship a car, the bill of lading is an important document that you need to pay attention to. This document is a contract between you and the dealer or owner of the vehicle, and the shipping carrier and it outlines the terms of the shipping process. The bill of lading documents the condition of the vehicle before it goes on the truck. If there is any damage before or during shipment, all parties know where it originated. This contract details the origination location of the vehicle and to where it will be shipped. The bill of lading is issued by the shipping carrier when the car arrives at its destination and is delivered to you. The shipping company will require that you are present to sign and confirm receipt of this bill of lading. It will list the make and model of your car, as well as its VIN number. It will also include your contact information and the destination address. The bill of lading is your way of ensuring that the shipping company understands exactly what you’re shipping, and it’s an important step in protecting yourself in the vehicle transport process.
question 6
What if The Vehicle Gets Damaged?
In the event that your vehicle is damaged upon delivery, there are two important steps you do not want to miss.
1. Take pictures of the damage. Be very careful to get good-quality photos of multiple angles of the damage.
2. Notate in detail the damage on the bill of lading you receive from the driver. Be specific. For example, there is a dent on the passenger side front door near the handle.
Be ready to submit a claim with the shipping broker. When you choose open shipping there is obviously a higher chance of damage occuring from the elements. Sometimes accidents do happen.
You’re always taking a chance when someone else is handling your vehicle. We’ve witnessed vehicles fall off trucks at the dealership or sloppy salesmen deliver cars that haven’t been cleaned properly. In one delivery, a driver actually smoked in the brand-new vehicle on the way to deliver to a client. People will be people; the goal is to find a method of transport with a good reputation and experience to minimize any risk.
question 7
Where Can I Ship To?
This question is asked often by people who want to have a vehicle shipped to somewhere other than their home. Our clients are often shipping a car to an office, a second home, or a child’s home/college in another state or maybe for a long-distance move across the country.
As long as there is an adult over the age of 18 able to receive the car and sign the bill of lading, you can ship the vehicle to where ever the shipper will go.
However, it’s important that if the destination changes from the time you’ve gotten a quote to the time you confirm the shipment of the vehicle, you’ll want to validate the correct destination address has been given to the shipping company. You don’t want your vehicle showing up at the wrong doorstep.
Also, note that most shipping brokers are unable to give exact delivery times. Most carriers will give a four-hour window on the day the vehicle should arrive. Each driver is often responsible for contacting you to let you know when they plan to arrive. This of course varies from company to company.
question 8
Does My Insurance Cover Car Shipping?
When choosing an auto transport company, be sure they are licensed and bonded. You should also make sure the vehicle being shipped is added to your policy, for example, if purchasing from a dealership. The auto transport company insurance should cover the vehicle from the time it’s picked up to the time it is delivered to your destination and off the truck. Any issues that would arise during transit would be covered under their insurance. Of course, check with your insurer and again with the transport company to ensure you have the proper coverage. Accidents do happen from time to time.
question 9
What are the Car Shipping Alternatives?
When you need to move your car a long distance, shipping it may be the best option. But what are the alternatives to shipping a car? You could drive it yourself. Sometimes our clients will fly to a nearby airport and drive the vehicle home themselves.
When you’re buying a brand-new vehicle from a dealership, you can arrange for the dealership to overnight the documents, and have the vehicle signed and paid for before you even arrive. This way, the dealership can arrange to deliver the vehicle to the airport you fly in to and deliver it to you there. This takes a bit of finesse and requires getting the right people on the phone to arrange but it certainly can be done.
Alternatively, you can arrange for the dealership to pick you up from the airport and bring you back to the dealership to sign the documents. This option may be more appropriate if you’d like to look over the vehicle first, take it for a spin and do any inspections first.
Question 10
Where to get a Car Shipping Quote?
We’ll only recommend companies, products, or services that we confidently use for our clients. For a fair car shipping quote we recommend: Sherpa Auto Transport. Their approach to customer service aligns with our approach at YCBA. Although they have automated systems in place, they still take time to speak with their customers directly, answer questions and respond promptly.
Born out of a negative shipping experience, Sherpa’s Founder learned that the auto shipping industry is rife with bait-and-switch pricing, poor communication, and unreliable characters. So out of the necessity for a better car shipping experience, Sherpa Auto Transport aims for five-star transport experiences every time.
As car buying advocates we like their Price Lock Promise which guarantees that what we’re quoted initially, is what we (or our clients) will pay. You can get a car shipping quote from Sherpa below.
Why Trust Your Car Buying Advocate?
Watch this short video to find out why working with Your Car Buying Advocate makes all the sense in the world.
More to Read
-
When is the Best Time to Buy a Car?October 8, 2024/0 Comments -
Best Touring SUV: Top Picks for Unforgettable Road TripsAugust 17, 2024/ -
Commuter Cars: Top Picks for Your Daily DriveJuly 12, 2024/
