How Car Shipping Works

Have you found yourself needing to ship your car?  Shipping a car can seem complicated, especially if you have no experience where to begin or how the process works. We at Reindeer Auto Relocation have been in the industry for some time, and we pride ourselves on making the car shipping experience as smooth and predictable as possible. For those who have never shipped a car, there may be some questions about different options available or where to even begin.  This article will give you some insights and help you better understand how car shipping generally works and options that may be available to you.

 

Researching Your Car Shipping Company

There are a variety of different car shipping companies that operate at different levels and have different sized shipping networks. We always recommend that you research the company that you are planning to ship your car with to ensure that you are working with a reputable and experienced car shipping company.

At Reindeer Auto Relocation we have been working diligently since 1997 to prefect our processes to make the car transport experience as predictable and transparent as possible for all of our customers.  Our customer service team is highly trained to ensure not only that you have a reliable point of contact for your move but also a point of contact that can effectively address any questions or concerns that you may have.  Additionally we are proud to offer our auto locator technology that allows customers to track exactly where there car is every step of the journey.

 

Choosing a Car Shipping Option

Depending on your point of origin and shipping destination, there could be a variety of different car shipping options available to you.  If you are shipping your car domestically in the continental United States the most likely decision you will have to make is whether you want to use an open or enclosed semi trailer to ship your car.  There are certainly pros and cons to both options and depending on your specific need either could be a viable option.

The main different between these options is how exposed the vehicle is to the elements during transport.  During enclosed shipping, the car is almost completely sealed off from the elements.  This option is often times chosen by people who have high end luxury cars, antique cars, or highly customized vehicles and want to be 100% sure that their car is as protected as possible during the shipping process.

Alternatively, there is open trailer car transport.  This is by far the most common type of car shipping used, simply because it is the more affordable option.  During your vehicle transport the car will be hauled on an open trailer, and in turn more exposes to the elements and road debris.  The main reason this option is generally more affordable is simply because this type of trailer has less drag and is in turn more fuel efficient.  Additionally, there are more of this type of trailer available making the demand a bit lower, and they can often times carry more cars at one time.

 

International Car Shipping

If you have an International destination or a domestic destination that crosses water your available options will of course be different than in the land locked destinations.  The most common scenario is to ship your car in a shipping container on a ship over water.  While there are other options available like air freight shipping, which we can facilitate, those options are often times cost prohibitive due to the high cost of jet fuel and aircraft maintenance.  Most people shipping their car overseas will choose to use a shipping container to save money on their move.

 

 

Car Shipping Summary

While this is not where near an exhaustive list of options to ship your car, we hope you find that it helps to get some of your basic questions answered.  Moving can be a stressful event, but car shipping doesn’t need to be.  If you are looking to a competitive quote and a professional experience, contact our team and Reindeer Auto Relocation and we will be happy to assist with your vehicle relocation need!