Crisp, user-friendly web sites allow used car dealers, and fleet managers to obtain an instant price quote and estimated transit time for door-to-door pickup and delivery anywhere in the United States. Most sites include a convenient pull-down menu featuring frequently-asked questions, as well as downloadable information about shipping tips, terms and conditions. Registered users can also track shipments online. Depending on location, timing, and destination, cars can be transported by truck and/or rail service.
Choosing a quality auto transport company with strong financial backing and industry experience ensures door to door pickup and delivery of your vehicles will be managed by a reputable, licensed and fully-insured service carrier. Your vehicles will be picked up by an auto transporter using a multi-car tractor trailer and transported directly to destination for expedited delivery, or to a terminal to be loaded on a rail carrier for standard delivery. A cost-effective terminal to terminal option may also be available. In that case you'll be required to drop-off and pickup vehicles at the given truck or rail terminal.
How do you know which auto transport provider to use?
* Start with a reputable auto transport company. Find a transporter that is listed with the Better Business Bureau and is financially strong. They should be licensed with the FMCSA [http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_menu.prc_menu] as a broker or carrier.
* Look for an auto transporter that offers the flexibility of combining both truck rail service options. With rising fuel prices, shipping by rail can help significantly reduce your overall shipping cost.
* Visit the auto transporter's web site. Does it include easy-to-use online tools to obtain an instant price quote and estimated transit time? Can you access frequently-asked questions and additional information about shipping tips, terms and conditions? Does it also offer the ability to track shipments online?
* Ask how the auto transporter will work with you to quickly and equitably resolve any claim, if damage occurs to your vehicle.
* Thoroughly inspect your vehicle prior to pickup. Carefully inspect the exterior and interior, as well as all fluid levels, operating systems and lights. Note any pre-existing scratches, dents, dings or other problems so you can determine if there was a change in vehicle condition as a result of transportation. Remember to also disarm any safety alarms and remove all personal items from the vehicle.
Make your final selection of an auto transport company based on which one offers the most convenient, affordable and flexible solution that best meets your price and timing requirements.
About ShipCarsNow
ShipCarsNow offers auto shipping nationwide providing used car shippers a robust and responsive vehicle delivery network to handle long distance and volume shipments. Our rail and truck resources enable you to reduce transportation costs, reach more markets and improve profits.
ShipCarsNow offers auto shipping nationwide providing used car shippers a robust and responsive vehicle delivery network to handle long distance and volume shipments. Our rail and truck resources enable you to reduce transportation costs, reach more markets and improve profits.
If you can't find a way to transport that car you recently purchased, then try automotive transport services. And if you don't have the time to visit auto transport providers personally or make phone calls, then access the Internet. A large percentage of auto transport service companies now deal online. There are several factors that can help you in choosing the right company.
Check if the company can transport your particular type of vehicle. Different auto transport companies provide different types of services and not all of them match your car transporting requirements. Some only transport certain vehicle types and refuse to handle very expensive cars or large trucks or trailers.
Check if the company can transport to your intended destination. Some auto transport service companies also have limits on destinations. Some can ship your vehicle to any point of destination worldwide, but some only transport locally. So if you need the vehicle shipped to an overseas location, you should definitely look at international transport service companies. Email or talk to a customer service representative before you sign any contracts and make sure that they cover your intended destination.
If you need the vehicle transferred within the region, though, then just hire a local transport trailer. Choose which among the different types of trailers you want - open carrier transport or enclosed trailer transport. The first type is the most popular service in the industry and is the least expensive. The second one is the most expensive but the service is worth it, as they will ship the automobile in a covered trailer (thereby protecting it from the destructive outside elements).
Compare and contrast the different companies. Once you have narrowed down your choices to about two to three auto transport companies, compare their prices, the speed of their service, their warranties and insurance, and their customer support. Customer support is particularly important because you need to be able to reach them when something goes wrong along the way. Try calling their hotline and see if they immediately answer. Choose the company that is most responsive.
Check if the company can transport your particular type of vehicle. Different auto transport companies provide different types of services and not all of them match your car transporting requirements. Some only transport certain vehicle types and refuse to handle very expensive cars or large trucks or trailers.
If you need the vehicle transferred within the region, though, then just hire a local transport trailer. Choose which among the different types of trailers you want - open carrier transport or enclosed trailer transport. The first type is the most popular service in the industry and is the least expensive. The second one is the most expensive but the service is worth it, as they will ship the automobile in a covered trailer (thereby protecting it from the destructive outside elements).
Compare and contrast the different companies. Once you have narrowed down your choices to about two to three auto transport companies, compare their prices, the speed of their service, their warranties and insurance, and their customer support. Customer support is particularly important because you need to be able to reach them when something goes wrong along the way. Try calling their hotline and see if they immediately answer. Choose the company that is most responsive.
Auto Transport provides detailed information on Auto Transport, Auto Transport Services, Auto Transport Companies, Enclosed Auto Transport and more. Auto Transport is affiliated with Car Transport Services .
During the early years of the automobile industry your choice of a vehicle largely depended on where you lived. The earliest ones were hand-built in limited quantities and distributed locally. Charles and Frank Duryea built their horseless carriages in Springfield, Massachusetts. Alexander Winton manufactured gas-power vehicles in Cleveland and Albert Pope produced Waverly electrics in Indianapolis. A group of young upstarts led by David Dunbar Buick, Ransom Olds and Henry Ford built a variety of gas, electric and steam-powered runabouts and sedans in Detroit.
As automobiles became both more reliable and affordable, they also became more popular. Growing demand meant manufacturers' could no longer rely solely on selling vehicles from the factory gates. William Metzger is credited with opening the first independent car dealership in Detroit in 1897. About the same time, H.O. Kohller opened the first franchised car dealership, selling Waverly electrics in Reading, Pennsylvania. Manufacturers used factory drivers, rail and boats to transport their products to a growing network of independent and franchise dealers.
Early Ford models were often encased in large wooden boxes and loaded on open railcars directly outside the Mack Avenue plant and later the Highland Park factory. Railcars would be shuttled to the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk or Soo Line terminal and rushed to anxious buyers. When they arrived at their final destination, a Ford mechanic would complete the final assembly of the vehicle, often using pieces of the wooded box for the floor and running boards.
The 1909 Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog advertised the Sears Motor Buggy for $395 or $370 without fenders or top, plus shipping to the nearest train station.
In 1902 there had been one car for every 1.5 million people in the country; two years later the ratio shrunk to one for every 65,000 people; and by 1909, after the introduction of the Model T, there was one car for every 800 people.
Reliable and affordable auto transport by road, rail and water was essential to the growth of the early automotive industry.
In 1910, the Toledo Shipbuilding Company produced the first steel car ferry for the Ann Arbor Railroad. The vessel, named Ann Arbor no. 5, was 360 feet long with a 56-foot beam and could carry up to 24 railway box cars, each loaded with four or five new automobiles. Leaving Ludington, Michigan, and arriving in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the railcars and automobiles were then transported west by the Wisconsin Central and North Western railroads.
In 1920, when Ford opened the River Rouge Manufacturing Complex, it included ninety different buildings and 93 miles of railroad track to bring in materials essential to manufacturing automobiles, as well as transporting completed automobiles to market. The River Rouge was deepened and widened to accommodate deepwater ships needed to transport materials and automobiles through the Great Lakes and beyond. Ford also acquired the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad with 454 miles of main track to bring coal into the plant and ship manufactured automobiles from Detroit to Ironton on the Ohio River. Through the 1940s and 1950s virtually every car and truck produced in the United States was transported by a car hauler, railcar or boat. In 1958 the first Toyotas and Nissans were exported to the United States. In 1967 the Volkswagen Beetle invaded American shores. Over the next forty years, countless other German, Japanese and Asian brands have been transported across the Atlantic and Pacific in ocean carriers, and then shipped to local dealerships by rail and truck.
The automotive landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. However, the need for affordable and reliable auto transport continues to be a critical factor in the growth and profitability of automotive dealerships and remarketers.
Today, a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers is helping used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators affordably and reliably transport cars and trucks anywhere in the United States.
By integrating both short-distance truck transport and long-distance rail service options they offer the flexibility to use the shipping mode that best meets practically any price and timing requirement. Leading auto transport brokers also provide instant price quotes and estimated transit times for door-to-door pickup and delivery anywhere in the United States. Vehicles are transported using industry-leading processes and safeguards to help ensure on-time, damage free transport and delivery by reputable, fully-insured auto transport carriers and service providers.
The early pioneers in the automotive industry relied on engineering innovations and emerging auto transport networks to ensure their success. Today's smart used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators can rely on a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers to help ensure the growth and profitability of their business.
There are a variety of reasons why you may have to may have to use an auto transport service to ship your car or truck, van or SUV, when driving it from place to place just isn’t practical or possible. Lucky, there are likewise a variety of ways which you can go about doing the transporting, based on your budget, or the urgency with which you need your car to arrive.
If you currently own a car and are in the process of moving, the most annoying thing to have to consider is how you’ll get your vehicle or vehicles from your current residence to your next one. You may be moving a great distance, or even overseas, and yet you don’t have the opportunity or time to move your car by yourself. Of course, you need your car at your new home, and you need it there as soon as possible, so you’ll have to consult an automobile transporter to ship your car from A to B. Most transport companies, whether they ship your car by train or by truck, have fully computerized shipping services, so that you can track the status and position of your car in transit, just in case you’re the worrying type.
But before you send your car on a cross country or international trip, you’ll want to make sure you have it in tip-top shape, and get a thorough record of inspection that will make note of your car’s mileage, any noticeable dents scratches or nicks, any cracked glass, or other imperfections. Make sure that all is well covered and accounted for when you purchase insurance for your car, so that it will be made clear within the legal contract both you and the transport company will draft. This becomes important just in case any physical damage is done to your car during transport, so you’ll have proof and justification with which to hold the company accountable.
And then there’s the question of whether to ship your car by train or by truck. In person, of course, you’ll probably be flying to your destination, but if you were traveling on the ground you might choose train travel over car travel just because it’s the romantic thing to do. But your car doesn’t know anything about romance, so you’ll want to choose the fastest, easiest way to get it shipped so that you can minimize hassle. If you choose to go by train, the biggest inconvenience may be that you will have to pick up your car from the terminal they ship it to. That’s a problem if you want to get your car right to your new front door, or just won’t have the time to head out and pick up your car from the lot they’ve deposited it in. In this case, your best option is to go with shipping your automobile by truck, which, in most instances, can do direct shipment to a specific street address with a not unreasonable difference in price.
As automobiles became both more reliable and affordable, they also became more popular. Growing demand meant manufacturers' could no longer rely solely on selling vehicles from the factory gates. William Metzger is credited with opening the first independent car dealership in Detroit in 1897. About the same time, H.O. Kohller opened the first franchised car dealership, selling Waverly electrics in Reading, Pennsylvania. Manufacturers used factory drivers, rail and boats to transport their products to a growing network of independent and franchise dealers.
Early Ford models were often encased in large wooden boxes and loaded on open railcars directly outside the Mack Avenue plant and later the Highland Park factory. Railcars would be shuttled to the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk or Soo Line terminal and rushed to anxious buyers. When they arrived at their final destination, a Ford mechanic would complete the final assembly of the vehicle, often using pieces of the wooded box for the floor and running boards.
The 1909 Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog advertised the Sears Motor Buggy for $395 or $370 without fenders or top, plus shipping to the nearest train station.
In 1902 there had been one car for every 1.5 million people in the country; two years later the ratio shrunk to one for every 65,000 people; and by 1909, after the introduction of the Model T, there was one car for every 800 people.
Reliable and affordable auto transport by road, rail and water was essential to the growth of the early automotive industry.
In 1910, the Toledo Shipbuilding Company produced the first steel car ferry for the Ann Arbor Railroad. The vessel, named Ann Arbor no. 5, was 360 feet long with a 56-foot beam and could carry up to 24 railway box cars, each loaded with four or five new automobiles. Leaving Ludington, Michigan, and arriving in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the railcars and automobiles were then transported west by the Wisconsin Central and North Western railroads.
The automotive landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. However, the need for affordable and reliable auto transport continues to be a critical factor in the growth and profitability of automotive dealerships and remarketers.
Today, a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers is helping used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators affordably and reliably transport cars and trucks anywhere in the United States.
By integrating both short-distance truck transport and long-distance rail service options they offer the flexibility to use the shipping mode that best meets practically any price and timing requirement. Leading auto transport brokers also provide instant price quotes and estimated transit times for door-to-door pickup and delivery anywhere in the United States. Vehicles are transported using industry-leading processes and safeguards to help ensure on-time, damage free transport and delivery by reputable, fully-insured auto transport carriers and service providers.
The early pioneers in the automotive industry relied on engineering innovations and emerging auto transport networks to ensure their success. Today's smart used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators can rely on a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers to help ensure the growth and profitability of their business.
There are a variety of reasons why you may have to may have to use an auto transport service to ship your car or truck, van or SUV, when driving it from place to place just isn’t practical or possible. Lucky, there are likewise a variety of ways which you can go about doing the transporting, based on your budget, or the urgency with which you need your car to arrive.
If you currently own a car and are in the process of moving, the most annoying thing to have to consider is how you’ll get your vehicle or vehicles from your current residence to your next one. You may be moving a great distance, or even overseas, and yet you don’t have the opportunity or time to move your car by yourself. Of course, you need your car at your new home, and you need it there as soon as possible, so you’ll have to consult an automobile transporter to ship your car from A to B. Most transport companies, whether they ship your car by train or by truck, have fully computerized shipping services, so that you can track the status and position of your car in transit, just in case you’re the worrying type.
But before you send your car on a cross country or international trip, you’ll want to make sure you have it in tip-top shape, and get a thorough record of inspection that will make note of your car’s mileage, any noticeable dents scratches or nicks, any cracked glass, or other imperfections. Make sure that all is well covered and accounted for when you purchase insurance for your car, so that it will be made clear within the legal contract both you and the transport company will draft. This becomes important just in case any physical damage is done to your car during transport, so you’ll have proof and justification with which to hold the company accountable.
And then there’s the question of whether to ship your car by train or by truck. In person, of course, you’ll probably be flying to your destination, but if you were traveling on the ground you might choose train travel over car travel just because it’s the romantic thing to do. But your car doesn’t know anything about romance, so you’ll want to choose the fastest, easiest way to get it shipped so that you can minimize hassle. If you choose to go by train, the biggest inconvenience may be that you will have to pick up your car from the terminal they ship it to. That’s a problem if you want to get your car right to your new front door, or just won’t have the time to head out and pick up your car from the lot they’ve deposited it in. In this case, your best option is to go with shipping your automobile by truck, which, in most instances, can do direct shipment to a specific street address with a not unreasonable difference in price.
