There are a lot of factors to consider when you make the decision to move. While there are a lot of reasons why you might want to ship a car, we find that is often one of the biggest motivating factors involved. Therefore, let’s take a look at how that process might work, both on paper and in a practical sense.
As you may expect, there are plenty of moving parts at play. In fact, you can read about some of them here: https://www.fmc.gov/resources-services/shipping-your-vehicle-overseas/.
If you want to learn about the basics of vehicle shipping, as well as what you can expect along the way, then you’ve come to the right place. Make sure to stick around.
The Basics
Let’s start off with a basic definition of this, at least in a sense. Car shipping is also known as auto transport, so the terms are somewhat interchangeable. As far as the process is concerned, it involves transporting a vehicle from one location to another.
Typically, this is done using specialized carriers or trailers.
When do people decide to do it? Well, we hinted at this above of course. It is typically used when someone needs to move a vehicle over a long distance. Some examples of this is when relocating to a different city or state, buying or selling a car online, or transporting a vehicle for vacations. Those are just a few of the potential.
How it Works
There are a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind if you do decide to ship a vehicle. Namely, the process itself will involve a few actions on your end of things. One of the first things you’ll need to decide is the destination that the vehicle is going to end up at.
Now, chances are if you’re already considering door-to-door auto transport in OH, you have a destination in mind. Just ensure that it’s definitively selected before you initiate the transport process. That way, you can save both yourself and the shipping company some time in trying to figure out where the car needs to end up!
From there, you can choose things like what type of container you want your car shipped in. The big two options are open or enclosed. What’s the difference between them? To a large extent, it’s what it sounds like on the tin.
With open containers, you’re paying less for the service. The tradeoff is that your car will be open to more scratches and damage that come from the transit. While it’s not exactly common that you’ll notice a bunch of issues, still, there’s a higher risk with the open ones.
Meanwhile, enclosed containers are more expensive than the alternative. The plus side here is that they protect the vehicle inside from the elements much more effectively. You’ll have to decide for yourself which option sounds better, and which trade-off that you’re willing to take. Would you rather pay more for better protection, or take the risk and pay less?
Preparing to Ship a Car
Whether it’s here in Ohio or in any other state, there are going to be certain requirements along the way when you decide to transport your car. For instance, you’re probably going to need your photo ID. There’s more information about what will qualify as that on this page, though in most cases, we’ll probably be providing our driver’s license above any other options.
What else is involved, though? Thankfully, it’s all going to be pretty simple stuff. Ensure that you have some other relevant paperwork ready so that once your driver arrives to retrieve the car, no additional time will be wasted while searching for those documents. Some examples include your license and registration details, the insurance information for the car in question, and proof of purchase.
Of course, there are some other, more practical steps that you may want to take before the driver comes to pick the car up. One of those is to make sure that the vehicle is shiny and clean. Why bother?
Well, there are a few reasons there. You see, every little extra ounce and pound can end up costing you more money. After all, the price is usually determined by how heavy the car is, along with the distance needed for the transit and the type of container you pick. If we can reduce the weight somehow, including by removing personal items from the interior of the vehicle, it can work in our favor.
This also helps prevent us from losing anything important to us, since that can be a pretty big problem too. Thankfully, preparing for car shipping isn’t overly difficult despite these extra things to do beforehand – these things just help to make sure that everything goes smoothly, and helps you to save some money up front!
