How To Ship a Car to Another State?

Can I Ship My Car to Another State?  

Some of the specifics can vary between auto shipping services, but you can follow some of the same general steps to make sure your state to state move is as hassle-free as possible.

Pick a car trailer transport type

The primary thing you must do in the car transport process is to decide what car shipping services you need. You know there are several ways to ship a car, so you must research all your options first.

Methods of car carrier transport 

Below are the common auto transport types:

Open carrier car shipping:

This is the most common and most affordable car shipping method. This method of car shipping transports your vehicle on a truck trailer that leaves common road hazards and your vehicle exposed to the elements. However, it is more affordable because the carrier can transport up to ten cars at a time, which lowers individual costs. 

Enclosed car shipping: 

Enclosed auto transport services typically cost 33% more than an open-air carrier, yet your car is protected during transportation by walls and a roof. The higher cost is because the carrier transports fewer vehicles.

Car shipping by train:

The best way to ship a vehicle using a rail freight company is Get Auto Transportation. Generally, this method of shipping is cheaper than that of truck carriers. However, it is only available on one line between Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida. The train will not offload vehicles in between the two cities, so unless you need your car shipped close to one of those destinations, this option is not for you.

Choose Your Drop-Off and Pick-Up Locations

There are multiple ways to plan where your vehicle will be picked up and dropped off. Below are the options we provided  for where you can have your car shipped from and to:

Get Shipping Quotes

Fortunately, Get Auto Transportation makes getting free quotes directly from their websites easy. It lets you get an accurate idea of the cost of ship your car to another state. Getting quotes from car shippers is about as simple as it gets. 

Get Auto Transportation offer instant quotes, but most of those that don’t should get back to you within a few hours. While Get Auto Transportation guarantee their quotes, it is also possible for the final price to increase from the original quote. Our providers offer at least various options for shipping your car and will ask for your preferences at quote time. These options can make a big difference in service and price.

What You Need To Get Car Shipping Quotes?

While you do not want a huge amount of details to start getting quotes, it’s never a bad idea to have everything you want in one place beforehand. Different providers ask for slightly different details, but in general, you may require the following:

Choose Get Auto Transportation

It’s tempting to choose the cheapest way to move a car to another state and call it a day. But there’s more to consider than price. Quality matters when you ship a car, especially over long distances. Knowing how our company is the best option for you is essential. There are a few things to look out for:

Hidden fees:

We do not charge any hidden fees; whatever charges we charge in shipping services, we use them in front of you so that there is no doubt in your mind and whatever fees we charge ourselves. We have provided a proper document print to you.

Reputation of the company:

Reading audience reviews online can help you evaluate a provider. You can see on Google's website that our company is working towards a top rating; you can also see that we deliver on time, politely communicate with customers, and clear all doubts of our customers so that our customers do not have any problems.

Carrier vetting: 

Get Auto Transportation has thorough vetting processes to ensure they only use professional drivers with a good track record, but others aren’t so careful. A shipping company that offers you the lowest price may only be able to do so because they work with trailers that other companies won’t.

Once you’ve found Get Auto Transportation, double-check the details of the contract before signing. You may also need to put down a deposit to finalize the agreement.

Prepare Your Car

While you don’t have to get your vehicle perfect before the auto transport service arrives, there are a few things to take care of. The steps to prepare your car for shipping to another state are relatively basic.

How do You Prepare Your Car to Ship to Another State?

You will want to do several things before your car carrier arrives. These include:

Leave some gas in it:

You don’t need to fill or drain your gas tank before shipping your car. However, when the moving truck arrives, you must ensure your tank is 1/4 full. The carrier may need to drive it around when unloading and loading it off and on the tow dolly.

Remove personal items:

Get Auto Transportation to ask you to remove all personal belongings from your car before shipping it. Loose items inside the vehicle can bounce around during transportation and damage your car. Our company also allow you to ship your car with stuff in it, but they typically have weight restrictions and packing instructions you’ll need to follow.

Your vehicle is inspected thoroughly:

Cars can easily be damaged during shipping, no matter how careful a truck driver is, especially over long-distance shipments to other states. Consider taking photos to document any damage and Carefully inspect your car inside and out. It will allow you to quickly identify any new damage when you receive your vehicle and provide proof if you need to file a claim against a driver’s insurance policy.

Fasten all seatbelts:

Vehicles vibrate and shake a lot while in transportation. As a result, the metal connectors on your seatbelts can fly around and break a window or cause other damage. Before transporting, you can prevent this by fastening your safety belts.

Meet Your Driver on Pick-Up Day

You should receive a heads-up from either our shipping company or the driver when they are ready to pick up your vehicle. Either you or a representative you select will want to meet the driver to do some things before they hit the road:

Wait for Delivery

Car shipping times are always approximate at best. Carrier drivers are at the mercy of various factors that can including weather conditions, delays a shipment, traffic, and auto accidents. When you transport a car to another state over long distances, the probability that a trailer runs into increases an issue. 

Meet Your Driver at the Delivery

Your car is close to being delivered with more specific details then you should receive a notice about when and where to meet the driver. If you can’t make it yourself, you must send someone you trust to represent you.

How Much to Ship a Car to Another State?

According to our cost data research and secret shopper study, it typically costs between $1,000 and $2,000 to ship a car long-distance, such as from one state to another. Car shipping costs vary widely especially when shipping a car between two states.

To help us get a better understanding of how much real customers pay to ship their cars, we surveyed 1,000 auto transport customers. The chart below breaks down what we learned from the responses we received. The average cost for a shipping a vehicle to another state company is $0.70 per mile for 1000-1500 miles.

The cost to ship a car to another state depends on the pick-up date, distance, route, transport method, vehicle makes and model,  vehicle condition, seasonality, and available discounts.