How vehicle transportation works

There are times when you need to send a vehicle, be it a motorcycle or a car from one part of the country to another and that’s when you realize you need to know a little more about vehicle transportation.

Maybe you have bought a vehicle online from a private seller or from a dealership in another state, maybe you are moving to a new job or maybe you want to send a car or a motorcycle to a relative. Whatever the reason, the vehicle will need to be transported.

Long-distance vehicle transportation may seem expensive, but in comparison to the costs of getting to the place – including time, fares, food and lodging – you will find that hiring a company is much more worthwhile.

Transportation of vehicles with professionals

One of the most popular ways to transport a vehicle is to hire a carrier.

When choosing this service, you won’t have to worry about driving your car for long distances, for example. The sending of a vehicle is done by placing the car in a stork truck, outdoors, or in a closed truck. The cost of this shipment will depend on many factors, including type of transport, the size of your car and the distance from the destination.

Before hiring any professional to ship your vehicle, be sure to check that they are licensed and insured.

How much does it cost to transport vehicles?

When making your quote, at any transportation company – land, air or water – you will need to provide a series of information that will be key factors in determining the final value of your contract. These are the key factors:

The size of the vehicle

Heavier vehicles and highly modified vehicles cost more to transport because truckers need to use more gasoline, and larger vehicles can be more difficult to carry. They can also be harder to fit into standard containers.

If you need to send a car that is extra long, extra wide or non-standard, you will probably pay a little more (and it may take a little longer to get a seat in a truck). If you have specific questions about how the size and shape of your vehicle affect the price of transportation or if your new car will need special handling, you will need to contact the carrier directly.

The distance you will travel

The cost to transport a vehicle can vary a lot, but one thing that doesn’t change is the fact that transporting it over a longer distance costs more money. That said, the cost of transportation will be lower according to the kilometers traveled. But the distance will not always play as important a role in its quotation as other factors.

The places of collection and delivery

If you are transporting your vehicle from and to a metropolitan area, with a lot of truck traffic near an important highway, your price may be lower than if the vehicle is located in a rural area, on the road, or somewhere that is difficult to access or pass for trucks.

In some cases, you may leave it somewhere that is more convenient for the truck, because sometimes this can reduce the cost.

What are the options for vehicle transportation?

Just as you can choose how you want to travel around the country, – or to another country – you can also choose by which means you want to transport vehicles. Whether by land, water or air, you should think about all the possibilities until you find the one that suits you best. See these tips:

Be prepared to wait

The transport of vehicles is not like sending a package: it will not happen overnight, like a Sedex 10.

Vehicle deliveries in Brazil – depending on the distance to be traveled, of course – have approximately a four week window from when the car or motorcycle is picked up to when it will arrive at its destination.

Vehicle transportation does not always take this long, but transportation companies need some leeway in case the shipment encounters any problems along the way.

Air transport

Transporting vehicles across the country may sound like an ordeal, but with so many transportation options, it can get a lot easier. Transporting your vehicle by plane may be the fastest and safest method, and air transportation of motorcycles and special or super-sports vehicles is much more feasible than land transportation.

Using an airplane to transport a vehicle is usually more expensive than the average cost of a new car, for example, but it is a viable option for the right customer. Transporting a vehicle in an airplane is safe, fast and reliable, and is a closed transportation option.

Air transportation of vehicles is the fastest and safest method to transport an old, rare or unique vehicle that needs this kind of care. Many people also use to transport this type of vehicle by land transportation in closed trucks, without paying much for it. It is up to you to decide if the transportation of air vehicles is worth it.

Air freight can be faster than transport by truck or ship, depending on the destination. In some cases, it can take the same time.

All forms of vehicle transportation require that your car or motorcycle (or any other vehicle) be handled by the transportation crew with caution: professional care so that your vehicle arrives at its destination in the best possible conditions is up to them. Therefore, it is not quite true that air transport of vehicles is more dangerous than other means.

The air transport of vehicles makes deliveries with guaranteed dates and closed transport, but these options are also available in land means; in these cases, you can still hire fast transport and door-to-door transport, if it is more convenient.