Both here in Ohio and across the country, there are a lot of reasons why someone may decide that they need to ship their vehicle. For instance, you may decide to move out of state – or perhaps you’re moving to Ohio – either way, you’ll need to get your car here somehow. Driving is an option but comes with some complications.
As you can see here: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/OH.shtml, the price of gas here isn’t exactly cheap right now. It should come as no surprise that a lot of folks have decided to look for some alternative solutions. What might that look like?
Simply put, the most popular alternative right now is car shipping. Today, we’ll be covering what it is, how it works, and why you should have it on your radar. Whether you’re transiting in or out of Ohio, this information should be helpful for you!
What is Car Shipping?
What better place to start than with the basics, right? Car shipping is when we utilize some sort of external service to transport a vehicle from one place to another. Most of the time, that destination is quite far from the initial spot, but that isn’t always the case. Should we know anything else about it, then?
Well, a lot of the specific details will probably depend on the shipping company you end up working with. With that in mind, there are a few things that we can touch on before we delve into how the process works. Namely, bear in mind that most of these services will have several steps involved and they may ask you for some of your personal details to ensure that they aren’t unintentionally transporting a stolen vehicle or something like that.
Typically, the car shipping companies in Ohio will offer something known as door-to-door service. Essentially, this means that they’ll be sending a driver to pick the vehicle up on the designated date, and once the transit process is complete, a driver will drop the car off at the agreed upon location after. It’s quite convenient, and one of the biggest draws.
At the end of the day, the purpose of these services is to reduce the workload for us as consumers. Whether we’re saving ourselves a long road trip during a move, or we’re looking for a more convenient way to sell our vehicles without the hassle, this is an option for us. How exactly does it work, then?
How it Works
With those basic details covered, let’s turn our attention to how this process works when we see it in action. Obviously, before you even initiate a consultation or you get a quote from a car shipping company, you should know what the end destination is. This will really help speed things up.
From there, it doesn’t hurt to round up some of your important documentation to provide to the driver once they arrive. You can read some tips on how to get that paperwork in this article, but the gist of it is that you’ll want your driver’s license, another form of photo ID, the insurance info for the car, the registration, and some proof of purchase.
Once you have all of that gathered, you can turn your attention to the other small preparations to make. Decide whether you want to use an enclosed shipping container or an open one, for one thing – the main difference is in price as well as the chance of damage occurring during transport. It’s okay to take some time to deliberate on that, thankfully.
You’ll also want to consider making a stop at the local car wash. Thankfully, there are plenty across Ohio, so it shouldn’t be difficult to locate one. Why bother cleaning your car if it’s just going to be shipped though, right?
A lot of it has to do with the fact that you don’t want to leave any personal belongings in the interior of the vehicle before they get picked up. Even if you’re simply moving and will be the one receiving the car, there’s a chance that things could get lost along the way. Clearing all of that stuff out helps prevent that.
It can also save you some cash, believe it or not. Remember, the main way that companies determine how much to charge us for the car shipping process is by calculating the weight of the vehicle. This will have a pretty big impact on the final price.
Therefore, if we can reduce it by taking things out of the car, why not, right? As far as the outside goes, this will help when the initial inspection is made. Hopefully, these tips and tricks help you to save time and effort the next time you need a car shipped! The resources we’ve provided should also help if you don’t know how to get started.
