Most people rarely ship their car from their home to another location, but it’s nice to know that you have that choice if that need arises. It’s also beneficial to learn that there are varied shipping options available. Find out how to ship a car at https://living.geico.com/driving/auto-care/how-to-ship-a-car/.

In fact, four common methods exist for transporting cars, including trucking, air freight, railway, and sea. Roadway is the standard form most people take advantage of. There are pros and cons to using each auto transport, either leaving Vermont or bringing a car to the state.

Let’s examine the varied methods to see which might suit your specific circumstance more readily.

Types of Auto Transport Methods

With auto transport in Vermont, roadway transport is merely one method available to car owners. In fact, there are actually three other choices you can take advantage of, including sea, railway, and air freight. Each has benefits and downsides to weigh before committing; let’s see which might work for you.

·      Roadway via trailer

The roadway shipping method is ideal for affordability, albeit a safe and efficient transport service. The auto will be delivered via a trailer pulled by a semi-truck. Professional drivers are thoroughly safety trained to load and unload the cars from the trailers and in defensive driving.

As the owner, you can choose between an open-air or enclosed transport. As far as safety, each is considered a safe transport.

The enclosed trailer offers added protection since the trailer is fully closed in and has no exposure to the elements. It has a considerably higher cost, which is why those with luxury vehicles, vintage or classic cars, or motorcycles will typically use this method.

However, car manufacturers and dealerships with new inventory will ship these vehicles using open-air trailers. With a reputable, trusted carrier, there’s little chance of incident or accident. At most, the car will need to be rewashed upon delivery.

·      Railway

Shipping cars from Vermont across the country via railway is growing in favor as it can mean lower prices compared to conventional transport like roadway and air freight. The railway is better for autos “less than ten tons in weight.”

With some shipping services, trains designated specifically for car shipping are used, while other transport companies still use the traditional locomotives that operate on standard tracks using diesel. If you have more than one car, you could pay more per ton with this method than using the roadway.

·      Air freight

Compared to many of the other methods, air freight is costly. It does provide security and speed over others. The roadway is more affordable than air freight.

Ground transport boasts of a fast way to achieve delivery of an auto; however, car owners can experience significant delays and substantial insurance premiums, whereas these are not a consideration with air freight.

Neither does air freight require documentation, which is critical with roadway transportation. The price for air freight is based on the car’s size, the destination, and the distance.

·      Boat transport

When shipping vehicles across the ocean, port-to-port transport is typically the least expensive choice, including ocean freight carriers. The services offer door-to-door delivery for most major cities worldwide.

1.     Roll-on Roll-off RORO shipping 

This is an exceptionally safe and economical transport method for ocean shipping or long-distance travel. Coordinating and substantial planning is needed for those transporting an auto internationally. Cars are pulled into large containers for transport.

A downside is the arrangements for this shipping method can only be handled through major ports, limiting the geographic coverage. All autos must be fully operational for this shipping service. There are exceptions with some ocean carriers for added fees.

Is Auto Transport Worth It

The indication is that the most budget-friendly way for shipping a vehicle is via the roadway on an open-air trailer. The method has the potential for delays due to extreme weather, road conditions, and other unforeseen circumstances.

The way to avoid this causing a considerable life disruption is to allow a large window of time for getting the car from Vermont or coming to Vermont from another location. The more flexible you can be, the better the process; you won’t be concerned about speed and could see savings.

A primary question people pose is whether auto transport is worth it. Still, when you consider the safety risk of driving along with the significant cost associated with that, the investment can be worth it. The car’s value is one thing to consider when looking at the different methods.

Avoid air freight, one of the most expensive methods if the car is a daily driver with considerable mileage and significant age. You’ll also avoid RORO if the vehicle is nonfunctioning unless you need to travel overseas.

Then, you’ll need to research the exceptions to this rule and pay the extra costs for the inoperable vehicle. Read here for factors to consider before selecting a transport method.

Final Thought

This is a lot of information to process. Still, the key takeaway, in essence, is if you’re traveling within the country, the roadway is an efficient, budget-friendly choice with trucks that can go to any destination and get there relatively quickly, depending on the conditions using either an open or enclosed trailer.

Air and boats are primarily beneficial if traveling outside the country or having luxury autos. Railway transport is a close second to the roadway method, but it’s for smaller-weight vehicles.