How Are Cars Transported From Country To Country
This article looks at how cars are transported from country to country? Find out more about how vehicles are shipped overseas.
Transporting vehicles across the UK, Europe, and the World is challenging. Many elements must come together when flying or driving cars to different sites.
Knowing what to do in advance can quite literally save you time and money, which is what this article aims to do as we run through how cars are transported from country to country.
How Are Vehicles Shipped Overseas
To transport vehicles abroad for race weekends, replacement parts, or to spare yourself having to drive long distances, there are many hoops to jump through. Shipping companies work to ensure every car delivered to another country is done so efficiently and affordably.
As most people prepare for a big move or transportation, they shouldn't worry about how their cars are packed into trucks and moved: hence why such companies exist.Shipping your vehicle using an Auto Shipping representative or professional driver from your house to another location is a luxury for many people.
Still, there are a few options to how it's moved. If your car is due to be shipped overseas in the near future, you should understand how shipping cars work and how to prioritise your safety while doing so.
Transport Options
From personal to commercial transportation, there are many forms of specialised trucks, equipment and drivers capable of moving many cars across the country or to different countries.
Depending on the nature of the distance and the most efficient logistics behind when the car arrived on-site, here are the most common transport options for car owners:
Shipping Containers
A large portion of the cars shipped abroad is done so in shipping containers. Container shipping is ideal for many owners as the shipping cost can be much lower when you store personal belongings alongside the transport cars. A ship carrying thousands of cars can keep them protected and ensure they reach the destination port efficiently.
If you choose to ship cars, especially smaller models, you are best going with shipping containers or another form of ocean freight as your money will be best spent knowing they are safe.
Open Air Trucks
When remaining in one country or moving a single vehicle to the final destination, it's not uncommon to use open air trucks. As long as a main road is found between two points, the drivers can typically deliver the cars for a lower price than other transportation methods.
The trucks arrive at race locations without the vehicle getting a scratch or needing petrol, meaning it remains secure and fits into most schedules.
However, open air trucks can also be used to ship cars abroad. Working in collaboration with air freight and sea freight services, a truck and an entire trailer can be moved across the country and finish the journey driving.
Roll On / Roll Off
Another popular option among auto transport customers is using Roll On/Roll Off (RO/RO) ships. The vehicle owner or handler is responsible for driving the car onto the boat and leaving it in the enclosed, personalised parking space: where they are storeyed economically and safely.
Once loaded, the owner remains on the boat and drives the car off themselves upon arrival. Completing the delivery, they drive the car to the customs clearance office, concluding all formalities and then moving the shipment to the desired location.
Enclosed Trucks
When moving automobiles through the winter, you need to protect them against cold damage. Enclosed trucks are designed for precisely that: with their loading sections protecting heavy equipment and critical parts during the journey.
While these may cost more than other means of transportation, they are typically safer and ideal for high-end vehicles or new cars. When transporting cars for race weekends, the spare parts and tools are also loaded into the truck.
Cargo Aeroplane
Cargo planes are ideal for those that want special treatment for their vehicles during transportation as they can be picked up from their home on the pickup date, driven to the airport and carefully loaded onto the aeroplane.
In other instances, you can drive the car directly onto the plane, and it is secured using straps and blocks: although most cargo planes can only take one vehicle at a time, so it can be more expensive.
Professional Drivers
If you are on a lower budget, it's recommended you use professional drivers to transport your car. This can be more expensive when travelling long distances, but if the vehicle remains in the same country, it can be cost-effective.
They pickup your car from your home and drive it to the final destination: sometimes sharing the travel between multiple drivers. However, the distance can take a toll on the car, increasing the miles, and the fuel costs can be higher than other transportation means.
Who Needs Car Transportation Services?
There are many people who can benefit from car transportation services.
Hiring an experienced car transporter may seem like a hassle, but if you've just bought a car from an auction, have sold your existing vehicle across the country or are attending a race event, auto transport is for you.
You will need your automobile moved without you racking up the miles associated with driving it yourself. When driving long distances, it can become dangerous to drive overnight as you become more tired.
With classic cars, there is every risk of damaging them while on the road: so having them away from prying eyes can benefit you.
The driver will drop off the vehicle at the destination point in pristine condition without any concern of scratches.
The biggest misconception about car transport is you need to be in the vehicle delivery industry, whereas most enquiries come from people who have just bought a car and want it moved.
For example, you can still hire such services if you are an average person with normal miles on your home vehicle. Of course, car transport spans from the average person, household goods, and heavy equipment to Formula One sports cars being moved: the list is almost endless.
For higher-end vehicles, carriers are more customised and secure compared to transportation of ordinary cars. When getting involved in professional transport companies, you are covered by their insurance, and you know an expert driver remains behind the wheel.
With ongoing support throughout the process and qualified engineers prepared to deal with your car imports for the business, you can have peace of mind during the transit.
UK Car Transport Services
When arranging to move your car from one place to another, you want it to remain affordable and ideally remove all the confusion.
Many transportation companies will use confusing jargon when it should be simple. While many UK options for transporting cars are available, our team pride itself on attention to detail and working to move your vehicle across the world.
Our costs are competitive, without sacrificing on quality. Car transport costs vary depending on the vehicle model, destination and how you want it moved, as hiring a driver will always be cheaper than using Air Freight services.
The route also affects the price, as dangerous and uneven roads will cause more risk and could end up being lost.
For race events, there are two types of transportation for parts needed for international races: Critical and Non-Critical. Critical includes chassis, engines, tires, wings and more.
Non-Critical includes components like jacks, tools and other similar parts. Companies can transport both, but it depends on the relevance of where and how they are taken. However, most of the IT equipment and other items required for the garage are taken beforehand so the installation team can ensure all parts are working. The cars will arrive at the racetrack and wait for the unloading crew if all is moving efficiently.
If you need a car transport company to get your vehicle to the next track event, perhaps you've just bought a car at auction, or you're looking to sell, there are fewer teams more professional than our own. Get in touch today for a professional touch of car transportation.