Thanksgiving Travel Stress-Free: How Car Shipping Can Save Your Holiday Plans
Car shipping can save your Thanksgiving holiday plans by providing a convenient and efficient way to transport your vehicle to your destination. This can help you avoid the stress of driving long distances, especially during the busy holiday season.
According to a recent survey, nearly half of America plans to travel between Thanksgiving and mid-January and many of them will be driving long distances to reach their destinations.
Shipping your car can help you avoid the hassle of driving long distances, and it can also save you money on gas and other travel expenses. Additionally, car shipping companies offer various services to meet your specific needs, including door-to-door delivery, open or enclosed transport, and expedited shipping options.
If you’d like to know more, keep reading this post.
What is Car Shipping?
Also known as auto transport or vehicle transport, car shipping is a service that moves your car, motorcycle, or pickup truck from one location to another.
It is particularly useful in situations where driving a car yourself is inconvenient or impossible. There are two popular methods of auto shipping: open car transport and enclosed car shipping.
The cost of car shipping depends on factors such as the shipping distance, pickup and delivery locations, and chosen type of transport.
What Services Do Car Shipping Companies Offer?
Auto transport companies offer a variety of services to help you transport your vehicle from one location to another. Some of the services offered include:
- Open transport: This is the most common type of car shipping service. Your vehicle will be transported on an open trailer, which is exposed to the elements. This is the most affordable option.
- Enclosed transport: This type of service is more expensive than open transport, but it provides more protection for your vehicle. Your car will be transported in an enclosed trailer, which protects it from the elements and road debris.
- Door-to-door transport: With this service, the car shipping company picks up your vehicle from your home or office and delivers it as near as possible to your chosen location. All the car shipping services provided by SGT Auto Transport are door-to-door.
- Expedited transport: If you need your vehicle shipped quickly, you can choose expedited or express transport. This service is more expensive than standard shipping, but it ensures that your vehicle will be delivered as quickly as possible.
- Guaranteed pick-up: If you’re looking to have your car shipped on an exact date, guaranteed pick-up is a service we recommend. A pick-up can be arranged with a 24-hour window.
- Snowbirds car shipping: This is an auto transport service used by people traveling down to southern states such as Florida for the winter months. They also use this service when traveling back home again in the spring.
- Military car shipping: Military car shipping is a service designed specifically for military personnel, both active and retired.
- Classic and luxury car transport: Classic car shipping is an auto transport service designed for the owners of valuable vehicles such as exotic, luxury, classic, and sports cars. It’s a premium service that promises extra protection for the vehicle.
How Much Does Car Shipping Cost?
The best way to find out the cost of shipping your car during Thanksgiving is to request an auto transport quote from your chosen shipping company. However, for your convenience, we’ve provided an online instant quote calculator right here on this website.
To give you an idea of how much you might have to pay, let’s share an example. To ship a car from Chicago, Illinois to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it will cost $1,029 in an open trailer or $1,439 in an enclosed trailer. To ship a car from Los Angeles, California to Miami, Florida, it will cost $1,439 in an open trailer or $$2,009 in an enclosed trailer.
These figures are only meant as a guideline because several factors affect the total cost you have to pay. These factors include the following:
Distance
This is one of the more obvious factors and as you might expect, the further you want to ship your car the more it will cost.
Make, Model, and Year of Your Car
Second in the list of factors is the type of vehicle you want to ship. Larger vehicles such as an SUV or pick-up will cost more to ship than a small sedan.
The Route
It’s possible to ship a car to and from anywhere in the United States, however, some locations are more popular than others. The cost of shipping your car is typically lower from city to city and for the more popular routes.
The Condition of Your Vehicle
If your car isn’t running, you can expect to pay more to have it shipped. This is because the carrier will have to use specialist equipment for the loading and unloading part of the process. In addition, a non-running car requires more effort and takes more time.
The Time of Year
There are ebbs and flows in demand in the auto transport industry and this can influence the cost. Demand tends to be high during holidays such as Thanksgiving, New Year, and Christmas and prices also tend to be higher.
The weather can be a contributing factor and as we all know, there are times of the year when severe weather conditions are more likely.
The Type of Auto Transport Service
The two main types of auto transport services are open and enclosed car shipping. These services are similar in many ways but also differ in terms of the price and how your car is shipped.
If you choose enclosed auto transport services, your vehicle is moved inside a closed trailer which means it’s completely protected from the elements and road grime. The cost for this service is between 30% and 40% more than open car shipping.
Additional Features
You might also want to take advantage of additional features such as express shipping, top loading, or guaranteed pick-up. These services are typically more expensive.
Price of Fuel
The price of fuel is another important factor that can affect the cost of shipping your car. As we all know, fuel prices go up and go down, any changes are generally passed onto the customer.
If you’re planning a Thanksgiving trip this year, consider shipping your car to make your travel experience more enjoyable and stress-free.
Introducing Our Thanksgiving Campaign
You’ll be pleased to learn that we’re currently running a Thanksgiving Campaign that features a special offer for all our customers. We want to make Thanksgiving a special time of the year for you and the people you love.
If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, and need your car shipped, we’ve got a special offer that means you or a loved one could get a car shipped for free.
To take part, you must do the following:
- Nominate a friend or family member who deserves a gift
- Tell us why this person holds a special place in your heart and why they deserve the gift of a free car shipping service
- Send us your photos, videos, or anything that will illustrate the story you’ve shared
This campaign runs until 23rd November, and we’ll choose three stories that touched us the most.
If you’ve got any questions about the car shipping services we provide, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our shipping advisors. You can reach them at (864) 546-5038 or use our Live Chat service. It’s also possible to request a quote for any of our car shipping services.
