Shipping a luxury car can be an extremely nerve-wracking process. And while it’s totally understandable that you don’t want to let your prized possession out of your sight, sometimes it’s simply not an option when you have to make a big move. The good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can safely and securely ship a luxury car. Here’s what you need to do to ensure that your shipping process goes as smoothly as possible:
What Is Considered a Luxury Car?
A luxury car is nothing like your regular car. They are made with the best materials, the newest technology, and high-end features. Some examples of luxury car brands include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Tesla, Lexus, Acura, and Land Rover. Some examples of ultra-luxury car brands include Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Maserati, Maybach, and Aston Martin.
How Is Shipping a Luxury Car Different From Other Vehicle Transportation?
Shipping a car isn’t like shipping a regular car. Since these cars are more valuable, they require more protection. After all, you want to protect your investment! Shipping a luxury car also often comes with higher levels of customer service to give you the peace of mind that your investment is safe and sound throughout its journey.
What Are the 4 Shipping Options for Luxury Cars?
When it comes to shipping a luxury car, there are four different options to choose from truck, plane, boat, and train. Here’s a quick guide to each shipping option, including the pros and cons, so that you can make an informed decision:
Option 1: Shipping Luxury Cars Over the Road
Perhaps the most obvious shipping option for luxury cars is over the road using a semi-truck. This option is obvious because you’ve likely seen it countless times while driving on the interstate. Shipping luxury cars over the road is extremely versatile, direct, and affordable.
It’s versatile because there are a couple of different ways that you can ship luxury cars over the road — more on that later. It’s direct because there’s no need to incorporate different shipping methods when you ship via truck since roads can take you almost anywhere. Finally, it’s affordable because there are tons of trucks available for shipping your luxury car.
Enclosed Trailer
You can ship a luxury car over the road using an enclosed trailer. This trailer is completely enclosed and offers the most protection for your luxury car. With this shipping option, there’s no need to worry about potential damage from adverse weather conditions or road debris. Your vehicle is also more secure since these trailers can be locked to prevent theft.
However, this shipping option is more expensive than the alternative — an open trailer — since it can only fit a few cars at most.
Open Trailer
An open trailer, unlike an enclosed trailer, is open on the sides and top. Some open trailers actually have two decks and are able to fit up to ten cars at a time. Since open trailers are able to fit more cars than enclosed trailers, they are a more affordable shipping option. However, you may have to sacrifice price for protection since open trailers don’t offer much — leaving your car at risk of damage from weather and road debris.
Option 2: Shipping Luxury Cars Through the Air
You can also ship your luxury car through the air on an airplane. This is definitely the most efficient way to ship a luxury car since airplanes are able to deliver cars within a day’s time. At the same time, you should be prepared to pay a pretty penny for such a shipping service since space on airplanes is very valuable.
Option 3: Shipping Luxury Cars Over the Ocean
If you’re shipping a car from overseas but are experiencing sticker shock from the price of using an airplane, you may want to consider shipping your luxury car over the ocean using a boat. In fact, this is the method that overseas car manufacturers in Japan and China use to transport their cars to other countries like the United States.
When shipping a car by boat, there are two different options to choose from. You can choose the “roll on and roll off” service wherein your car is driven onto the ship, secured inside the ship, and is driven off the ship at the arrival port. You can also choose to have your car shipped in a shipping container if you’re looking for extra protection and security.
Option 4: Shipping Luxury Cars by Train
Finally, you could ship your luxury car by train. That being said, rail shipping for cars in the United States is quite limited as this service is only offered by one company in two different locations on the East Coast.
And while shipping a car via train might be more economical than a plane or car, an open autorack similar to an open truck trailer is often used — still leaving it at risk of damage.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Luxury Car?
The cost of shipping a luxury car depends on which shipping method and level of service you choose. For example, if you choose an open trailer transport, it costs about $1,080 on average. If you choose an enclosed trailer transport, it costs about $1,500 on average. Keep in mind that these prices are just averages and can be lower or higher depending on different factors including, distance, car size, season, and more.
If you choose air transport, you can expect to pay about $4,000 to $5,000 for this type of service. If you choose sea transport, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the distance and type of transport chosen. Finally, if you’re able to make rail transport work for your luxury vehicle, this service costs about $200 to $300 plus the cost of a passenger ticket that can range in price from $100 to $200.
How Can Customers Prepare Their Luxury Cars For Shipping?
If you have decided that shipping your luxury car over the road via truck is the best option for you, here’s what you need to do to start the process and prepare your car for shipping:
Step 1: Clean the Car
Before your luxury car gets put on the trailer for shipping, it’s always a good idea to give it a good clean inside and out. Cleaning your car beforehand ensures that you can take detailed pictures that accurately depict the current state of your vehicle. When your car is clean, you won’t have to wonder whether that smudge in the photo is new or old.
Step 2: Remove Personal Items
While you’re in the process of cleaning your car, this is also a good time to remove any and all personal items from your vehicle before it gets put on the trailer for shipping. Take everything out from the inside, including phone chargers, air fresheners, coffee cups, etc. You also need to remove exterior accessories, including spoilers, bike racks, bumper protectors, etc., so that you don’t have to worry about them falling off during shipping.
Step 3: Take High-Quality Photos of Your Car
Once your car has been washed and cleaned out, it’s time to inspect your car. Check the condition of your car and note any scratches, dents, smudges, etc. Document these areas with photos and videos. Also, make sure to take photos and videos of your whole car so that if you missed any issues the first time, you can easily go back and verify what happened.
Step 4: Get a Maintenance Check
You should also get a basic maintenance check to get your car ready for shipment. Make sure that all your tires are properly filled and are free of leaks to prevent flat tires that could become problematic along the way. Also, make sure that you have enough oil and other fluids in your car. Finally, make sure that your brake and engine systems are working properly.
Another thing to check is your gas tank. It’s always a good idea to make sure that your gas tank is as close to empty as possible. This helps avoid putting extra weight onto the trailer that can be costly.
Step 5: Talk to a Freight Company Representative For Specific Instructions
While those are the basic steps of preparing a luxury car for shipment, specific instructions should be given to you by the freight company that’s actually shipping your car. Feel free to ask them if you have any questions on how to prepare your car for shipment or if you have any concerns about the shipping process.
How to Choose a Freight Company for Shipping a Luxury Car?
Deciding to ship your car by truck and preparing it for shipment are the easy parts. Choosing a freight company to entrust with your luxury car is a bit harder. Here are five steps to help make the process easier:
Step 1: Ask for Recommendations
The best way to find a freight company to ship your luxury car is to ask around to family, friends, and colleagues for personal recommendations. If anyone you know has ever shipped their car, ask them who they used and if they enjoyed their experience with the company.
Step 2: Search Online
If you’re unable to receive any personal recommendations on freight companies that ship luxury cars, look online. Conduct a simple internet search for freight companies near you that ship luxury cars. Come up with a shortlist of contenders to look into.
Step 3: Perform Research
Once you have a shortlist of potential contenders, you need to vet them through thorough research. For starters, make sure that they are experienced in the car shipping space, and specifically, the luxury car shipping space. You also need to make sure that they’re licensed and insured by checking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database.
If they have the right experience and qualifications, the next thing you need to check out is their customer reviews. These should be posted online, but it’s always a good idea to ask for additional references that you can contact and verify yourself since online reviews aren’t always accurate or reliable.
Step 4: Get Quotes
Based on the information gathered during the research stage, you can narrow down your list of potential contenders to two to three finalists. From there, reach out to these companies for quotes and be prepared to provide them with information about your vehicle’s make and model, your shipping timeline, shipping origin, shipping destination, and desired shipping service.
For example, are you looking for door-to-door service where your car gets picked up and dropped off at specific locations? Are you looking for a white-glove service where you can constantly see where your car is and receive updates along the way? These are all things to know ahead of time so that you can receive an accurate quote.
Step 5: Make Your Decision and Finalize Your Shipment
Now you have all the information you need to make your final decision and book your shipment. Keep in mind that the lowest quoted price isn’t always the best bet since you tend to get what you pay for. Sometimes, paying a little bit more for better and safer service is worth it — especially when it comes to shipping a valuable luxury car.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a freight company that offers unparalleled shipping services for luxury cars, look no further than RPM. RPM offers both enclosed and open transport for luxury cars. We work with a network of over 40,000 vetted and monitored carriers to quickly and safely ship your car. Along the way, we provide you with constant updates and real-time visibility to help give you peace of mind. If you have any questions at any point, you can reach out to your dedicated customer representative for support.
With nearly ten years in business and countless awards, we have the experience and reputation to back up our services. So don’t waste any more time with shipping your luxury car, and contact the logistics experts at RPM today for a customized quote.
Sources:
How to Ship a Luxury Car | Movers.com
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car? | Move.org
8 Tips to Prepare Your Vehicle for Auto Transport | Moving.com
