When you think about auto transport, your mind almost immediately goes to door-to-door transport. However, another method of transport exists that’s potentially more affordable, efficient, and convenient. Terminal-to-terminal auto transport could be the right shipping method for you based on these benefits, so here’s what you need to know to make this determination:
What Is Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport is a type of auto transport that involves transporting a vehicle to and from auto terminals. Auto terminals are regional storage facilities for vehicles. Most of the time, these auto terminals are located in or near large cities.
How Is Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport Different From Door-to-Door Auto Transport?
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport differs from door-to-door auto transport in that instead of setting specific locations for pick-up and drop-off with the individual driver; you are responsible for dropping off and picking up the vehicle at nearby auto terminals. With door-to-door auto transport, you are able to select specific locations where you want your car picked up and dropped off, for instance, a home or work address. From there, the driver comes to you. But with terminal-to-terminal auto transport, you go to the driver.
How Does Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport Work?
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport may seem complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. When arranging transport for your car, you will be assigned auto terminals based on your origin and destination areas. If you’re shipping to and from large cities, these terminals are likely very close and convenient to your location.
Alternatively, if you’re shipping to or from more rural areas, the auto terminals may be further away and more difficult to access. From there, the driver will pick up your car at the auto terminal — along with the rest of the cars in the shipment. Essentially, terminal-to-terminal provides drivers with a one-stop process that avoids driving around to different addresses for pick up and drop off.
Is Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport Common?
The most popular car shipping method is definitely door-to-door, but that doesn’t mean that terminal-to-terminal service is never used. Many companies offer this shipping method since it’s more convenient for their drivers. At the same time, many shippers opt to use the door-to-door method because it’s more convenient for them.
Which Types of Carriers Are Used For Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
There are three types of carriers used for terminal-to-terminal auto transport: open carriers, enclosed carriers, and flatbed trailers. We understand that all of these different options can be confusing, which is why we’re going to break it down for you:
Open Carriers
The first type of carrier used for terminal-to-terminal auto transport is an open carrier. Open carriers are open on the sides. Many of these carriers come with two levels that are able to transport up to ten cars at a time. Just as door-to-door auto transport is the most popular option, open carriers are by far the most popular option here.
Open carriers are the most cost-effective shipping option since you’re able to fit more cars on these trailers. Essentially, using this option allows you to split the cost with the other cars on the trailer. Since you’re splitting the cost, using an open carrier to ship your car can save you up to 40%.
Enclosed Carriers
The second type of carrier used for terminal-to-terminal auto transport is an enclosed carrier. Unlike open carriers, enclosed carriers are completely enclosed on all four sides — providing the vehicles with more protection. Protection is needed from adverse weather conditions like hail and road debris that can damage vehicles on an open trailer.
While enclosed carriers are definitely a more protective option, they’re also more expensive. Instead of being able to fit ten cars on the trailer, you’re only able to fit a few, which definitely drives the price up. Enclosed carriers often only make sense for shipping luxury or antique vehicles that require that extra protection and wherein paying more money for that protection actually makes sense.
Flatbed Trailers
The third type of carrier used for terminal-to-terminal auto transport is a flatbed trailer. A flatbed trailer is similar to an open trailer, but it’s completely flat and doesn’t have multiple levels for storing vehicles. This method of auto transport is quite uncommon and, as a result, comes with higher costs and wait times.
What Are the Benefits of Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
Just because terminal-to-terminal auto transport isn’t the most popular option doesn’t mean that it’s not beneficial in any way. In fact, there are several benefits of using terminal-to-terminal auto transport as it’s convenient, efficient, cost-effective, and allows you to combine shipments.
1. Convenient
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport is quite convenient in most cases. Instead of having to work with a driver to set pick up and drop off times that work for both of you, you can drop it off and pick it up at times that are convenient to you. Additionally, if you need to store your car for a period of time before or after shipping it, auto terminals also provide you with this capability.
2. Efficient
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport can also be an efficient shipping option. Depending on the number of cars placed on the trailer, sometimes drivers have to spend an entire day picking up cars before hitting the road and dropping them off another day. With terminal-to-terminal auto transport, all the cars in the load are in the same place so the driver can quickly get them loaded up and hit the road.
3. Cost-Effective
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport is definitely the more cost-effective shipping option. Most companies will charge you extra for door-to-door service since it’s more work for their drivers. However, if you’re fine with doing more of the work yourself to save some money, then terminal-to-terminal auto transport might be the right choice.
4. Combines Shipments
Terminal-to-terminal auto transport also allows you to combine different shipments. For example, say that you have multiple cars that you need to be shipped to different places. You can arrange terminal-to-terminal auto transport for both of them, bring them both to the auto terminal, and have them picked up by the respective drivers from there instead of having to sort out complicated logistics issues.
How Can Customers Save Money By Using Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
It’s true that terminal-to-terminal auto transport is a more economical choice when it comes to car shipping. Depending on the distance and other cost-related factors, shipping a car can cost you well over $1,000. Clearly, this is a big expense that’s unavoidable in many cases. However, this big expense can be made more affordable by choosing terminal-to-terminal auto transport.
How Do Customers Know If Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport Is Right For Them?
There are so many different factors involved in shipping a car that it can be hard to know if you’re making the right decisions. After all, your car — and your wallet are on the line. Here are some factors to keep in mind to help you decide if terminal-to-terminal auto transport is right for you:
Time-Sensitive Pick-Ups
If you’re short on time and need your car shipped as soon as possible, terminal-to-terminal auto transport might not be the best choice for you. With terminal-to-terminal auto transport, your car is only picked up by a driver when they have a complete load. Most of the time, there’s no guarantee on when that will happen.
If the driver is having trouble filling a complete load, your car could end up sitting in the auto terminal. In contrast, this isn’t a problem for some people if you need your car quickly and by a specific date, you may want to consider door-to-door auto transport instead of terminal-to-terminal auto transport.
Storage Options
If you need to store your car somewhere either before or after shipping it, then terminal-to-terminal auto transport might be a good choice for you. Terminal-to-terminal auto transport allows you to pick up and drop off your car on your schedule rather than being stuck on a certain timeline.
At the same time, it’s important to note that some auto terminals charge storage fees if your car is left there for an extended period of time. So if you need to store your car at an auto transport terminal, make sure to look into any fees before you do so.
Shipping on a Budget
If you need to ship your car on a budget, then terminal-to-terminal auto transport is likely the right choice for you. Moving is incredibly expensive and shipping a car only adds to these costs — so save where you can with terminal-to-terminal auto transport.
Keep in mind the auto terminals' locations when making your decision since you will have to arrange transport back from the pick-up auto terminal and arrange transport to the drop-off auto terminal. If you have to take a taxi or rideshare from far away, these costs can easily eat into the amount you saved by choosing this option.
How to Arrange Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
If you have decided that terminal-to-terminal auto transport is the right decision for you based on your shipping needs, now it’s time to arrange to have your car shipped this way. Here’s what you need to do to arrange terminal-to-terminal transport for your car:
Step 1: Determine Your Car Shipping Needs
In addition to terminal-to-terminal service, there are other factors that you need to consider when shipping your car. For example, are you looking for an enclosed carrier or an open carrier? Are you looking for an expedited shipping time frame? Are you looking for GPS tracking capabilities? It’s always a good idea to have your car shipping needs nailed down before you start looking for companies so that you can easily identify the ones that will work for you.
Step 2: Find Potential Car Shipping Companies
Once you have determined all of your car shipping needs, you need to find potential car shipping companies to meet these needs. If you’ve never shipped a car before, finding a company to take care of this for you can be challenging. A good place to start is asking friends and family members if they can recommend any car shipping companies that they’ve personally used.
If you aren’t able to get any personal recommendations, you can then turn to the internet for some impersonal recommendations. Conduct a quick internet search for terminal-to-terminal auto transport companies that service your area. Come up with a few companies that meet your needs before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Research Potential Car Shipping Companies
Now that you have a list of a few potential car shipping companies, you need to look into them so that you can get the best fit for your needs. A good place to start is with licensing and insurance. Check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database of licensed and insured carriers to make sure that they are qualified to carry your vehicle.
Next, you can check out customer reviews. Most companies will have reviews posted on their website, but it’s also a good idea to check third-party review websites like Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can even go a step further by asking for references that you can verify yourself.
Step 4: Get Quotes From Potential Car Shipping Companies
The information gathered in the previous step should help you narrow down your list of potential contenders. Once you’ve sufficiently narrowed down your list to the best possible shipping companies, you need to reach out to them for quotes. Be prepared to provide them with information about the car you’re shipping, your shipping timeline, your shipping origin and destination, and your method of shipping.
Step 5: Make Your Decision and Arrange Your Transport
Now you have all the information you need to make your final decision — keeping in mind that price should be one factor in your decision instead of the only factor. Also, keep in mind that you often get what you pay for when it comes to car shipping, so sometimes it makes sense to pay a bit more for more peace of mind and better service.
Once you have made your final decision, you can finalize your shipment details and sign the papers.
How to Prepare Your Car for Terminal-to-Terminal Auto Transport?
The work isn’t done after you’ve finalized your shipment with your chosen auto transport company. Before you can drop your car off at the auto terminal, you need to prep it for shipment. Here are five steps you need to follow to adequately prepare your car and ensure that it’s shipped safely:
Step 1: Clean Your Vehicle Inside and Out
The first thing you need to do to prepare our vehicle for shipment is to clean it inside and out. Give it a good wash on the outside, being sure to remove any dirt and smudges. Also, give it a good clean on the inside — vacuum the mats, wipe down the dashboard, and clean the inside of the windows.
Step 2: Remove All Belongings and Accessories
While cleaning your car, you should also remove all personal belongings and accessories from the car. For example, if you keep an umbrella in your car for the occasional rainstorm, this should be removed. Exterior accessories like spoilers and luggage racks should also be removed prior to shipment.
Step 3: Get a Maintenance Check
Once your car looks good on the outside, you need to make sure that everything is good on the inside by getting a maintenance check. Get your tires, brakes, and fluids checked to make sure that your car is in good shape before it’s shipped.
Step 4: Empty Your Gas Tank
It’s also a good idea to empty your gas tank as much as possible before shipping your car to minimize the weight on the trailer. Just make sure that you have enough gas to get to and from the auto transport terminal!
Step 5: Inspect Your Car
Finally, you need to inspect your car before you drop it off at the auto transport terminal. Take detailed photos and videos of your car, noting any damage you find, however minor it is.
Conclusion
RPM offers a whole host of terminal-to-terminal car shipping services on enclosed, open, and flatbed trailers. RPM also offers a high level of service with access to a dedicated customer representative and carrier monitoring system. With nearly ten years of experience and a carrier network that’s over 30,000 strong, we have the tools to help you ship your car.
Reach out to us today for more information and a customized quote.
Sources:
Open vs. Enclosed Car Shipping | Retirement Living
Licensing & Insurance Carrier Search | FMCSA
How to Prepare Your Car for Shipment | Move.org
