A Precise Guide On How Cars Are Shipped
Have you ever wondered how cars are shipped? How did your new car reach you? What journey did your car take after it was manufactured? What seas, roads, and tracks did it have to cross before it finally parked in your driveway?
USA hosts many big names in the car manufacturing industry. Automobiles in USA are sold and bought to the count of millions every year. According to Custom Affairs, which oversees the import and export of goods, 52.2 million cars, to be precise, were traded in 2022. Now, there’s a high chance that you might be one of those customers.
So let’s talk about the different ways your car travels from the factory to your home.
Types of car shipping:
How are cars shipped via trains?
Car shipments that come from North America often arrive via rails. In the trains, the cars are loaded onto decks and shipped to the dealership. Interestingly, despite a few barriers, trains are efficient, with a single train being able to ship up to 500 or more vehicles simultaneously. Given these numbers, you might think that shipping via train is the most suitable and time efficient option; however, it has two drawbacks: train shipping is limited to railway tracks and stations. Due to these limits, the receiver would have to drive to railway stations and transport the vehicles to the dealership via other means. The car may be damaged during the process. Another disadvantage of shipment by train is that it is time consuming. What would take mere hours for a shipment to reach by other means can take days to reach its destination by train.
What is Auto Transport?
America, specifically the Midwest, is home to many industry giants, such as General Motors and Ford, as well as three of Tesla’s Gigafactories. Trucks or rails are generally used for state to state car shipping. Since trains take longer, many companies prefer their cars to be shipped through trucks. In this method, cars are loaded onto trailers. These trailers can hold around 10 to 12 cars at once, depending on the size, model of the car, and type of the trailer.
Two Popular methods are used:
Open Auto Transport:
Cars are loaded onto open trailers, which can be single or double deckers. This shipping method is comparatively cheaper and offers minimal protection to the vehicle on board. Mostly, open trailers are used to transport cars and this method is usually known as Open Car Transport.
Enclosed Auto Transport:
This method ships cars in an enclosed trailer, providing unmatched protection to a vehicle. Although expensive, enclosed car shipping offers much more protection to cars than an open trailer.
The Sail Across Salty Waters
USA still imports a lot of its cars. Shipping via water is generally used for cars going to Alaska or Hawaii or for cross country shipping. Container ships have massive cargo capacities, making them an optimal option for dealers. These Containers can carry 3000 -4000 vehicles in one go and ship to all ports of America from around the world. Two ways are primarily used:
RoRo Shipping:
RoRo is the abbreviation for roll on/ roll off, and it is used to ship a large number of vehicles at once. This cargo specializes in carrying heavy vehicles. The vehicles are driven on and off of open decks and secured to prevent mishaps. Although they have more capacity, shipping cars on open decks can leave cars prone to elemental damage.
Container Shipping:
As evident from the name, cars are loaded into containers. This shipping method is more secure, as the car is confined to four walls. However, due to space restrictions, the containers fit fewer cars. A 20-foot container usually holds two cars; however, a 40-foot container can accommodate four or more cars, depending on their size.
How will my car reach me?
Once the car has reached the dealership, it awaits your purchase. Cars can be bought through various means, such as auctions, and dealerships, or you can buy a car, off the market, directly from it's owner. After you have completed your research and quote comparisons, it is time for you to sit back and wait for the experts at Genius Auto Trans to drop off your precious vehicle at the destination of your choice, scratchless. Once your vehicle reaches you, fill in all the formalities and sign the bill of lading.
If you have just bought a car and are looking to get it shipped, contact Genius Auto Trans now.