Coast-to-Coast Transport of Your Exotic Car – All Your Questions Answered
Moving your exotic car coast to coast can be challenging. Driving it yourself is risky because you need to cover a long distance, which can make you too tired to focus on the road. The best way to avoid collisions and ensure your ride remains intact is to hire a coast-to-coast shipping company.
There are many gray areas surrounding coast-to-coast luxury car shipping, but this article will clear up the confusion. We’ll answer the most common questions about the service to help you prepare for your relocation.
All About Long-Distance Car Shipping: Coast-to-Coast Transportation Explained
If you’re planning your first shipping coast to coast, you’re probably looking for answers to these questions:
What Is Coast-to-Coast Exotic Auto Transport?
Coast-to-coast exotic car transportation isn’t the same as relocating a regular vehicle. Luxury rides are constructed from the finest technologies and feature the most advanced features available. Here are some of the most valuable brands:
- Mercedes Benz
- Tesla
- BMW
- Audi
- Land Rover
- Bentley
- Aston Martin
- Ferrari
- Rolls Royce
Since these models are worth much more than standard cars, shipping them coast to coast requires more protection. That’s why relocation companies take extra measures to shield your investment from scratches, dings, and other forms of damage. Furthermore, the relocation providers also extend better customer service, reassuring you that your vehicle will arrive at its destination safe and sound.
What Are the Various Options When I Decide to Ship Car Coast to Coast?
All coast-to-coast car transport services have some things in common. However, this doesn’t mean every relocation process is the same. Most companies offer four shipping methods:
Road Shipping
This is the most popular solution for coast-to-coast luxury car transportation. Your vehicle is transported in a truck or semi-truck that takes the car to its destination on interstate roads.
The most significant benefit of this type of transport is that it’s affordable. Numerous types of vehicles can transport your car, which lowers the price of the service.
Second, road coast-to-coast auto shipping is direct. Interstate roads can take your vehicle practically anywhere. As a result, you don’t have to schedule multiple shipping methods.
Finally, this method is flexible because it comes in two forms:
Open Trailers
As the name suggests, open trailers feature an open top and sides. Some models also come with two decks that can hold up to 10 vehicles. As these units can store a large number of luxury cars, they’re highly affordable. The downside is limited protection, exposing your ride to road debris and bad weather.
Enclosed Trailers
Enclosed coast-to-coast car shipping is the alternative to open transportation. These trailers are closed to better protect your investment from the elements. Hence, there’s no risk of scratches, discoloration, and other damage associated with open units. Moreover, this relocation is more secure because the trailers have locks to safeguard against theft.
However, the greater protection comes at a higher price. Another factor that increases the cost is the limited capacity of enclosed trailers. They can only accommodate about five or six vehicles at a time.
Ocean Shipping
The second popular option for shipping your luxury car coast to coast is ocean relocation. This is perfect for long-distance arrangements, such as East Coast to West Coast auto transport. In fact, Chinese and Japanese vehicle manufacturers use this method to move their products to the USA and other countries.
You can choose from several options when transporting your high-end vehicle by boat. Most people opt for a roll-on/roll-off relocation. It involves driving your car onto a ship, where it’s secured and taken to a port.
Alternatively, you can have your vehicle transported in a container. This provides greater security and protection, but it’s usually more expensive.
Train Shipping
You should also consider coast-to-coast vehicle shipping when moving your luxury car. The most significant advantage of this type of transport is its relatively high speed. The relocation generally takes less time than truck relocations.
That said, you should be aware of several drawbacks. Namely, most providers ship cars on open platforms. This puts your exotic vehicle at a higher risk of damage.
On top of that, rail shipping is limited in the U.S. Just one company offers this service in two East Coast locations. Hence, scheduling the transport may take quite a while.
Air Shipping
The last method you should take into account is transporting your high-end car on a plane. This is the quickest method to relocate a vehicle, as airplanes can deliver your luxury car in less than a day. Security is high, too, but this service can burn a hole in your pocket due to limited space.
What Is the Cost of Coast-to-Coast Exotic Car Shipping?
Determining the price of luxury car shipping is tricky because there are numerous factors that affect the cost. Primarily, you need to consider the type of your transport.
If you go for open road relocations, the average price is about $1,000. Companies with enclosed trailers charge approximately $1,500 per transport.
Sea transport is usually more expensive due to longer distances. Expect to pay at least $1,000 for this service and upwards of $5,000 for relocating your vehicle overseas.
Air car shipping is the most expensive method. The average cost is a whopping $5,000 and can easily exceed $7-$8K if the provider uses high-end planes.
Lastly, air shipping is the most affordable method. The service typically costs just $200-$300, whereas the passenger ticket ranges from $100 to $200 for East Coast to West Coast auto transport.
How Do I Prepare My Exotic Car for Coast-to-Coast Transport?
The transportation of your exotic car is a seamless process when working with the right coast-to-coast shipping company. Nevertheless, you can make the procedure even smoother by preparing for your relocation. Here’s what you should do if you’ve scheduled a road service:
Clean Your Luxury Car
Before the provider loads your car onto the shipping trailer, you want to clean it thoroughly and take pictures that clearly show the condition of your vehicle prior to the transport. With a pristine ride and photos to prove it, you’ll have no doubt whether a smudge or ding on your car is old or new.
Remove Personal Belongings
Cleaning your exotic car is also a great time to get rid of any personal item inside it before it’s loaded onto the shipping trailer. Make sure to take out everything, including your coffee cups, air fresheners, and phone charges. The same goes for exterior accessories like spoilers, bumper protectors, and bike racks. Once the items are out of the way, there will be no risk of losing them during the transport.
Take Photos
As we mentioned, photos are great for documenting your vehicle’s condition before you hand it over for shipping. This step involves inspecting your vehicle. Check the state of the car and record any dents, scratches, and smudges. Document the findings with videos and photos. This allows you to compare the ride’s condition before and after the relocation and make a potential insurance claim.
Maintenance Check
You should be able to examine most of your car without a mechanic. The most important thing you should check is the tires. Make sure they have no leaks and are filled correctly. Otherwise, flat tires can cause serious issues during the relocation.
Checking the oil, gas, and other liquids is also paramount. There should be enough oil to help keep your engine and brake systems running when the exotic car reaches its destination. As for your gas tank, it should only be about a quarter full. This reduces the vehicle’s weight and saves you money.
Contact a Representative for Detailed Instructions
The previous steps are basic instructions for getting ready to ship coast to coast. You need specific information, and you can obtain it from a company representative. Voice your concerns about your relocation and ask for advice on getting ready for the shipping. This way, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble down the line.
How Long Does Coast-to-Coast Shipping Take?
As previously discussed, some exotic car transportation methods are faster than others. For example, road providers cover approximately 400-500 miles every day. This means a 2,500-mile journey should take between five and eight days. The trip takes longer if the driver has to make additional pickups.
The pickup times also vary by company. But in general, you can expect your auto transport provider to arrive to collect your exotic car two to seven days after you place your order. Some businesses offer express services, picking up your ride within a day or two after the order.
How Do I Find the Right Coast-to-Coast Exotic Auto Transport Company?
The key to successful coast-to-coast transport of high-end cars is finding a trustworthy shipping provider. Some companies offer subpar services, so here’s how to separate the wheat from the chaff:
Check Out Recommendations
Having your luxury car shipped by an unknown company can be a disaster waiting to happen. They may attract you with a low price, but there’s often an unpleasant surprise. It could be a scam, or your car might arrive at its destination with irreparable damage.
The easiest way to prevent this is to hire a business your friends, family, or colleagues have worked with previously. If they’ve already shipped their vehicle with a certain provider, ask them about their experience. If everything went smoothly, consider giving the company a shot.
Expand Your Search by Going Online
If you can’t obtain any recommendations from friends or family, you can always turn to the internet. Look up nearby companies that offer coast-to-coast luxury car shipping and check the reviews. Shortlist a few prospects that have consistently provided excellent services.
Dig Deep Into Your Prospects
After narrowing down your search, it’s time to vet your candidates through in-depth research. First, be sure they have vast experience in the vehicle relocation industry. And don’t just look for those that ship a lot of standard cars – consider their track record of hauling luxury rides specifically. Otherwise, they may not protect your investment properly.
Another thing to look for is their license. The company must be licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This helps ensure you don’t get scammed.
You’ve already gone through online reviews at this point, but you should always look for more references. Reach out to customer service and ask them for any references they can provide. These sources are usually more accurate and reliable than internet posts.
Look for Insured Companies
Car shipping insurance is also a crucial factor. Just because you’re not driving your car, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t insure it for your coast-to-coast transport. Therefore, you should only hire businesses that offer transparent policies.
The greatest advantage of insuring your ride is peace of mind. If anything happens to your vehicle en route, the company will cover the damage. The list includes dings, dents, scratches, breakage, and any other harm during the loading, transport, and unloading.
Bear in mind that you’ll need to prove you didn’t cause the damage. That’s where photos come into play. Your claim is more likely to succeed if there’s evidence of your car’s mint condition before the shipping company took it over.
Get Quotes
Depending on the details collected during your research, you can further narrow down the list of companies. The next step is to contact the coast-to-coast shipping teams for quotes. Here’s some of the information you’ll need to provide:
- Car’s make and model
- Shipping timeline
- Destination
- Shipping Origin
The company should also ask you about your preferences. For instance, you might be able to schedule door-to-door services. In this case, the provider picks up your car and drops it off at a specific location.
Another service you might be able to schedule is white-glove transport. It enables you to monitor your vehicle’s location and receive real-time updates.
Making these arrangements on time makes your quote more accurate.
Let Seasoned Specialists Take Care of Your Exotic Car
Many people hire a coast-to-coast vehicle shipping company when transporting their luxury car. It’s much easier than handling the relocation on your own.
Still, you shouldn’t hire just any provider. You need a trustworthy team, and Exotic Car Transport is your best option. We have years of experience transporting high-end vehicles quickly and efficiently. Our professionals are licensed and insured, so have no doubt you’ll be in great hands.
For more information about our services, get a quote here or give us a call at (888) 230-9877.
