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How Long Does It Take To Ship A Car? 6 Things To Keep In Mind - Guide 2023

How Long Does It Take To Ship A Car? 6 Things To Keep In Mind - Guide 2023

What Elements Affect the Time of Car Transportation?

Indeed, various factors, including distance, pick-up and drop-off locations, vehicle type, season, road conditions, additional stops, and technical troubles, influence the time it takes to transport an automobile. Let's examine these various elements to get your car sent as soon as feasible.

1. Amount Of Distance

The distance may have the most impact on the time required for car transportation. In general, the time it takes to move a car increases with the distance, it must cover.

This is due to the federal government's Hours of Service (HOS) requirements, which cap the number of hours that truck drivers can travel each day.

These requirements were set to protect the public because weary drivers are frequently reckless on the road. Drivers are thus restricted to 11 hours of driving time each day rather than being able to drive at all hours of the day and night.

Drivers are required to take at least ten hours off work straight after 11 hours of driving. Drivers must spend at least seven continuous hours in the sleeping berth during their off-duty time.

Finally, drivers cannot operate a motor vehicle after 60 or 70 hours of continuous work. Drivers can, however, recommence this time by taking at least 34 straight hours off from work.

In light of these criteria, how many miles can a motorist go daily? The average daily mileage for trucks is between 55 and 60 miles or roughly 605 to 650 kilometers.

2. Locations For Pickup And Drop-off

Locations for pickup and drop-off also impact the time it takes to transfer a car. For instance, it can take longer overall if a driver needs to go to a remote area to pick up your car.

The journey can also take longer if the driver must pick up the car in a district with many historic buildings and tricky-to-navigate streets.

Selecting a terminal-to-terminal service is one efficient technique to hasten the delivery of your car. Drive your automobile to an auto transport terminal and leave it there so a driver may, along with the other cars in their cargo, pick it up using a terminal-to-terminal service.

With this service, drivers must spend the entire day traveling to various locations to pick up autos.

When using a terminal-to-terminal service, your car is picked up at a different auto-shipping facility.

This service is perfect for you if you're moving your car to and from large cities with terminals nearby because these auto transport terminals are often adjacent to large cities.

However, this choice might not be very time-efficient if you're transporting your vehicle between more remote places.

The door-to-door service, which allows you to choose precise pickup and drop-off locations that are suitable for you, is different from this terminal-to-terminal service.

For instance, you may arrange to have your car picked up from your office in your old city and delivered to your home in the new city. Even while this mode of transportation is undoubtedly practical, it frequently costs more and can make your journey go longer.

3. Type Of Vehicle

The type of vehicle you have is the next element that may impact how quickly you can transfer a car. Smaller cars, such as sedans, fit readily onto most transport trailers. Thus, shipping one will typically be quicker and simpler.

On the other hand, bigger vehicles like vans, trucks, and SUVs could take longer to ship because they take up more space on trailers.

Expect your auto transfer to take significantly longer if you own a fancy car that needs special attention during delivery. For instance, some owners of expensive vehicles prefer to carry their vehicles in enclosed trailers instead of open ones.

Due to the vehicle's protection from the elements and any threats on the road, enclosed trailers offer additional safety and security.

4. Period

The time of year is another element that affects car transportation. Since there will be more competition for a small pool of drivers throughout the summer, it can be harder for you to find transportation during that period.

The weather can also vary depending on the time of year, which can impact how quickly your car is transported. For instance, since summer is also hurricane season, a hurricane's rain, gusts, and flooding might easily slow your transportation.

Unfortunately, unforeseen weather circumstances might quickly affect your car's transfer timeframe because drivers will need to slow down and hence drive cautiously to avoid an accident.

5. Traffic Situation

Similar to that, the state of the roads can impact the time it takes to transfer your car. The same scenario might occur when your car is being exported, just as we have all been stranded on the freeway due to construction. Your car must wait in the traffic even though you don't have to.

Poor road conditions can also force the vehicle to slow down and lengthen the trip, even if there isn't any ongoing construction on the route.

After all, it's not a smart idea for them to drive over large potholes at 60 mph while towing a trailer full of autos. In these circumstances, greater attention is required to avoid damage to automobiles.

6. Mechanical Challenges

Finally, mechanical issues may lengthen the time it takes to transport your car. Again, these are unforeseen problems that can arise while traveling. You never know when you'll blow a tire or experience engine trouble, even though drivers try to prevent them with routine maintenance.

In these circumstances, the transport firm will contact you again to inform you of the problem. Depending on the repairs' severity, they would then update you on the shipment status.

The driver should be able to correct everything immediately and resume driving right away. In some extreme situations, if the mechanical problems are difficult to fix, a separate driver may need to pick up your automobile.

How Long Does It Typically Take Transport a Car Across the Country?

You can review some average delivery times based on the data from deliveries in the past:

  • It takes 1 to 2 days for car to be delivered on the distance up to 600 miles;
  • 2 to 3 days for the distances up to 1500 miles;
  • 3 to 5 days if you ship a car to the distance up to 2000 miles;
  • For 3000 miles distances we usually advice 7 to 10 days of wait time.

Please note that these times are estimated and you can give us a call to get the shipping time for specifically your shipment.

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