The Ins and Outs of Luxury Car Shipping
If you’re looking at luxury car shipping services, you’ve come to the right place. Here at American Auto Shipping, we understand the importance of your luxury vehicle. You want it in pristine condition when it is transported. You want it to arrive in the same condition it was shipped in. Any customer, regardless of the vehicle they’re shipping, wants the same, of course.
But a luxury vehicle is in another class all on its own. They’re expensive, they’re beautiful cars, and they demand a bit more TLC than your typical daily driver. This is why luxury car shipping services exist, and why they’re usually considered their own class of shipment.
What do we mean by this? Well, shipping a luxury car takes different considerations. You’ll likely want an enclosed transport truck. That truck may need a liftgate instead of simple ramps to load and unload the vehicle. There are factors that go into shipping a luxury car as well that don’t come up when you ship a standard car. Is it a high-end luxury sports car? If so, it may be harder to handle than a standard car. The driver will need to know and understand how to handle such a powerful vehicle, and not all do.
Overall, shipping a luxury car is the same as a regular car, but also very different. That’s why we’re writing this today – to explain those differences and help you get the most out of your luxury car shipping services.
Article Overview
What to know before you start
As we mentioned, shipping a luxury vehicle is mostly the same as a regular car. But there are some notable differences that you need to be aware of, both in how they’re shipped and how they’re handled.
For starters, luxury vehicles are expensive. So they need to be taken care of in different ways than a standard daily driver. This usually means an enclosed transport truck, and we’ll touch more on why those are important in just a bit. But for now, you should expect to transport your luxury vehicle in an enclosed transport truck, especially if it still has a high value.
Most luxury cars have their worth in the upper-five-digits range or even six digits. Really expensive ones can go for a few hundred thousand dollars.
Understanding what you’re shipping and what your vehicle needs when it’s shipped is crucial. It’s important to talk to a representative to learn more as well, as they can give you customized advice based on your specific luxury vehicle.
Regardless, though, expect to ship it enclosed and expect it to cost more than a typical car on your route. Enclosed transport is more expensive because it’s not a standard method of moving a vehicle. That said, it’s usually fairly easy to find an enclosed hauler, as they’re still somewhat common. But they do cost more.
The reason why they cost more is actually two-fold: one, they ship more expensive cars, and need more insurance. The second reason, though, is they haul fewer cars than their open counterparts, often just 2-4. So they have to charge more in order to still make money on their route.
Why you should ship enclosed
At the end of the day, enclosed transportation is what you need if you’re looking at luxury car shipping services. Enclosed trucks protect vehicles better than their open compatriots and they’re designed to handle more expensive vehicles.
We recommend that you ship any kind of luxury vehicle in an enclosed hauler. Are they more expensive? Yes, they are. But if you’re shipping a luxury vehicle, the cost is negligible compared to potential repair bills.
Damage during transit is not common; in fact, it’s really rare. We strive to work with carriers that have no history of damaging vehicles, but accidents, unfortunately, do happen. That is why enclosed transportation exists. You can have a perfect record shipping cars, but one idiot running into a truck can have lasting repercussions for a carrier, even when they aren’t at fault.
You can’t prevent people from being dumb, and you can’t prepare for inclement weather in another part of the country, and you can’t prepare for every single contingency when your vehicle is out on the truck. So instead, you skirt all those potential issues by moving your vehicle in an enclosed truck.
Not only are enclosed trucks safer for expensive vehicles, but they’re designed to haul them. Many luxury vehicles and sports cars are lowered, either for performance or for looks. This can actually cause issues with standard carriers – if the vehicles are too low they won’t clear the ramps and could end up getting wedged on the entrance to the truck.
A liftgate prevents these issues, and while not all enclosed carriers come equipped with one, there are still many that are. This is yet another reason to go enclosed and one that we can help you with as well.
Do you need a liftgate?
Some luxury cars may require a liftgate in order to properly load or unload them from a transport truck. Not all luxury cars will need one, and not all cars that need one will be luxury cars. But nonetheless, luxury cars and sports cars tend to be the ones that need them more than others.
The reason is the vehicle’s height off the ground. When you have low ground clearance, things like ramps can be difficult to clear without scraping the underbody. These kinds of damages are often unseen and usually go unnoticed, as they don’t normally cause too much damage to the vehicle. But that’s not always the case. And, with cars getting more complex, any damage can be problematic in the future.
As a result, if your vehicle is lowered, or has naturally low ground clearance, we need to know. This way, we can make sure we find the right type of carrier for your needs. If your vehicle does have lower ground clearance an enclosed truck will also likely be required. I can’t think of a single open transport truck that has a liftgate on it. They just…aren’t designed for that kind of trailer. Enclosed trucks, though, have them – not all, mind you, but a fair few.
Do what you can to inform us of the condition of your vehicle so we can find the right carrier for you. We don’t want to dispatch your vehicle just for the carrier to show up and be unable to load it because it’s too low.
The importance of the BOL
The BOL, or BoL, or Bill of Lading, is a multi-purpose document in the car shipping world. It acts as your shipping order, your receipt, and your inspection report all in one easy-to-access location. The Bill of Lading is incredibly important when shipping your vehicle for these reasons.
For one, it’s your shipping order for the carrier. So it will have the pickup and delivery contact names and information, as well as the addresses. It’s your receipt as it will show how much you owe to the carrier upon delivery (or whenever the balance is owed). It also acts as an inspection report, which is perhaps the most important when you’re shipping a luxury vehicle.
Every vehicle that is shipped needs to undergo a pickup inspection and a delivery inspection. This is done for insurance purposes, as you’re looking for existing damage and then new damage.
As we mentioned earlier, damage is quite rare when you’re shipping a car, and even less rare when shipping via an enclosed carrier. But it nonetheless happens, and it’s important to be prepared for it if it does.
The pickup inspection will note any existing damages. For most luxury vehicles there won’t be any, but just in case. The delivery inspection will look for new damages. The pickup person is required to sign off on the pickup inspection with the carrier. The delivery person is required to sign off on the delivery inspection with the carrier. We say it this way as sometimes you won’t be able to be there for pickup or delivery, so whoever is needs to be prepared.
Make sure you know what goes on the inspection report. If there are damages, it will be the primary piece of evidence to prove damage occurred during transit.
Get quality luxury car shipping with American Auto!
If you want your car shipped right, you need to trust the experts. No one is more experienced than American Auto Shipping! With over 20 years in the industry helping customers ship cars and reps with decades of combined experience, we know what it takes to move your car right.
Whether you’re shipping a regular car, a luxury car, or something else, we can help. You can get a quote to ship your vehicle today via our online quote request form. You can see your price instantly and know that we price our vehicles to move every time. We have our own quoting system that ensures that your vehicle is priced to move when you need it moved.
You can choose from multiple levels of service depending on your needs as well. Also, feel free to book your shipment online if you like your price! Our online booking system is fast and easy so you can get started on your shipment right away.
Or, you can contact us any time at 800-930-7417 to speak to a representative. They can help you by answering your questions, giving you a quote, booking your order, and much more. They will be your point of contact throughout your shipment so you know you’ll be in good hands from start to finish.
So no matter what you’re looking for or what your needs are, let us here at American Auto Shipping help you.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
- When to go with an Enclosed Transport - October 2, 2023
- Understanding California’s EV Mandate - August 1, 2023
- Top Reasons Auto Shippers Are Delayed - January 9, 2023
