Pickup Times and Expedition

It's a common misconception amongst people who are new to the auto transport process that transport companies always have trucks waiting in your area to pick up your vehicle. We want you to know that this is rarely the case, but there are ways to have your vehicle picked up quickly nonetheless. The purpose of this article is to explain how auto shipping availability works so that you know what to expect when shipping your vehicle.

American Auto Transport often hears from customers that need their vehicles moved right away. More often than not, they expect their vehicle to be picked up the same day. Unfortunately, this is simply not how auto transport works.

In order for carriers to be profitable, they must consolidate their orders so that they have full loads. Additionally, they specifically look for vehicles to pick up and drop off along the routes that they plan on taking. So in most cases, you will have to wait roughly 3-5 days before your vehicle can be picked up so that the proper load can be organized. This is the standard shipping process.

If you can afford to wait for the standard 3-5 days for your vehicle to be shipped, you'll be able to have your vehicle shipped under the standard price. However, waiting for 3-5 days is simply not an option for everyone. Luckily, if you do need your vehicle moved right away, chances are that American Auto Transport can make it happen. The way that we do this is through expedition. Expediting your auto transport will get it moved faster, but it will cost more as well. It will typically take about 24-48 hours to have your vehicle picked up on an expedited basis.

Expediting your vehicle may be a good option for shipping certain types of vehicles quickly, but you must still understand that it doesn't necessarily get every vehicle picked up right away. Ordering an expedited pickup for an H2 Hummer, for example, may or may not get it picked up within 24-48 hours.

Expedition is perfect for shipping small and midsized vehicles to and from popular routes. Say for instance that you have a Honda Civic in Los Angeles and you need it moved to Miami right away. Under normal shipping circumstances, it would take roughly 3-5 days to have it moved (the standard shipping time.) But if you expedite your car shipping, it would most likely be picked up that same day or the next day. This kind of quick service is the result of two different factors; the size of the vehicle and the locations of pick up and drop off. It's much easier to ship a small or midsized vehicle than it is to move a larger one because they are easier to fit on trailers. An experienced driver can quickly and easily squeeze a couple of small vehicles onto his trailer, even if he already has a few vehicles loaded. And what makes this kind of job even easier are the pickup and drop off locations. As both the pickup and drop off locations are both major metropolitan areas, it is easy for a driver to assemble a full load.

However, certain types of transport, like enclosed transport or transporting large vehicles like Hummers, are inherently more difficult to move, no matter what kind of premium you pay. Expediting enclosed shipping is tricky for any auto transporter because there simply aren't that many enclosed trailers on the market. There may be some cases where it can take a week or so to find transport, even if the order is expedited. Take for example a case where you need a Chevy Suburban transported from South Dakota to New Mexico in just a few days. It might take 1-2 weeks to have this vehicle moved. The first strike against transporting this vehicle quickly is its size. When transporting a vehicle of this size, drivers often have to plan entire loads around it. Additionally, many drivers do not want to pick up vehicles of this size because they can make more money picking up smaller vehicles. The other strike against this kind of transport has to do with the locations. Both South Dakota and New Mexico are more difficult to transport into and out of because there is not much work in either state. So organizing a profitable load will take longer and you'll most likely have to pay a premium to have your vehicle picked up in a timely manner.

With all things considered, expedited transport can be helpful for moving some kinds of vehicles to and from certain locations. Expedited service works best when the vehicle being shipped is smaller and leaving from and going to good locations. Although expedited service may be helpful in moving larger vehicles and/or vehicles from less favorable locations, it generally is not a guarantee to have the vehicle moved within 24-48 hours.

It's important to understand what auto transporters can and cannot do so that you do not expect the impossible. There are some auto transport companies that will try to make it seem as though they can do certain things that they cannot do in order to get your business. As a customer, you stand the risk of getting roped into a situation in which you're taken advantage of if you aren't educated about auto shipping. So make sure that you take what auto transporters say with a grain of salt before jumping headlong into a bad deal.

American Auto Transport's philosophy is to keep our customers educated about auto shipping. It serves everyone better when all parties involved in a transaction know exactly what they're getting into. Furthermore, it is your responsibility as a consumer to apply your knowledge to making the best possible decisions.

We believe that the best auto transport decision that you can make is to choose American Auto Transport as your auto transporter. Choose a company that is open, honest, and straightforward with you about transporting. Choose a company that wants to work with you and for you, not against you. And most importantly, choose a company that you can trust. Choose American Auto Transport. Call American Auto Transport today at (866) 327-7863 and have your vehicle transported to where ever it needs to go the right way, right away!