Fast Car Transport: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

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If you’re moving to a new city, buying or selling a car online or sending a vehicle to auction, expedited auto transport is the service you need. After all, you don’t want to be stranded in a new city, waiting to receive your new car, or miss a time-sensitive auction due to shipping delays.

Fast car transport refers to the process of shipping a car across the country in the shortest amount of time possible. With expedited shipping, carriers will prioritize the pick-up and drop-off of your car over others.

Whenever time (and speed) is of the essence, expedited car shipping provides exactly what you need: the accelerated arrival of your car at your preferred destination.

Why Would You Need Fast Car Shipping?

Car transportation typically takes ten days for your car to arrive at its desired location.

But, with fast auto shipping, the carrier will go out of their way and do everything in their power to pick up your vehicle within your preferred time frame.

So, when should you book an expedited vehicle transportation service? If any of the following scenarios apply, fast car transport may be the solution for you:

  • You’re moving to another state or city and need your car upon your arrival.
  • You have bought a car from another state or city and need to examine the car before the escrow is cleared.
  • You need to send your antique, classic or luxury car to a car show or a time-sensitive auction.
  • You have sold your car to a dealer or buyer in a different state or city and are under the obligation to ship as soon as possible.

While standard shipping times vary based on distance and other conditions, expedited car shipping timelines are shorter because the carrier will prioritize your car’s pickup and its delivery to your preferred destination.

Usually, fast auto transport takes no more than a couple of days to deliver your car to wherever you need it.

How Fast Car Transport Works: Step-by-Step Process

Cost is a variable actor as there are many factors that affect the price of your exotic car transport.

Step 1

Enter the pickup and drop-off ZIP codes for your car shipment. Get an instant, free quote for fast car transport to your preferred destination. You’re under no obligation to complete the order.

Step 2

When you’re ready to move, provide a few more details about your vehicle and book your expedited auto transport order. Next, a highly-experienced agent will be assigned to pick up your car on your preferred delivery date.

Step 3

Thoroughly clean your car and prepare it for transportation. Then, hand over the keys to our fast car shipping experts and leave the rest to us. We’ll ensure a seamless, quick car shipping experience while sending you timely status updates along the way.

Step 4

Finally, receive your car at the destination of your choosing.

To ensure fast track auto transport, shipping companies will harness the power of cloud mapping and advanced telematics to choose the optimum routes while shipping your car. Plus, carrier connectivity and GPS tracking enable the shipping company to provide you with status updates along the way.

Key Features of the Fastest Car Shipping Companies

The fastest car shipping company differs from other transport enterprises by offering special features that ease the process of expedited auto shipping. Here are some of the features that a fast auto transport company usually offers:

Real-Time Tracking

Fast car shipping companies allow customers to track their cars throughout the shipping process and will provide consistent updates so the status of your vehicle is never in question. ACERTUS’ carrier network utilizes an electronic proof of delivery application that enables us to track the vehicle’s journey and keep you up-to-date every step of the way.

Reliable Customer Support

The best expedited auto shipping companies will provide a dedicated point of contact to help answer any questions that you might have while your vehicle is in transit. For example, if you notice that your vehicle is stuck at a specific location or have concerns about its status, a service representative will be available to provide support along the way.

Expansive Carrier Networks

Additionally, fast car transporters always boast expansive carrier networks that cover all locations and zip codes. Their trucks and trailers are spread across the country to ensure that they can service every location as soon as possible.

ACERTUS’s expansive carrier network is one of the largest in North America, with over 8,600 carriers representing 40,000 trucks. We work with highly-qualified, carefully-vetted shipping professionals that have a wealth of experience in safely transporting and delivering vehicles.

Expedited Shipping Services

Lastly, fast auto transport companies provide an express service. Thus, you’ll always see an option for fast car transport or expedited shipping on the carrier’s website.

Thus, fast transport companies rely on an expansive network, advanced technology and reliable customer service to expedite auto transport.

Open vs. Enclosed Car Shipping: Which is Faster?

Open car shipping is the most popular method of shipping cars. In this method, your car travels aboard an open trailer with other cars. The trailer typically follows a fixed route and ensures that your car reaches its destination in due course.

While open auto transport is the cheapest car shipping method, it is also the slowest. Therefore, it may not accommodate the pick-up and drop-off times of your choice.

Enclosed car shipping, on the other hand, involves your car traveling in an enclosed container to its destination. It is the best way to protect your expensive, classic or antique car from the elements.

  • Because enclosed shipping containers are less common than open containers, enclosed auto transport may take more time to find a carrier.
  • Plus, there are more open trailers than there are closed containers: this is another reason why open trailer shipping may be faster.
  • However, it is important to remember that both open and enclosed transport follow a truck’s regular schedule, which makes fast car transport difficult.

For these reasons, we recommend that you use expedited car shipping services to ensure that your car is picked up as soon as possible.

Leading Factors that Affect Fast Car Shipping Times

The time required for fast auto transport depends on a variety of factors. The most important ones include:

Distance to Destination

The farther away your car needs to reach, the more time required for expedited shipping.

Location

Fast car transport requires less time from urban areas as opposed to rural areas. This often has to do with highway connectivity, trailer availability and traffic congestion along the busiest roads.

Time of the Year

Due to high demand and peak weather conditions, fast car shipping might be a little slower during peak summer and winter months. Fall and Spring, on the other hand, will result in shorter transport times.

Carrier Availability

The number of carriers on the road around you at any given time plays a decisive role in fast car transport. If a carrier near you can be diverted to your location, your car will reach its destination much faster

Route Optimization

The route that a trailer picks during transportation is essential for fast auto transport. So, the best fast car shipping companies will use cutting-edge technology to ensure route optimization for quicker transit.

How to Choose the Right Fast Car Transport Service

Next, we come to the point of choosing the right fast car transport service. Here are the most important factors you need to consider while choosing an expedited auto transport company:

  • First, ensure that the company offers express, fast auto shipping services. Further, see how many carriers or trailers it has. This will give you confidence that the carrier can handle your shipment.
  • Second, go through the company’s customer reviews. This will help you verify whether the company does, in fact, provide fast car shipping services.
  • Check whether the company offers transit insurance for your car during auto transportation. This will help minimize the possibility of out-of-pocket financial loss or damage.
  • Lastly, ensure that the company provides tracking and status notifications during your car’s transportation. This way, you’ll be able to monitor your car’s progress and be notified in case of delays.

Expedited vs. Standard Car Shipping: What’s the Difference?

How exactly are expedited and standard car shipping different? Here are some factors that set them apart:

Instant Pickup
Under standard shipping, your car will be picked up whenever the truck’s schedule can accommodate your zip code or location. On the other hand, with expedited shipping, your vehicle is the carrier’s top priority and a trailer may arrive at your house as soon as the day after booking transport.

Transit Time
Fast track auto transport promises transit times of under 2 or 3 days. On the other hand, standard shipping does not offer any guarantees of when your vehicle will reach your preferred destination. Thus, fast car shipping comes with a guarantee of significantly shorter transit times.

Cost
Expedited shipping involves route optimization and prioritized pickups. As a result, while fast auto shipping is considerably faster than standard transit, it also costs significantly more. So, consider the offset between the cost and the shipping time while determining whether you want to go for standard or fast track auto transport.

Tips for Finding the Best Fast Car Shipping Quotes

Next, let’s take a look at some tips you can use to get the best fast car shipping quotes from different carriers:

Request an Instant, Commitment-Free Quote

With ACERTUS, you can get a commitment-free quote for fast car transportation services. All you need to do is enter the details of your vehicle, its pick-up location and destination, and we’ll give you an instant quote.

Be Flexible with Dates and Locations

Sometimes, picking a different date for fast car shipping will yield cheaper quotes. For instance, expedited shipping on the weekends may be more expensive than on a weekday.

So, try to be flexible with the dates and locations while requesting car shipping quotes.

Avoid Carriers that Charge Hidden Fees

Sometimes, car shipping companies exclude certain services from their quotes to submit a lower bid. Such services may include door-to-door delivery, loading and unloading charges and insurance fees.

With ACERTUS, you never have to worry about such problems: the price we quote is the price you pay to ship your car. We provide up-front transparent pricing without any hidden fees or added charges.

Avoid Peak Seasons

Fast car transport may cost more during summers and winters. This is because of peak demand, extreme weather conditions and potential congestion. So, try to ship your car during Spring or Autumn to get a cheaper deal.

Book Your Pick-Up In Advance

To get the cheapest deal possible, book your pick-up as early as possible. This will allow the carrier to easily accommodate your car for fast auto transportation.

How to Prepare Your Car for Fast Auto Shipping

Once you’ve successfully booked your fast car transport service, prepare your car for its journey by following these simple steps:

Collect Your Vehicle’s Documents

Some carriers require you to have your car’s proof of registration and your driver’s license before they accept your car for transportation. So, verify the documents you need to hand your car over to the shipping company and make sure you have them ready.

Thoroughly Clean Your Car

Next, remove all valuable or personal belongings from the car. Then, clean it inside and out. Ensure that any loose parts are secured to avoid damage during the transit.

Document the Car’s Condition

Take pictures of your car. Document it from every angle so that you can compare it when your car arrives at its destination. This will help you ascertain any damage that might have occurred during the transportation. It will also serve as proof of your vehicle’s pre-shipping condition in case you need to raise any insurance claims when your car arrives.

Perform a Vehicle Inspection

Lastly, perform a vehicle inspection to ensure that the engine and transmission are working. Check out the brakes, lights and engine oil. Lastly, take pictures of the odometer and fuel meter of the vehicle. You can leave some fuel in the car in case it needs to be moved during emergencies during transit.

Fast Car Shipping During Peak Seasons: What to Expect

Sometimes, you cannot avoid shipping your car during peak seasons. So, here are a few things to keep in mind for fast car shipping during peak seasons:

  • The demand for fast auto transportation is high during peak seasons like summers, holidays and winters.
  • Second, fast car shipping may be a little slower during the peak season due to congestion, high demand and lack of carrier availability.
  • Try to book your fast car transport as early as possible to avoid delays and get a better deal.
  • Another way to get a cheaper deal and avoid longer transit times is to be flexible with the date and location of fast auto transport.

The Role of Technology in Fast Car Transport

In recent years, rapidly evolving technology has further expedited fast car transport. Here’s how technological innovations are making fast auto shipping even faster:

  • Our easy-to-use shipping portal offers instant shipping quotes and real-time booking so you can book fast car transport in seconds.
  • ACERTUS utilizes an advanced carrier matching algorithm and automatic notifications to find the best carrier for your move without the wait.
  • Our mobile electronic proof of delivery application provides visibility every step of the way with GPS tracking and vehicle condition reports and photos.

Request Your Fast Car Transportation Cost Today

Fast car shipping can help you ensure that your car arrives quickly wherever and whenever you need it. And if you’re looking for the smoothest possible car shipping experience, ACERTUS is here to help.

For more than two decades, we have provided fast auto transportation services to all locations around the country. We also provide fast motorcycle shipping and powersports shipping services across America.

So, no matter where you are or where you need to ship, we’ll dispatch our carriers to your doorstep as soon as you place an order.

We also provide car transport insurance and real-time tracking services on all moves so you can enjoy peace of mind while shipping your car to its final destination.. And if you ever need assistance, our customer service executives are only a phone call away.

Find out how soon your car can arrive at the destination of your choice by requesting a free, no-obligation quote from ACERTUS.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast is fast car transport?

Fast car transport can ship your car in as little as two days. This is because your car will be picked up as soon as possible, sometimes even the day after you’ve booked the pickup. Additionally, the trailer will follow an optimized route to ensure that your car arrives at its destination within the timeframe you want.

What affects fast car shipping times?

Four main factors affect the time required for fast car shipping. These include distance to destination, prevailing weather conditions, the season in which you’re shipping your car and the area from which you’re transporting your vehicle.

How much does fast car transport cost?

Fast car transport is significantly quicker than standard shipping and, therefore, costs more. The exact cost of expedited vehicle shipping depends on the distance to the destination, the prevailing fuel costs and the season in which you’re transporting your car. To get a cheaper fast car shipping price, try to be flexible with the dates and location of your shipment and book as far in advance as possible.

Which is the fastest car shipping company?

ACERTUS is an industry leader in fast car transportation. We provide fast auto shipping through both open trailers and enclosed containers to ensure that your car arrives safely and as soon as possible at your preferred location.

Is fast auto transport safe for my vehicle?

Yes, fast auto transport is safe for your vehicle. ACERTUS upholds a 99.5% damage-free delivery rate and provides comprehensive liability and cargo-contingent insurance coverage on all moves. So, rest assured, your vehicles are safe during expedited car transport.

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