How Hard is it to Ship an Oversized Vehicle?
There are quite a few different vehicles out there on the road today, all of which can be shipped – but how they are shipped depends a lot on what type of vehicle you are trying to get moved.
We’ve discussed shipping oversized vehicles before – vehicles that cannot fit on an open auto transport carrier are considered “oversize” and generally require shipment via a flatbed auto transport truck.
Generally it’s because the vehicles are just too big; open carriers have large hydraulic lifts on both sides, as standard trucks are double-deck carriers, which means that if a vehicle is too wide or tall to fit on the bottom, it physically can’t go on the truck, even on the top – remember, even double-deck trucks have to meet federal height restrictions.
You see this mainly on work trucks and modified vehicles. If your vehicle is incredibly tall, or if it’s filled with equipment on the back (such as utility trucks), chances are it’s not going to fit on a standard auto transport truck.
This puts more strain on your auto transport broker, whose job it is to find you a carrier that can get your vehicle moved no matter what it is, as it takes more time and a broader search in order to find the right carrier for you.
Remember, if your vehicle is oversize they can’t just call up their regulars; oversize freight isn’t necessarily unheard of, but it’s not like it’s as common as shipping a standard car.
Many companies have lists of preferred carriers that they want to try to give as much freight as they can to as often as they can. This is a good way to do it, too – by using companies that they are familiar and friendly with, brokers can find better service at lower prices and, quite possibly, faster pickup times, especially if you’re shipping along a popular route.
That being said, if your vehicle is too big an alternate shipper will be required, likely one that they don’t work with often. Because of this, and the fact that they have to use a specialty carrier, your price and wait times for pickup tend to increase.
It might be harder to ship an oversized vehicle than it is a standard one, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible – you can fill out our free online quote request form to get a free quote to ship any vehicle regardless of the size. We understand what it takes to move any kind of automobile imaginable and have the resources to get it done.
Take a minute to fill out our free quote form, or give us a call at 800-930-7417 to get a quote over the phone. We work only with top-rated carriers who are fully licensed and insured, so no matter what you’re shipping we can make sure it gets done right.
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.
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