Helicopter Shipping Services and What to Know About Them
Helicopter shipping services aren’t all that common, probably because helicopters are meant to be flown. But they definitely exist and they’re a good thing to use if your helicopter doesn’t fly. And even if it does, sometimes it’s better to ship it than to fly it to its destination.
It’s like a car like that – sometimes, it’s just better to ship it. But understanding how helicopter shipping works and what you can expect from it is important. It’s also important to know where to go for helicopter shipping services.
Luckily, we’ll help you with both! Keep reading to learn about helicopter transportation and how to get a free quote to ship your helicopter.
Article Overview
Helicopter Shipping Services – How They Work
You should know that no helicopter will fit on a standard auto transport truck. For one, a standard car carrier doesn’t even have the proper methods of securing such a vehicle. Two, most aren’t large enough to handle a helicopter, even a disassembled one. This means that you’ll have to find a dedicated helicopter shipping company, or at least a company that handles heavy equipment.
We mentioned disassembly. Any time you ship a helicopter, chances are you won’t be able to do it all in one piece.The blades will usually need to be removed and there’s a whole checklist of things that shippers have to account for before your helicopter is loaded. You can prepare yourself for your shipment by doing some of those things yourself, though it’s best to speak to an agent about what you can do and what you shouldn’t do.
Helicopters, since they can’t ship on a standard truck, will often be trucked via a flatbed hauler. Flatbeds are great because they’re designed exactly for this kind of shipment. Though most flatbed shipping companies haul vehicles and heavy equipment with wheels, most can handle something like a helicopter.
Shipping a helicopter is an extremely involved process, which means higher prices and longer wait times. Your shipping company will be able to clue you in on those.
Preparing for your Helicopter Shipping Services
As usual, make sure to get multiple quotes to ship your helicopter. This allows you to find the right shipping company for your needs – and one that will actually be able to ship the chopper. This will also help you get a feel for what you should be paying, and the typical rules for shipping quotes apply to helicopters as well.
More importantly, you’re going to want to talk to your agent about how your helicopter will be shipped. There are several ways. As mentioned, the most common is typically flatbed transportation services. However, services by air and ferry and ocean are available as well. Those services tend to be more selective, and air freight will cost you a pretty penny in comparison to overland shipping.
You’ll also want to make sure that you have the time to ship it. Since helicopters are more difficult to ship, it will likely take longer to setup the shipment. Therefore, you’ll want to start getting quotes at least a couple of weeks out and really do some research to find the right company for you. And, as always, make sure to budget effectively. You can speak to an agent for more about budgeting for your helicopter shipping services.
Get free quotes for helicopter shipping services today
If you’re interested in shipping a helicopter mark it down on our auto transport quote request form. It’s free and easy to fill out and submit and will get you a free quote to ship your helicopter directly from us. We understand what it takes to ship heavy equipment and we can handle a helicopter. You can also contact one of our own agents any time, toll-free, at 800-930-7417. They can answer questions, help you get a quote, give advice, and much more. So go ahead, let us help you and find out what we can do to make your moving experience easier.
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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