Cost of Shipping a Car Overseas
Shipping a car overseas is different from shipping within the continental U.S. for two main reasons. The first is that shipping a car to another country usually means putting your car on a boat that transports it to a port near the destination. The second is that there are import taxes and documents required that are not in play when shipping domestically.
Transport Methods
There are two main options for transporting a car by boat. Providing the car can fit, a shipping container is often used since they are the preferred method for shipping all types of cargo around the world. Containers are easily stackable on ships and just as easily transferred to a truck bed for overland transport.
The other method is called “roll on, roll off” or “RORO” for short. In this case, the car is driven onto the transport boat and secured in the cargo deck using special equipment, straps, and tie-downs. Once the boat arrives, the car is driven off. RORO is a bit more straightforward since it doesn’t require the loading and unloading of containers.
Taxes
Import taxes should be one of the first things you look up when considering shipping a car to another country. Not only can taxes add on to your shipping costs, but they can even be so high as to cost more than the price of transport for some countries.
International Car Shipping Costs Explained
One of the most important aspects of shipping a car overseas are the required documents. Not only can your vehicle be denied if you’re missing the right paperwork, but it can be a serious unexpected costs, not to mention the delays in getting access to your car.
To further complicate things, the paperwork is different depending on which country you’re shipping to so it’s an important aspect to get a handle on. If you need more information as to the paperwork and requirements for shipping to a specific country, this resource has more information about the specifics.
Yet another potential cost factor in overseas shipping is the shipping required to get the vehicle to a shipping port. If you’re shipping from Los Angeles, San Diego, or Baltimore, this isn’t much of an issue. However, if you’re not near a major seaport, it’s important to factor in the cost of getting the car to a seaport where it can be loaded onto a ship.
Overland shipping rates are also based on distance, so the longer the trip to the port, the more it will likely cost.
Want to save money on the cost of shipping a car overseas? Call us today at the number at the top of the page to learn about our services, or if you’d like a FREE price quote! Our staff are happy to answer your questions and explain any aspects of overseas shipping!
Written By:Joe Webster
Joe Webster began his journey in the auto transport field by attending the University of Southern California (USC), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Marketing.
After college, he started his career in the auto transport industry from the bottom up and has done virtually every job there is to do at A-1 Auto Transport, including but not limited to: Truck Driver, Dispatch, Sales, PR, Bookkeeping, Transport Planner, Transport Manager, International Transport Manager, Brokering, Customer Service, and Marketing. Working with his mentor Tony Taylor, Joe Webster has learned the ins and outs of this industry which is largely misunderstood.
With over 30 years experience in the industry, we've been helping people ship their vehicles, motorcycles, RV's, heavy equipment, household goods and more across the country or overseas without a hitch. Ask us anything.
