Auto Transport Services in Maine (ME)

Safe And Reliable Maine Car Shipping Services By A-1 Auto Transport

Just about as far north as you can get in the continental United States, Maine is not only known for some of the freshest lobster in the country, but also for its picturesque settings and adventuresome outdoor activity options. City dwellers can take refuge in the larger locales of Bangor or Portland, though by comparison to other large cities around the country, these cities definitely have a hometown feel. Most people flock here to enjoy the coastline and what a coastline it is to behold. Because there is much to see from town to town, having your own transport is definitely recommended.

Cost & Time To Ship Your Car Examples

*Prices and times are estimated. They can vary depending on the season and what type of vehicle you are shipping.

Car Shipping Companies Near Me

Looking for auto transport companies near you in Maine? Tucked up in the furthest places in the U.S. is Maine, making road trips a bit limited. Want to start from a different location and make your way home? Maybe you’ve just sold your grandfather’s old classic car and need a reliable company to get it to California? It’s hard to know who to trust in the car transport world, but we encourage you to get to know us, our service and our process. We love helping our clients with expert their transport needs and give them peace of mind. Head to A1 Auto Transport to compare brokerages and carriers with trucks in your area right now.

Using Maine Vehicle Transport Companies

When you are looking to book Maines car transport services, keep a few key tips in mind.

• Get as close to your destination as possible: There are plenty of smaller towns around the state, so when you schedule your Maine vacation or visit, you might want to make time to peruse a few of them. However, for the purposes of your automobile transport, choose a pick-up depot as close to your main destination as possible to avoid potentially expensive pick-up fees.
• Prepare your car for transport: Traveling to Maine can be quite a distance, depending on the area of the country from which you are traveling. For example, if you are coming from the West Coast and your car is being transported over a number of days, make sure that you prepare it ahead of time. Keep fluids at about half full in the vehicle, take out all personal effects and if you didn't opt for an enclosed transport, take steps to protect your vehicle from the elements (such as using a cover, for example).
• Plan out your trip ahead of time: Plan out places in Maine that you plan to visit with use of your automobile. The more in advance you can plan out aspects of your trip, the more likely it is that you won’t miss anything that you really wanted to see.

The settings found in Maine are unrivaled anywhere else in the country, so it pays to have Maine car transport so that you can use your own vehicle to get around. This northern locale is simply one of those areas of the country that has unspoiled beauty that must be seen to be believed.

It should also be noted that many Maine auto transport companies specialize in working with snowbirds in other locations to get their cars home from the sunnier climates in which people have vacationed in the summer months.

Visit the Maine Department of Transportation website for more information on Maine and the beautiful natural scenery in which it can offer those visiting or relocating to the state.

Long Distance Auto Transport to/from Maine

Transporting vehicles over long distances is done using specialized routes that are as direct as possible and have the least amount of problems (road accidents, bad weather, etc.). If you live along one of these routes, then picking up your car is quite easy for our carriers.

However, if you live in a more remote area, then the driver will have to deviate from his usual course to pick it up. Because of this, the price of door to door shipping may be slightly higher.

If there is a terminal near your home, you can take your car there to eliminate the extra cost. If your home is inaccessible via truck due to small roads or sharp turns, then we must arrange to pick up the car in the nearest accessible area. This can be the parking lot of your local supermarket or a gas station.

International Auto Transport from/to Maine

The larger the distance you want to transport a car across, the more advantageous it is to hire an auto transport company. Not only does it become cheaper due to all the costs you’ll incur on your own, like fuel prices, hotel bills, meals, etc. but it will also save you from a lot of troubles first time shippers inevitably face. This is especially true for international shipping.

If it’s your first time transporting a car to another country, there are probably a lot of things you don’t know, like how to get past customs, what documents you need to prepare, what taxes you have to pay, how to book a ship to take your car overseas, etc. Without someone to guide you through this process, you risk paying more than you have to or forgetting something and having to waste time and money fixing it.

A1 Auto Transport can release you from all this unnecessary stress. Not only can it be very cheap to work with us, but you’ll waste little time doing so. Call now to get started.

Cheap Car Transportation Options in Maine

Maine auto transportation costs can be lowered considerably. This is especially important, if you’re looking for long distance shipping.

We recommend using an open carrier in such cases. The driver may have to drop several other cars along the way, so it will take a bit longer to arrive than when using an enclosed truck; but price wise, it’s more affordable.

If your car can be driven, we also recommend taking it to the nearest terminal. This will save us time, so the bill will be lowered accordingly.

Some of our customers may be eligible for a discount, or they may have chosen to transport their cars when our seasonal offerings are available. You can check these by phone and even plan your auto transport for the time period when these offerings are in effect.

Shipping Luxury and Classic Cars in Maine

If you need to transport a luxury or antique vehicle to Maine, one method to consider is with an enclosed auto carrier. This service includes shipping the vehicle either in a single covered truck or in a multi-car trailer that can house up to five cars, providing extra protection against weather elements, such as rain, hail, snow, etc. Unlike open carriers, enclosed trailers feature hydraulic lift gates for loading and unloading vehicles, as well as a reliable tracking system. They also carry higher insurance policy limits due to their cargo’s value.

Enclosed auto carriers and drivers are often more knowledgeable about luxury and classic automobiles, and are likely more experienced in hauling such vehicles. During their transit to Maine, they may offer electronic or phone updates of your vehicle’s status. Despite the higher cost, exotic and expensive cars receive additional security and attention from this kind of transport system.

Maine Special Discounts

There are special discounts you can use if you choose the right season for your auto transport. To take advantage of this, we recommend you call and ask us about it directly. You can also ship your car at a lower price if you’re a senior, a student or part of our military.

Auto Transport Safety Measures in Maine

Our company’s policy is to deliver every vehicle in the exact same state we’ve picked it up in. To ensure this is the case, we regularly check our carriers to spot any malfunctions early on. We use time tested routes and verify the weather and news in each area we pass, so there aren’t any surprises along the way.

Just in case there’s a problem, we double check each car at both the pick-up and delivery points. If anything is wrong, our higher ups will be notified and you will be compensated.

Services And Information

• Maine long distance moving services

How to Request a Price Estimate

Our online form is easily accessible on all our pages. You can find it and a phone number for direct contact in the upper right corner of each page.

There are 2 steps to completing it. First, complete the 2 fields and click “Calculate Cost.” This will redirect you to another page where you will have to complete a few more details, so the transport is more accurate. Make sure you read the instructions and put truthful information, so the result you get is accurate.

You can also call us directly and discuss your transport requirements with one of our staff members. This may result in a more personalized auto transport service, perhaps even a cheaper one.

Maine Auto Transport Companies Directory

Carlen Transport

This auto transport company offers a vast array of transportation options for those needing to get their vehicles from one destination to the next. From enclosed transport carriers to specialty shipping for custom cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, vans or SUVs, this is a popular Bangor auto transport company that has a record for excellent service as stated by their customers' reviews. Licensed, bonded and insured.

81 Mecaw Rd., Bangor, ME 04401

207-990-4507

Charlie’s Auto Transport

Those in need of auto transport in the city of Portland might look to Charlie’s to get the job done. Whether it is Maine auto transport around the state or to another area of the country, Charlie’s has affordable pricing and a wide array of transport and hauling options even for the most discriminating consumer. BBB accredited vehicle shippers. Get a free car delivery quote today.

67 Newton Street, Portland, ME 04103

207-797-6004

Charlie’s Auto Transport

Crafts Transport

Specializing in moving the vehicles of snowbirds back to Maine from southern locations, this is one of the oldest transport companies in the state of Maine. This means that it’s less new technology like frills, and more reliable care with your vehicle and customer service that hearkens back to yester years, when drivers and businesses cared about reliability or making the customer happy. Get a free nationwide auto shipping quote from the form provided on their website.

711 Lisbon Road, Lisbon Falls, ME 04252

207-353-5556

Crafts Transport

Car Registration in Maine

To get your car registered at the BMV in Maine, you will have to go to the office in person and submit your application along with your Maine driver’s license, the vehicle title, a sale bill, a fee of registration, a sales tax, an auto insurance policy, and the excise tax receipt. Please note you will have to submit the documentation yourself even if it’s a new vehicle from a car dealership.

All Maine residents, old or new, are required to register their vehicles with the local BMV office. Proper registration is mandatory to legally use the public roads. All Maine registrations must be renewed if you want to keep using your vehicle while abiding the law.

Vehicle Registration for New Maine Residents

If you just moved to Maine, you benefit from a grace period of 30 days to title and register your vehicle at the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Visit the municipal office to complete the registration process. Make sure to bring a disability application form signed by your physician if you wish to apply for plates of disability.

If the town office doesn’t perform car registrations, pay your excise tax for the vehicle and then go to the branch office of the BMV to complete the registration process.

To submit for vehicle registration, you will have to bring the following documents:

• The old certificate of registration from the previous state of residency;
• The car title issued by the other state – for vehicles newer than 1995;
• The address and name of the lienholder if the car is the object of a lien;
• Yellow and white duplicates of the application form for registration;
• The receipt of the excise tax;
• The document of your vehicle insurance policy;
• A fully completed form for use tax – so you’re exempted from paying the sales tax, given you paid your due taxes in your old state of residency;
• The fee for the title application paid for vehicles after 1995;
• Receipt for the license plates and registration fees – specialized fees are more expensive than the standard type.

Maine Vehicle Registration Process

Not all municipal offices take part in the registration program. Therefore, you may not finalize the registration process with one visit to the municipal office.

If the office you belong to doesn’t take part in the program, handle the excise tax, go to the branch office of the BMV, and submit the required documentation in order to finalize your car’s registration.

Make sure to bring a disability plates application signed by your physician if you wish to apply for disability specialized plates.

Mandatory insurance policies: To register and drive your vehicles in Maine, you have to own proper insurance policies. Before signing an insurance policy, you can inquire the market and compare the rates of a variety of vehicle insurance companies.

Dealer-bought vehicles

In Maine, you have to insure the registration of your vehicle even if you bought it from a car dealership, as they do not insure the application of the registration protocol in this state.

Steps to be make in order to register the car you bought from the car dealership:

• Have the tax of excise paid;
• Provide the MSPR sticker, or at least a copy;
• Submit the following paperwork:
  • Bill of sale,
  • The yellow and white duplicates of the application of registration,
  • The blue application title;
• Provide a copy of your car insurance policy;
• The registration and license plate fees must be paid.

Private party bought vehicles

Have your vehicle registered in Maine by submitting these documents to the municipal office:

• Excise tax receipt;
• Sales tax receipt;
• The vehicle sale paperwork:
  • Signed sale bill in your name by the last owner,
  • The car’s title signed-over to you,
  • Yellow and white duplicates of the registration document,
  • Copy of the auto insurance policy;
• Receipt for the fee of title application;
• Receipt for the fees of registration and license plates.

Make sure to inquire on Maine Title Transfers if you were gifted a vehicle, or you are selling or donating your own car.

Vehicle Registration Process for the Maine Military

If you serve in Maine as military, you can preserve the insurance policy and car registration you have issued in your own state. However, if you wish to make a permanent home out of Maine, you will have to undergo the registration process for new Maine residents.

If you’re a resident in Maine and you are stationed out of Maine for more than a 30-day period or even permanently, you can apply for exemption from the excise tax by providing certification from a commanding officer that confirms your status of being out of state. Please get informed on how you can register your car remotely from your current location.

If you bought a car registered overseas while you were on active military duty, you will have to register it in Maine upon your return.

Registration Fees in Maine

The fees for vehicle registration vary depending on the car’s size, type, and license plates. The usual fees are: moped fees, motorcycle fees, disability plates fees, and passenger vehicle fees. Please note that the registration of specialized plates costs an additional fee for the initial registration and renewals.

Maine’s License Plates

When you register your vehicle at the branch office of the BMV or at the municipal office, you will receive standard license plates.

If you wish to receive disability plates, you have to submit a disability application form signed by your physician.

For an additional charge, specialized license plates are available, such as awareness for breast cancer plates, veterans' plates, conservation support plates, and animal welfare plates, among many others.

If you wish to own vanity plates, you will have to check the template’s availability before registration and pay an extra fee as well.

Other Maine Resources

Maine.gov - official government website for the state of Maine.

Maine Wikipedia Page - everything you need to know about the state of Maine.

University Of Maine - Located in the town of Orono along the banks of the Stillwater River, the University of Maine offers a strong traditional education at an affordable price.

Maine On Craigslist - local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, personals, services, local community, and events.

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.