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The History of Auto Shipping

Published by Joe Webster.

What's in this article?
  1. What is The History of Auto Shipping?
  2. The First Automobile
  3. Events Which Led to the Formation of the Auto Shipping Industry
  4. The Auto Shipping Industry Today
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What is The History of Auto Shipping?

When browsing around for auto transportation quotes, it may prove useful to know some of the industry’s history. For this, we must go back to the invention of the automobile.

The First Automobile

In 1771, Nicholas Cugnot built the first recorded automobile, a vehicle powered by steam, for France’s War Minister. However, due to its 2.3 mph speed and difficulty in operating it, the vehicle did not enter mass production.

In 1873, more than a hundred years later, another inventor from France by the name of Amedee Bollee created a steam car with a carrying capacity of 12 passengers. Unfortunately, this creation was also impractical, because buggies and horses were simply faster.

In the 1900s, the Americans and Germans tried their hands at this problem with the help of gasoline. Using great ingenuity, the Germans created the first motor car, or a car powered by gasoline. The automobile could move at a speed of 10 mph, had a transmission with 4 speeds, and a gas engine with 2 cylinders.

However, it was America that created the first line of mass-produced cars: Ransom Olds’ 1901 Oldsmobile. Furthermore, it was the American Henry Ford who created the first assembly line for mass-producing an automobile, the Model T.

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Events Which Led to the Formation of the Auto Shipping Industry

In 1930, millions of automobiles had already been created. The transportation industry had become increasingly popular. Before this rise, to transport clothing, fuel, food, or other goods, people would use ships, planes, or railways. However, when vehicles started being produced in mass, they were soon added to the list. Many found rail transportation to be inefficient, expensive, and slow, so they soon turned to automobiles for a solution.

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The first auto transportation came in the form of semi-trucks, which used to carry cars up until the beginning of the 1960s. Railroads were also used during the 40s-50s to transport automobiles in boxcars. Finally, the first carrier rack for automobiles was invented by the Germans. It was capable of carrying up to 10 automobiles.

Later, Canadian engineers created bi-level carriers, which had 2 closed floors and resembled the boxcar. Auto transport by train has also prevailed the test of time and is still used today, though on fewer occasions.

In the 1980s, the auto transport industry expanded greatly, and it’s still growing steadily. This was a direct result of the railway option being largely replaced by car trailers and trucks. For overseas auto transportation, air and especially sea freight are the most used methods.

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The Auto Shipping Industry Today

Using modern transit technology, today’s auto shipping industry offers hassle-free auto transport, door-to-door shipping, custom-made services, insurance coverage, and even the ability to locate and verify the status of your automobile’s transportation en route.

Modern-day technology gives us the option of choosing between enclosed and open auto carriers, so you can even take into consideration the weather and other factors when moving your car. You can now benefit from custom services, so you may safely transport your family’s car as well as your company’s classic / luxury vehicles.

Transportation is handled by experienced haulers, and many companies have insurance policies to protect your interests during the move. Thanks to hassle-free auto transportation, the delivery details are handled entirely by the auto shipping company.

Carriers take upon themselves most of the responsibility of delivering your automobile safely, and you may even be allowed to inspect it during transit.

Thanks to the internet, you can find a company more easily by visiting their websites. You can also do a background check on it or shop around for quotes.

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Joe Webster always knew the auto transport industry would be a great career option. And with decades of experience, Joe is now an established consultant for A1 Auto Transport.

Joe was born in Santa Cruz, California. During high school, Joe worked as a mechanic; a job continued to work part-time during his bachelor's degree.

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Mylene Rutllant
It’s my number one pick in auto shipping to this day.
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...my choice in terms of auto transport has to be A1 Auto Transport. It’s in the name, but also in the quality with which they do their jobs. I’ve never had a problem with this company.

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Luis Rodriguez
You have my full support and recommendation!
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A1 Auto Transport... From the get go, they were very different from my past options. Their website was very professional and up to date, full of useful information. I requested a quote using their online form, and I got an email response within an hour. Surprisingly fast!

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Cristine Benoit
I can safely say this is a legit company that will get the job done.
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There are a lot of options for auto transport these days, which surprisingly makes it harder to find a good company. I received more than 10 offers to ship my car, but I couldn’t decide on any of them... Fortunately, I made the right choice with A1 Auto Transport.

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We give A1 Auto Transport a big 10 out of 10! We chose them to move our car from California to Vermont, since we needed professionals.

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A-1 Auto Transport is a disclosed agent for the following shipping companies:

CSI Logistics
435 Division Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
FMC 22206
Intl Cargo
45 Campus Drive
Edison, NJ 08837
NO. 17858N
Trans Global Auto Logistics, Inc.
3401 E Randol Mill Rd,
Arlington, TX 76011
NO. 018191NF
CFR Rinkens
15501 Texaco Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
NO. 013055NF
ABC Worldwide LLC
2840 NW 2nd Ave #105
Boca Raton, FL 33431
NO. 025472F
ShipYourCarNow LLC
1160 South Rogers Circle Suite 1
Boca Raton, FL 33487
NO. 025646
Merco Air & Ocean Cargo, Inc.
6 Fir Way
Cooper City, FL 33026
NO. 021869F
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