Shipping a car internationally can be convenient in certain contexts, such as relocating, selling the vehicle in another country, or transporting it to a consignment. One of the easiest questions to answer from the perspective of a car owner thinking about international car shipping is, “What is the duration?” The response is not so straightforward because it is influenced by a number of factors. In this guide, we will highlight factors that affect shipping duration and provide adequate information about the process.
Categories of Shipping Techniques
There are two major categories of international car shipping: ocean freight (by sea) and air freight (by air). These techniques determine the duration of the entire shipping process.
Ocean Freight (By Sea)
This is the most widely used technique for shipping cars across borders. Ocean freight includes the process of placing your car on a vessel which then sails to the country of destination. On average, ocean freight takes between 2 to 8 weeks for delivery, but can vary greatly depending on the distance and specific destination. Additionally, the journey will be impacted by the departure port and route taken by the ship.
– Short Routes (North America and Europe) takes about 2-4 weeks on average. Air Freight delivers in 3 to 7 days, making it ideal for high-value shipments.
– North America and Asia or Australia has a longer duration of 6-8 weeks or more. The air shipping cost is quite more than freight services, making it used only on a need basis.
Air freight is reserved for valuable goods as its costly and best used for high-priority shipments. These longer routes get expensive due to the distance and effort taken if the pickup location is Canada and the drop-off is in Asia.
Moreover, the route taken by a ship is critical for determining how long it will take to ship goods. Some routes are more direct, while others may have over stops or require the ship to dock at different ports before arriving at the final destination. For instance, a particular shipment may leave the United States and head to Europe, But it could potentially stop in Italy or Spain, which would prolong the delivery time.
– The most traveled routes like US to Europe are the most popular and take less time than US to middle East or Africa which are less frequently traveled.
– Congestion at sea ports or delays caused by customs also negatively affect shipping time.
Customs Clearance and Import Requirements
Another factor which makes the international transportation of vehicles tedious and time consuming is customs clearance. This is the step of checking your car after it arrives at its destination and confirming that it meets the regulations set for importing a vehicle into the country. Depending on where the vehicle is arriving and the degree of document processing, the customs process could take a few days to a number of weeks changes these days to depends on the ending location and the document processing the region issues.
In order to prevent delays and process issues, make sure that all the documents possess and the vehicle being imported meet the requirements of the import country. Important documents include but may not be limited to:
– Proof of ownership (title and registration)
– Proof of Insurance
– Emissions certification, if applicable
– Customs declaration forms
– Bill of Lading
If the guidelines are not followed, custom rules put in place can created problems, so ensure everything is ready with the vehicle shipping company to avoid issues before a car is shipped.
Time of Year
Odorless shipping’s suggests custom shipping times also differ did the vehicle delivery set in place and is heavily influenced based on season. For example, during peak season like holidays or summer, car shipping services are in high demand leading to increased waiting periods. For ocean freight, special vessels used to transport vehicles are in high-demand leading to limited availability of ships causing severe delays during busy periods.
While on the other hand, seasons like fall and winter tend to have lesser shipping service, the domain being in low use directly resulting in expedited delivery services, boosting the speedy nature, affordability and better pricing.
If you wish to ship a vehicle for off-peak season appointments, the best prospect is to set a booking date ahead of time to lock on space for the pilgrim’s vessel ensuring there are no delays.
A SHIPPER’S PROCESSING TIME.
Processing and delivering orders differ for each shipping company. How a company handles ordering a pickup, moving, and bringing your car to the requested destination can include the total shipping. Some ships use expedited shipping which guarantees faster delivery, regardless of whether they need to cut corners. This, however will be more expensive.
While picking a shipping company, it is prudent to ask them for their expected dates to arrive and also if they estimate any hindrances that may slow down progress. Some providers let the customers to follow the movement of the shipping vehicle instead of waiting until it reaches the destination following the contract’s parameters.
Container Shipping vs. Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) Shipping.
In sea transport, you can choose between container shipping and Roll-on-Roll-off (RoRo) shipping.
– Container Shipping: Your vehicle is placed in a large shipping container together with other vehicles or goods which is then loaded on the ship for transport. This method is safer while demanding an extra time when handling, especially for luxurious or antique vehicles that you may own.
– Ro-ro Shipping: With this method, you can just drive your vehicle directly onto the ship, where it will be secured in a parking garage. Although RoRo is typically much faster and cheaper than container shipping, your vehicle is still vulnerable to the weather during transport.
Conclusion: The Factors that Influence Shipping Timelines
Different methods of shipping a vehicle, the distance to the destination, the route taken, customs clearance, and a company’s processing time dictate how long it will take to ship a car internationally. Ocean freight usually takes between 2 to 8 weeks, while air freight is a much quicker option at 3 to 7 days.