Overseas shipment of your cars and other valuables can be both domestic and international. If you are moving house or relocating your business to US states in Alaska, Hawaii or the US territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, car shipping costs get more expensive as it involves ocean transshipment, and are often treated as an export operation minus the customs duties. If the destination is another sovereign country, you can expect your shipping cost to include the customs duties in the destination country, among others.
Overseas Shipping Choices
Shipping your car abroad is generally a port-to-port transfer. For the most part, car shipping costs depend on the distance to your destination and the volumetric weight of your automobile. This information alone will determine the fuel costs, which eat up a major part of your shipping cost, whether using air or sea freight. The time of the year also figures in the computation as most shipping companies offer significant discounts during lean seasons or when they can expect a high shipment volume from the destination point.
When shipping your car overseas to any US territory or country, check out if the shipping company offers a choice of RORO shipment. This is the de facto shipping mode of nearly all car manufacturers to and from the US, where each car is driven directly from the docks to the waiting cargo holds of a RORO vessel. RORO has the cheapest car shipping cost since there are no pre-shipping preparations like you can expect from crating individual cars. Just be sure your destination has RORO ports. Otherwise, you may have no choice, but to use crated or containerized car shipment.
If you are particular about your car, especially if it’s an exotic Lamborghini or a Bugatti, or maybe even a prized vintage acquired fresh from a multi-million dollar auction, you are better off with an individual containerized shipping service or one that can meticulously crate your car. However, you can be sure to get slapped with one of the most expensive car shipping costs, short of getting it transported by air, which will require the same crating. Talking about air transport, this is the most expensive option.
If your destination is another country, you can expect your car shipping costs to substantially increase with administrative charges to get your papers processed here and in your destination country. The fee will also cover import duties in your destination port.
Lastly, don’t forget about your insurance options, which can range from nothing to a comprehensive one. Nearly all international shippers will have basic insurance coverage against accidents while in transit. Check out how much you can claim. In many cases, you will need to augment it with a comprehensive third party insurance.
Your Shipping Costs
Domestic coast to coast car shipping rates vary anywhere from $1,000 to $1,600 depending on the shipping company, car model/weight, mode of shipment (open and containerized, multi car), terminal-to-terminal or door-to-door, time of the year, and optional insurance. You can expect your car shipping costs to go significantly higher when ocean vessels, import duties and processing of regulatory documents are involved. Shipping to Australia, for instance, starts at $3,500.
For sea or ocean freight, be sure to check out the customs declaration fees, maritime security fees, port services charges, bill of lading fees, cartage, cartage fuel levy, document courier fees (often air-couriered to the destination), crating and uncrating fees, and port inspections fees. If your shipping is a door-to-door transfer, expect land shipping charges to increase your cost depending on how far the destination port is to the final destination. Contact your shipping broker to get a breakdown of these cost items as they vary from country to country, car model make, choice of shipping mode (RORO or containerized), and time of year.
