Car Shipping to USA
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Shipping A Car to The US
If you need to ship a vehicle to the US then give us a call or fill in the contact form for a no-obligation free quote. International Car Movements are expert in auto transport and auto shipping cars across the globe. If you’re looking to transport your vehicle to the US then check out our pointers below which should help or if you want to get a completely free no-obligation quote then fill out our contact form or give us a call.
How To Ship A Car To The US
When you come to a point where you have to ship your car to the US you can decide to either try and handle all the shipping and paperwork yourself or you can outsource the entire process to a professional.
If you get multiple shipping prices you’ll also notice that there isn’t a huge difference in price compared to outsourcing when you take into account the time you have to invest in making decisions – not to mention having that little thought at the back of your mind about whether you did everything you need to in order to get your vehicle through customs in the states.
If you are looking to ship your car to the US you’ll need to find a shipping company, get your car to port, make sure you’ve got all the paperwork sorted and have someone who can receive your vehicle in the country on the other side.
How much does it cost to ship a car to the US
Unfortunately this isn’t a straightforward answer and relies on a number of factors, some of the main ones being;
The model of the car
If it’s a supercar, vintage, classic car or a large vehicle then there will be additional costs in order to keep the vehicle safe.
Pick up and drop off points for the vehicle
if we have to transport the car a large distance in delivering it to the departing port or to the destination after the arrival port then there will be an additional cost incurred.
The ports and shipping options
Some ports are more costly to go through, same as different routes have different costs associated. For a fair car shipping estimate, you would be looking at a cost of £537 to £1500 plus VAT and potentially even higher if you have specific needs.
How Long Does It Take To Ship A Car To The US
It takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks from the date the vehicle leaves it’s departing port before it will arrive in the US. All in all the maximum amount of time it will take is 5.5 weeks, including picking up and delivering your vehicle to anywhere in the The United States.
Shipping Methods
Roll-on roll-off
The Roll-on Roll-off shipping option is a non-expensive car shipping option because you only have to be bothered about custom charges, shipping charges, and port charges. And this option comes with the roll-on and roll-off slope that allows cars to be driven into the shipping compartment. One of the advantages of the RoRo option is that you can rely on the estimated date of departure and arrival.
Container shipping
Container shipping is also an option, you can have your vehicle carefully loaded within a container with other vehicles. When using this shipping service, you will be charged for trucking, terminal handling, uploading, and customs clearance fee as well.
You may also have to wait longer to have your car leave it’s departing port as the container only moves when the ship is fully loaded, which may take days or weeks.
Notwithstanding, you also have the option of the full container load shipping offer. This service allows you to have the entire container to your vehicle(s) alone without sharing it with other cars. With this, you are sure of a faster importation of your car because it doesn’t have to wait to be “fully loaded” like the shared container offering.
This is also a fantastic option if you have a high-value vehicle then protecting it by having it transport alone could be a very wise move.
If you have a car that you need to be moved from one location to another then get in touch for a free consultation, doesn’t matter if it’s one car or multiple, to the UK or internationally then we are here to help.
The main UK ports we ship cars to the US from
Port of Southampton
Located in the South Coast area of the UK with direct access to rail and road networks and is one of the most popular ports in the UK. Showcasing a facility that spans as far as 80 hectares housing five multistory car parks and handling over 820,000 cars and more in a year.
Port of Liverpool
Standing centrally in North-Western England with the pleasure of accommodating different kinds of cargoes from dry stuff, to energy goods, forest goods, automobiles, and more.
Port of Felixstowe
The first and oldest port built in the UK and currently Europe’s 8th busiest port, handling over 48% of England’s container business. The port by nature is dedicated to huge container ships and welcomes mega vessels, thanks to its water depth. It also has three rail lines which facilitate freight services around the port.
Port of London
Located between the North Sea and the River Thames, this port retains the prestige as the port with the best railways, seas, and road links, making the movement cargoes hitch-free.
Port of Immingham
Also known as “Immingham docks” and situated on the East Coast of the country. It held the reputation of the largest port in the UK in 2012 and presently, it’s still regarded as a popular port, thanks to its unhindered links to the nation’s energy supplies.
The most popular destination ports in the US where we ship cars to
Port of Los Angeles
The LA port stands gracefully on 7,500 acres of land in the San Pedro Bay, the Western State of California. In 2019 approximately US$276 billion worth of cargo travelled through this port.
Port of Houston
With only a couple of hours from the Gulf of Mexico lies the busiest port in the US with regards to foreign tonnage. As of 2016, the port is said to have taken charge of over 68% of US gulf container traffic.
Port of Miami
Located in the sunshine city of Florida and retained the fame in 2015 as the port with the biggest traffic and ranked among the top 10 ports in the US.
Port Tampa Bay, Florida
Handling over 37 million tons of cargo every year consistently this port frequently received vehicle shipments from the UK due to it being such a popular destination.
Port of San Francisco
America’s 12th biggest port, the Port of San Francisco. It is not only a tourism and commerce hub but is designed to facilitate importation and exportation to many countries so it’s easy to ship your car on further if required.
Important things to know when shipping a car to the US
Some other important facts you should be acquainted with when thinking of moving your car to the US include:
Regulation requirements
Having your car pass the EPA, DOT, and CBP test is one of the requirements that are essential to having hitch-free shipping. In a nutshell, it means giving your car a clean smog, bumper, and safety check before sending it on board. This is possible through the procedures provided by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a manual that provides necessary procedures for the importation of cars into the US. Especially for cars that are over 25 years old and non-US made cars. What applies here is that you can have the vehicles registered in the US.
Returning US Citizens
If you are a US citizen and returning from the UK, you are exempted from import duty fees. More so, if you are a US government employee or contractor, Navy, Army, Air force, and Marines, you are also free of importation duty fees.
Non-US Citizens
For non-US residents who may wish to import a car for their personal use, they are also exempted from duty charges. But the exemption applies for only a year and thankfully if it coincides with the time the importer arrives in the country.
Vehicle Quarantine
The US importation regulations demand that all imported cars into the country must satisfy necessary sanitary conditions. To help your car pass this test simply ensure that you have the vehicle valeted to a high degree before departure. Anything short of this will result in a prolonged stay of your car in the port, and this comes with additional charges for it to get cleaned and subsequently cleared by customs.
UK to US Car Shipping Quote
If you’re looking for a price to ship your vehicle to the US then get in touch for a free consultation. International Car Movements are shipping experts and have over 10 years vehicle transport and international car shipping services. If you are shipping multiple vehicles then we are able to provide discounts.