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Iconic cars are manufactured all over the world, but if you live in the United States, it might seem impossible to get your hands on any of them. So, if you’ve had your eye on a model in a different country, you’ve probably just accepted that you can’t buy it. Lucky for you, you’re wrong. The process of how to ship a car to the U.S. isn’t as difficult or expensive as you’re probably anticipating! With the right knowledge and preparations, you could be importing your dream car into the U.S. in no time at all!
To learn how to ship a car to the U.S., you will need to know the different options for shipping a car overseas. You will also need to be aware of the various laws relating to the car, including those for the DOT and EPA. Once you have those figured out, you will need to have the car properly prepared to make the trip.
There are several different car shipping methods to choose from, and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. Those options are RoRo, LoLo, and air shipping.
RoRo shipping is the cheapest option of the three, and with good reason. The process is easy, so auto transport companies can charge less for it. Cars are simply driven directly onto a cargo ship and secured down with ratchet straps to prevent them from rolling around.
However, although it is cheap, it isn’t by any means the safest way to transport your vehicle. Because your car would be uncovered and exposed to the elements, you might not receive your car in the same condition it was in when it left the port. RoRo is usually fine for most people, but if you are shipping a classic car or a more expensive or sentimental vehicle, you may want to consider other options.
LoLo shipping, also called containerized shipping, is a more common option for people shipping moderate to expensive cars. It is a more expensive option than RoRo shipping, but it has its benefits too.
For LoLo shipping, a single car is placed in a shipping container and secured safely inside. Then, cranes lift the container up onto the ship where it will sit alongside other containerized cargo. At the destination, another crane will lift the container off the cargo ship again. This means that the car is completely protected from external damage during the trip.
Air cargo is by far the most expensive option. It is so expensive, in fact, that the cost to ship a car this way often far exceeds the actual value of the car. Unless the car you are shipping is incredibly valuable, it would make no sense to ship the car as air cargo.
However, if you know for sure that the car is worth the cost to ship it this way, then you should know that this method of shipping is the absolute safest and fastest way of shipping a vehicle to the United States, no matter where it is shipping from.
As you can imagine, shipping an entire car from another country into the U.S. is a process that is highly regulated.
The first question you will probably have is whether the car you are buying will even be legal to drive in the U.S. if it is right-hand drive (RHD). Fortunately, it is perfectly legal, but you might have slightly more difficulty going through the drive-through at McDonald’s.
On a more serious note, there are several car shipping documents that you will need to provide in order to have your vehicle shipped to the U.S. These documents are:
In addition to those documents, you will also need to fill out two forms to submit to the port of arrival:
Those two forms are required for the CBP to determine if your car is legal in regards to all Federal safety and emission regulations.
There are a couple of different cases in which your car could be exempt from some of the regulations for bringing a car into the U.S.
If the car is at least 21 years old, then it no longer has to comply with the EPA’s emission requirements. Additionally, if the car is at least 25 years old, then the DOT won’t require it to be compliant with its safety and theft prevention regulations.
If your car is for show purposes only and is not intended to be operated on public roads, then you may qualify for the Show or Display Law. As long as the car is of “historical or technological significance,” and you will not register it for use on public roads, then the car will not have to comply with any of the safety or emission laws. If you absolutely must drive the vehicle short distances, you are legally able to do so as long as you do not exceed 2,500 miles annually.
Now that you know the ins and outs of how to ship a car to the U.S., you’re going to need to find the right car shipping company to get the job done. Thankfully, R+L Global Logistics is here to offer you the best in domestic and international auto transport services. No matter what kind of vehicle you have to ship, whether it’s for your commute or your collection, we can help you through the entire shipping process. We also offer:
Call us today at (866) 322-1381 to get your free auto transport quote, no strings attached!
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