Auto Transportation

Posts Tagged ‘oil’

Shopping for the right auto transport company is intimidating for most people. It’s not a service that people use very often so it is difficult to know what features to look for. Although there are a number of decisions to make, let’s focus on the types of trucks and trailers that could be used.

Truck Types

Auto transport is carried out by one of two types of trucks: tractor trailers or hotshots. A hotshot is a small truck similar to a pickup.

Because hotshots are small they transport only one vehicle at a time. This means they are available faster because the shipper doesn’t have to find other customers to fill the empty slots. On the other hand, that means all costs of operation are shouldered by the one vehicle being transported so they are more expensive. Their small size means residential street navigation is easy and they deliver your car right to your door.

Tractor trailers transport anywhere from three to twelve vehicles at a time depending on the size of the attached trailer. The more cars, the cheaper the transport fee because costs of operation are spread among several customers. To be economical, the trucks need to run as near to capacity as possible. That means the auto transport company needs a significant lead time between a customer’s call and the shipping date so that they can find several vehicles headed in the same direction.

Another downside to tractor trailers is that they may not be able to travel in some residential areas because of the tight streets. You may need to meet the vehicle at a nearby parking lot to pick up your car rather than having it delivered to your door.

Trailer Types

The first decision about trailers is single-vehicle vs. multiple-vehicle. This decision isn’t made by the customer but rather dictated by the truck. Hotshots have single trailers; semis have multiple.

There can be cases where a semi transports a single vehicle, such as a vehicle won’t fit on a typical trailer due to size, modifications, or other characteristics. In this case it has to be shipped on a flatbed along with whatever other cargo the driver picks up. This is one of the more expensive ways to ship but may be necessary depending in your vehicle.

When shipping on a multiple vehicle trailer, there is a lot of debate about whether it is better to request a position on the upper deck or the lower deck. Cars on the upper deck are more exposed to the environment while the lower deck may get oil or other fluids dripping from above. In the end, it seems to be about the same.

Another option is a closed trailer. Most car shipping is done in open trailers, leaving the vehicle exposed to the elements. This is fine for most cars but if you have an expensive or collectable vehicle, it might be worth the extra expense of a covered trailer.

Automotive Industry

The automotive industry, one of the most important industries in the world, has left its mark not only on the economy but also on the world cultures. The automotive industry is involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles.

More than 73 million motor vehicles, such as cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide in 2007 with a total of 71.9 million of new automobiles sold: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific and 19.4 million in USA and Canada. While markets in North America and Japan have stagnated, those in South America and Asia have grown, with the most rapid growth coming from Russia, Brazil and China.

The Automotive Industry produces automobiles and other gasoline-powered vehicles, like buses, trucks, aeroplanes, and motorcycles, but also electricity-powered vehicles, such as trains. Not only does it provide jobs for millions of people worldwide, but the revenues generated reach well over billions of dollars, providing the necessary base for a wide range of other service and related industries.

The invention of automobiles revolutionized transportation in the early 20th century, and the way people lived and commuted for pleasure or business was forever changed. Goods could be taken farther and faster, and new market areas were now opened to facilitate business and commerce.

Overall costs of production were brought to a minimum with methods such as mass production, meaning that several products were made at once, mass marketing- products were sold nationally not only locally), and last but not least, globalization of production assembling products with parts manufactured all over the world.

However, in 2008 due to increased oil prices the automotive industry is subject to pressures from higher prices of raw material combined to changes in the buying habits of consumers. Moreover, the industry is at the same time up against external high competition coming from the public transport sector, since consumers are just now starting to evaluate the use of their private vehicle.

In North America, the automobile industry is dominated by the famous Big Three:

General Motors (producer of Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac, etc)
Chrysler (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge)
Ford Motor Co – (Ford, Lincoln and Volvo)

Unfortunately, the automobile also means related problems, like air pollution, the emission of gases leading to imminent global warming, traffic, not to mention fatalities. Nevertheless, the automotive industry is still an important source of employment and transportation for billion of people all over the world.