Hotshot Transport – A Simple Guide to Understand All

Besides the money, the most tricky part about sending your car halfway across the world is the waiting. It can take up to 40 days for a vehicle to reach your new home, which can be frustrating.

You’ll have to deal with the inconvenience of public transport in an unfamiliar place, and it’s worse if you can’t speak the local language. Having your car with you as soon as possible is a godsend.

And the process is sped up with hotshot transport, the latest car hauling niche that cuts down transport time using smaller carriers.

What is Hotshot Transport?

First, you'll already know that once you decide on a shipping company to hire, the actual process starts once after handing in all the necessary documents. And one of the significant parts of the process happens on the ground.

It’s where all the actual work gets done, whether it’s at the starting point or destination. It is self-explanatory to some extent: it gets things done faster than the traditional method of hauling cars to your home.

It generally refers to trucks taking incomplete or less than capacity (LTC) loads for situations that call for emergency or as soon as possible delivery. But when it comes to shipping, it's slightly different.

The basic idea is the same: once cars are unloaded at ports onto carriers. This is often done in groups of 8 to 10, so it takes a while before your car reaches you since there are so many stops on the way.

Of course, in theory, your turn could be first on the list, but the fact remains that it usually takes many days before your vehicle gets to you. Hotshot transport is faster because it only carries around four cars at a time.

Areas Where Hotshot Transport Applies

In two instances, you need to watch for ground costs when shipping your car to a foreign country. The first is when you take your vehicle to the port in the USA, and the second is when your car is to be moved to your new home in whichever country you've imported it to.

In either case, you can move your car yourself. You could drive it to and from the port, but it'll take time and unnecessary fatigue. So, we're here to give you the best alternative, which saves time and energy.

It means that since fewer cars are picked up, your vehicle will reach the port more quickly, hence cutting back on the ground time and only leaving the time spent on the sea as the most extended period.

So, It applies to the shipping process's front and back ends. Then, if the time on the ship is 30 days and with another few weeks on ground transport, it could go down to one or two weeks.

Why It is Faster Than Normal Car Hauling?

The idea is pretty easy to understand. Even if someone is fast, if they have to reach 12 different locations, then even if your turn is second, the distance might mean it takes a while before your car gets to you.

It’s even worse if your residence is in a city far from a port, which means you’ll be farther on the route and hence lower on the list.

But, if three people take cars to four people each, everyone on the list will get their vehicles faster. Since transporters can group those whose delivery is closer, it'll speed up the process even more.

It’s easier to arrange for drivers to take on deliveries in closely situated areas, so there aren’t as many detours, so the company might even save on costs too.

So, the lighter load, the better routes, and fewer deliveries all come together to ensure faster shifting times. This means you have to spend less time inconvenienced by the lack of a vehicle in a foreign country.

Comparing Expenses With Than Other Transport Methods

Although it depends on the situation, it's prices are generally on par or lower than regular transport. Shipping companies would prefer to turn as much profit as possible, but while this process may cut down on them, it's not too bad.

It’s easy to assume that you’ll have to pay at least double if you want faster shipping, but it’s a good idea to look into how much it’ll cost. Consider this: there isn’t much difference to the company either way.

Instead of a large carrier that requires high maintenance, they'll be maintaining several smaller cars with fewer issues. They'll still have to pay drivers by the hour or mile and still need vehicles to do the shipping. They will still make the delivery, and the fuel consumption is around the same.

So, in the end, the cost increases to be around the same. It's more convenient for everyone involved because there are times when the delivery spots are closer, so the drivers are assigned keeping the route in mind.

Of course, there can always be unexpected circumstances. You might have to pay more if your delivery spot is out of the way and through a less travelled route.

Hotshot Transport and Convenience

The best scenario is if you’re transporting multiple vehicles. Although it often can involve LTC shipping, that's usually for singular cases, e.g., when factories need particular parts as soon as possible.

For standard car shipping, your car will be one of at least 3 or 4. If you have two cars or vehicles like motorcycles that need to be moved, they'll be loaded onto the same truck.

That means there will only be three people on the list of deliveries, which obviously means your delivery will reach you even faster.

Similarly, shipping companies will try to find shipments closer together to save on costs. If you have multiple cars that need to be relocated to a common destination, it's ideal.

On top of that, there’s no limit to how many cars you can send at a time, so it's an excellent choice for regular consumers looking for convenience without losing an arm and a leg.

Why It Isn’t Common?

If it ticks all the boxes by being convenient, quick, and not overly expensive, then it's natural to wonder why more shipping companies don't use this method. The answer is easy: profits.

Although the cars will reach customers faster, companies will still turn a profit faster by transporting as many vehicles at a time as possible out of the port. As mentioned, in most cases, the final cost can be the same.

It's the profits that can get cut down. However, shipping companies might easily overlook this drawback because they can get more customers.

The Reason It is Becoming More Popular

As mentioned, even if shipping companies have to forgo some profits, hotshot transport is still becoming an increasingly popular service. This is because it increases customer loyalty and retention.

Even if a person has no pressing matter, it's still inconvenient to be without your vehicle in an unknown country. On top of that, the time spent at sea is usually long and can take up to a month.

It's not possible to make that process faster, so it's up to a company to cut down where they can. If a car reaches the customer faster than others, they're more likely to recommend the service.

This increases the company’s customer base. They’ll also go for the same company if they need to ship their car again.