Shipping a Car by Plane

How to Ship a Car by Plane?

Transporting a vehicle by aircraft, sometimes referred to as “air freight,” is the fastest way possible to ship a car, truck, motorcycle, or any other type of vehicle. As you might expect, it’s also the most expensive. That being the case, it’s generally a service that is only sought after by owners of extremely high priced or rare vehicles, and even then, it’s not used nearly as often as other services such as RORO auto transport.

When customers do prefer shipping a car by plane, it’s almost always to another country. This makes sense due to the fact that there are other, equally (if not more) safe and secure methods for shipping to other countries and locations outside the continental United States. As mentioned above, it’s generally reserved for high value vehicles and usually only when time is a factor. RORO transport, done by boat, is a tried and true method of international auto transport, but it can take several weeks for a shipment to arrive, whereas a plane can deliver in a much shorter timeframe.

Tips For Preparing For Auto Transport By Plane

• Prepare for the Expense - Transporting a vehicle by plane is considerably more expensive than any other method. Even a relatively short flight can easily run into the thousands of dollars and you should explore the total costs involved (including import duties) before making a decision to ship a car by plane.
• Do Your Research - Not every car shipper is willing or capable of shipping by air freight so you will likely have only a handful of options to choose from. That doesn’t mean you should go with the first company that offers the service necessarily though. It’s still a best practice to do some basic research about any auto transport company to make sure they have the expertise they claim and ample experience in the part of the world you’re shipping to.
• Ask Lots of Questions - You’re bound to have some questions for any shipping company you contact and that’s a good thing. In fact, it’s highly recommended that all of your questions and concerns be addressed since it’s a complicated and expensive process. Air freight is not a service that’s often requested or performed and making sure any company you deal with has the commensurate experience is essential.