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What Is the Most Important Car Shipping Route?

Published by Tamar Hela.

What Is the Most Important Car Shipping Route?

Imagine millions of cars being shipped from the factory to dealerships and other places worldwide. That's a lot of logistics around the world, but which route is the most important?

Cars must be moved on specific routes that can handle the load safely and on time. And each of these routes has different considerations: timing, cost, reliability, etc.

Which is the world's most important route for shipping cars? This article reviews the optional procedures to ship a car and attempts to answer that question in full detail.

The World's Most Important Car Shipping Route

A big part of the global transportation economy is the business of shipping cars. Every year, thousands of cars are shipped across oceans and land.

The Asia-Europe route is the most important one in the car shipping business. Almost half of all transoceanic vehicle shipments go through this route. Countries like Germany, France, and Italy in Europe connect with China, Japan, and South Korea—among others—through this route.

It's a busy route, for sure. It is one of the world's busiest, in fact, because every vehicle—small, expensive, electric—goes through it.

And the route's essential role in the global automobile market cannot be underestimated. It ensures the quick and safe delivery of cars to their destination markets.

In addition to providing reliable delivery services on this route, many companies also offer competitive rates and advanced tracking systems that allow customers to monitor their cargo's progress along the way.

With its dependable service and competitive prices, this major car shipping route has become indispensable to the global auto transport industry.

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Fuel Consumption on a Typical Shipping Route

Shipping cars is a wonderful way to get them from one place to another without making the odometer on your vehicle accumulate significantly. But it's important to think about how much gas your chosen route will use since this will affect both your budget and the environment.

The Asia-Europe passage is the most famous for shipping cars, mainly due to the high demand and wealthy economies that profit from these shipments. The cost is the lowest, and shipping is the fastest by far.

But if you want to move things along this route, you should know compact cars are usually used because they use less gas because of their size.

Fuel costs will likely massively increase if you drive a luxury car or a larger vehicle.

You can find out how every drop of fuel matters during auto transport, whether or not the carrier employs them efficiently.

For example, tracking systems let customers see where their cargo is at all times so they can make sure it isn't being wasted on stops or detours that aren't necessary.

Also, finding a reliable shipping company specializing in efficient ways to move things can help you use less gas on your chosen route.

Most Popular Auto Shipping Cities along Asia-Europe

The auto shipping route between Asia and Europe is one of the most important international car shipping routes.

Each continent is full of countries that have major cities for you to choose from when shipping the vehicle.

Major cities along this route include:

  • Tokyo
  • Hong Kong
  • Shanghai
  • Singapore
  • Athens
  • Istanbul
  • London

Learn how each city offers benefits when shipping cars, as follows:

  • With its plethora of highways, Tokyo, Japan, hosts some of the world's biggest automakers.
  • Hong Kong has low import taxes on cars and one of the world's largest ports.
  • As a busy port city, Shanghai connects to everywhere else in China.
  • Efficiency reigns supreme in Singapore, so its well-run ports and services make it excellent for customers.
  • Athens is a great place to ship cars around the world because it's easy to get to other cities in Europe and the Middle East from there.
  • Istanbul connects Asia and Europe. Shipping cars on a budget is a good choice here, thanks to its low labor costs.
  • London is the hub of car shipping at the heart of Europe, thanks to its good transportation links.

These cities have reasonable rates for shipping cars, making this route a good choice for people who want to ship their vehicles abroad.

Shipping Route from Asia to Europe

The ocean freight journey begins in the Sea of Japan in Tokyo or from South Korea in Busan. From there, the cars are loaded onto a container ship and pass through the Yokohama Canal before reaching their first stop in Hong Kong.

After Hong Kong, cars move on to Shanghai, then Xiamen and Ningbo in China. Finally, they head to Singapore.

roro vessels on a seaport

The Strait of Malacca

The Strait of Malacca is a tight passage of water. Over 500 miles long with a width range of 40 to 155 miles, in the middle of the Malay Peninsula situated to the North and the Sumatra Island of Indonesia to the South, this passage is the link between the Andaman Sea and the China Sea to some of Southeast Asia's most prominent ports.

The Strait of Malacca is a key route for those looking to ship their cars between Asia and Europe. Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino ports are connected here.

This route is associated with low costs and is known for its efficient port operations.

The Suez Canal

Not just famous for dividing Asia and Africa, the Suez Canal in Egypt is another vital path in many cars' journeys from Asia to Europe. And as we all know, Asia-Europe is the most important route for shipping cars because it is the cheapest and has the best port operations.

This watercourse is not natural and was constructed as a shipping connection to the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea.

It lets ships travel between Europe and Asia without having to sail all the way around Africa, thus saving time and money.

First, it sails along the Mediterranean coast and connects to essential ports in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. On this route, you can count Greece, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria.

But then it goes farther. Not just cities in the Middle East and North Africa connect to Athens and Istanbul through the canal, but it also links ports in India and other Southeast Asian countries. Clearly, this route is essential for shipping cars from one country to another.

It is the most direct connection to Europe, reducing time spent on the ocean and making getting your car delivered quickly easier.

Most Important Car Shipping Route in the USA

The East Coast-West Coast route is the most important way to ship cars in the US. This route links the states on the Pacific coast of the USA to the states on the Atlantic coast in our glorious country.

It is a useful and stable way to move vehicles from one coast to the other. It's also one of the busiest ways to ship cars in North America, with thousands of cars moving along it yearly.

The path from the East Coast to the West Coast is usually taken by big, specialized carriers that can move many vehicles at once.

And each company rivals the other to secure your business with them by offering competitive prices and additional services. One such service may be high-tech tracking systems, allowing customers to watch for their cargo's progress.

This trail also lets you get to plenty of ports and terminals, which makes it easy to pick up and drop off vehicles in different states.

The journey from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast is important; there are other significant routes as well. Midwest passages make for some of the busiest auto shipping routes in the country. Vehicles go through Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis along this route.

Popular with commercial carriers, those offering these routes also often provide competitive prices for moving cars.

No matter your choice, knowing what services are available when shipping a car from one state to another is important.

Different companies have different quality of service and prices, so it's essential that you compare quotations and keep in mind you're receiving the greatest value.

large vessel on the water

Linking the World to Your Doorstep

There are plenty of ways you can ship a car from one side of the world to another, and many paths to take. The Asia-Europe connection is one of the world's most important car shipping routes.

Some of the most famous ships go to places worldwide, from North to South and East to West, connecting millions of people along the way. No matter where your home is in the world, once you ship a car overseas, you will be connected with these people.

There are a lot of maritime car carriers that can help you get to your final destination, whether you want routes with frequent service, cheap options, or direct connections.

Therefore, it doesn't matter if you wish to ship your car across the country or over the ocean. A1 Auto Transport can help you do it safely, quickly, and affordably. We keep your car moving with our extensive network of carriers and partnerships.

Start right away by calling A1 Auto Transport or getting a free quote here.

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Tamar Hela is one of our featured writers at A-1 Auto Transport, researching everything from AI auto shipments out of China to what paperwork is required to move long distance. We can safely say she's become well versed in all things shipping and logistics while making the information easy to digest and understandable. 

Tamar has been a copywriter for over 16 years and was trained in the 7-Figure Copywriting Accelerator course through American Writers & Artists, Inc. (AWAI). She's also an incredibly seasoned copyeditor, having previously been the Chief Editor and Publishing Director for Cosby Media Productions, based in Atlanta, Georgia. 

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A-1 Auto Transport is a disclosed agent for the following shipping companies:

CSI Logistics
435 Division Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
FMC 22206
Intl Cargo
45 Campus Drive
Edison, NJ 08837
NO. 17858N
Trans Global Auto Logistics, Inc.
3401 E Randol Mill Rd,
Arlington, TX 76011
NO. 018191NF
CFR Rinkens
15501 Texaco Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
NO. 013055NF
ABC Worldwide LLC
2840 NW 2nd Ave #105
Boca Raton, FL 33431
NO. 025472F
ShipYourCarNow LLC
1160 South Rogers Circle Suite 1
Boca Raton, FL 33487
NO. 025646
Merco Air & Ocean Cargo, Inc.
6 Fir Way
Cooper City, FL 33026
NO. 021869F
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