The sport utility vehicle has become a staple of the automotive world; since it was first introduced, automobile makers have been working on making their SUV’s better, more sophisticated, with more towing capacity and cargo space. And the result has been a continual change in style, accessibility, size…and it’s always changing. SUV shipping services vary from vehicle to vehicle, and understanding the differences between shipping a standard-sized car and an SUV is important. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the nuances surrounding SUV shipping services, how they differ from regular car transport services and how you can prepare yourself and help make your transportation experience the best that it can possibly be.

For starters, there are several different sizes of SUV’s, and each one can mean a different thing for your specific shipment. Compact and crossover SUV’s are going to be the easiest to ship; they are the smallest SUV’s on the market, and more often than not can fit on a standard carrier and come with no additional size or weight fees. Medium-size SUV’s are larger, and will still fit on a regular auto transport carrier. However, they are typically heavier than a standard car, and many carriers will impose a small overweight vehicle fee in order to compensate for the added weight.*

Large SUV’s will probably cost even more in terms of overweight vehicle fees, and they could get even more expensive if your SUV is extended, lifted, or just longer than most normal SUV’s. It’s best to speak to your auto transport representative about your specific SUV; make sure you have the year, make and model handy, and if it’s a larger SUV you should probably have the dimensions of the vehicle on-hand as well. Typically the length, width and height of the vehicle are accepted, though you should also have a rough idea of how much it weighs, just in case. Insurance for auto transport is part of the price you’ll receive too, so you don’t have to worry about your vehicle being insured while it’s being transported.

Since most SUV’s have a hatch as opposed to a trunk, make sure that the cab of your vehicle is completely clean, with no personal items in the vehicle whatsoever. This is actually something that varies from company to company – many auto transporters will simply tell you to not put anything in the vehicle at all, which is what we recommend, but others will tell you it’s up to your driver and still others will tell you that you can have stuff in the car so long as it’s below the window line. We follow FMCSA rules, though, which state that no auto transport carrier is licensed or authorized to ship household goods – and personal belongings are considered household goods. If you’re unsure, it’s best to ask, and we also recommend doing that as well – just call up your auto transport company and ask one of their staff members what their policy on goods inside the vehicle is, and they’ll be more than happy to explain it.

If you’re still searching for an auto transport company to ship your SUV, you can give us a call at our toll-free telephone number and speak to one of our own friendly and experienced auto transport representatives. They’re standing by to answer your questions and help calculate your auto transport quote.