South&North Dakotas Car Shipping Guide 2021 Update

Planning to move to the Mount Rushmore state or maybe to the Peace Garden State? If so, you will want to consider a bunch of things before heading to the Dakotas. To help you find more on the topic we gathered some info and prepared a helpful guide that includes following sections:

– Why people move to the Dakotas: pros and cons

– How does car shipping work?

– What is the cost to ship a vehicle to North and South Dakota?

– How does the payment work and what is the insurance coverage policy?

– Dakotas Car shipping near me

– Why choose MoveWheels?

– How can I get ready for moving?

Why people move to the Dakotas: pros and cons

When it comes to overall wellbeing, environment, and community, The Dakotas are considered by many to be among the Top 15 happiest states to live in the US.

And that is understandable since both North and South Dakota have a low cost of living. The states have the same median home value, which is around $230, 000 and almost the same sales tax 2,5-3%. The only difference so far is about the income tax: North Dakota has 3% and South Dakota has no income tax at all.  But even though the states offer a low cost of living, they also have lower median salaries. For example, South Dakota ranks #30 on the list of median household incomes by state.

Based on https://livingcost.org/.

On the other hand, the Dakotas have a very low unemployment rate due to their growing job market (especially in agriculture, finance, software, nursing, and energy) and booming of small businesses. This is especially true for South Dakota since it is a great place for entrepreneurs due to the state’s low taxes.

Both low cost of living and a good job market affect the growth of the cities like Bismarck, Fargo, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City. Recently, they have been attracting both singles and family people. By the way, Dakotans have a rather strong sense of community which makes the states a great place to raise a family.

Though the cities are growing, both states are still sparsely populated which means nature here is still unspoiled.  From beautiful golden prairies with majestic bisons, glistening lakes and the Missouri River to amazingly clear starry nights, South and North Dakota are a small paradise for a nature lover almost all year round. The only exception is winter, of course, since both states have rather intense winters. So if you decide to move here, be prepared for crazy temperature changes and windy weather, since North Dakota is among the top 5 windiest states in the nation, and during winter it’s just teeth-chattering cold here.

How does the car shipping work?

To get your car transported the first thing you need to do is to submit a request to car shipping companies. As you may already notice the easiest way to do that is to search in google “top car shipping companies” “vehicle shipping quote” or “car shipping to Dakota”, etc.

Once you google it you will find lots of websites that will ask for your information like zip-code for pick up and drop off, make and model of your vehicle, your name, phone number, and the email. Most of these websites are not real companies, they are simple advertisement websites that collect your information and sell it to auto transport brokers.

Right after you submit the information, you will get tons of text messages, phone calls, and emails with a wide range of prices. And that’s when the magic happens: if the company gives you a very low price and says it is not going to change, you have to understand that they are simply trying to catch your attention and get your business. Once they lock you in with the paperwork, the price will most likely change.

So the most important thing you have to remember is that all the prices you receive from the shipping companies are only estimates since all brokers are dependable on carriers and the transportation business is constantly changing. The carrier that was shipping vehicles for a lower price may change his route unexpectedly. In this case, a good broker will try to negotiate with another carrier and offer you other options.

Frankly speaking, a broker can’t guarantee the exact date or price to transport a vehicle until it is assigned to the driver.

To look for a driver brokers use the platform called Central Dispatch. It’s a national load board where brokerage companies post loads mentioning pick up and drop off locations, dates when the vehicle is available, its make and model, and the price the customer is ready to pay. Carriers check the routes they are going and choose the loads with the highest price first. If the price is too low, carriers may ask for a higher rate or simply pick up another load. To be honest, it’s like an auction for a spot on the trailer.

To post your vehicle on the load board and find a driver a broker company will need to know the addresses and phone numbers for pickup and drop off. Once they have it on file, you will receive a contract that needs to be signed otherwise the company has no right to post your vehicle on Central Dispatch or provide your personal information to the driver.

After the carrier is assigned and the dates are confirmed, the driver will call you in advance to negotiate the exact pick up and then drop-off time.

 

What is the cost to ship a vehicle to North and South Dakota?

The price for moving any kind of vehicle depends on a few factors:

–        Its size:

For example, if you are shipping a regular SUV (like Toyota RAV4) the price will be lower than for shipping modified or bigger SUV (like uplifted Chevrolet Tahoe). So the longer or/and heavier vehicle is the more it will cost you to get it transported.

–        Time of the year:

For example, in winter the cost for moving vehicles to/from the Dakotas is much higher than usual since only a few drivers are willing to go up there because of severe weather conditions.

–        Popular routes and Mileage:

Though the Dakotas are not a popular destination among drivers, there are some places that drivers are willing to go to. Most of them are big cities like Bismarck, Fargo, Pierre, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls.

Drivers that are going to Montana, Idaho, or Washington State can go through these cities and get your vehicle there.

But if you need to get your car delivered to less popular locations like Minot, Williston, Grand Forks, Mobridge, or maybe other small towns be prepared that transportation will cost more than you may expect since the driver will have to go extra miles to deliver only one vehicle.

Following this secure link, you can check the price for shipping your vehicle with MoveWheels. And below you can see the prices for moving different kinds of vehicles to North and South Dakota.

Shipping from the East coast to the North Dakota

Shipping from the East coast to the South Dakota

Shipping from South area to the Dakotas

Shipping from the West Coast to the North Dakota

Shipping from the West Coast to the South Dakota

How does the payment work and what is the insurance coverage policy?

The payment with the MoveWheels transportation company is divided into 2 parts: a partial deposit ($100-$180) is charged AFTER the vehicle is picked up and the remaining balance should be paid to the carrier on delivery with cash or any certified funds (money order or cashier’s check).

In case you are not planning to be at the drop-off location, you may ask the person who will be there to pay the driver or you can also pay the driver using Zelle or CashApp.

Speaking about the insurance coverage policy, the most important thing you should remember is the Bill of Lading (BOL). In case the vehicle is damaged, the first thing an insurance company requires is the BOL and without it, the claim will not be satisfied.

So what is Bill of Lading?

The Bill of Lading is the paperwork the driver fills in at the pick up after inspecting the vehicle for any pre-existing damages. If there are any, he notes them down and the person who is releasing the vehicle should sign the paperwork.

Once the driver loads off the car at the delivery location, the person receiving it (whether it’s you, your relative, or your friend) should thoroughly check the vehicle for any new damages and in case there any write them down in the BOL and also sign the paperwork.  You may also take some photos of the car before and after transportation.

So if your vehicle is damaged during shipping, take photos of the damages, note them down in the BOL, let us know about the issue, and make 1-2 estimates in a local workshop. Your shipping agent will collect and send you all the required paperwork and will help you to submit a claim to the carrier’s insurance company.

Dakotas Car shipping near me

Even though North and South Dakota are not popular locations among drivers, some carriers’ companies are based out of these states. Most of them have open car haulers, but still, some companies can offer enclosed transportation. For example, Ace shipping LLC owns a hard-side enclosed, and though it is located in Williston, ND the driver can go anywhere within Midwest, west coast, and south. Another company that has an enclosed trailer is Carnody Truck Lines. It is located in Madison, SD, and can go anywhere within the mainland.

Carnody Truck Lines also owns an open flatbed trailer and can transport almost any kind of vehicle including some heavy equipment, small boats, vans.

D&G Logistics LLC which is located in Brandon, SD also has 2 trailers: 40 ft Hotshot with ramps to transport sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans and also 48 ft Step deck trailer to transport non-standard vehicle, heavy equipment, or its parts.

There are also 2 companies in Fargo and Bismarck that have a bunch of different trailers: 4 car, 7 car, and 8 car haulers (Corporate Auto Relocation Service, Inc) and 6 Step deck trailers (Americas Energy Transport Co LLC). We have been working with both companies and they are willing to go anywhere within 48 states.

 

Why chose MoveWheels?

–        First of all, we have been in this business for more than 12 years and besides using the national load board (Central Dispatch), we have our database of carriers that we work with daily. We also have a list of carriers that we do not work with at all because of issues we had with them in the past. These databases help us to assign the most professional drivers within the customer’s time frame.

–        Unlike some other brokerage companies we can offer you both open and enclosed carriers. By the way, if you are haven’t decided yet whether to choose an open or an enclosed trailer, we would highly recommend you to opt for an enclosed one if you are planning to ship:

·      A classic, antique or rare vehicle;

·      A brand new or a show car;

·      A motorcycle, ATV, UTV, a golf cart.

Even though enclosed transportation costs more, but in case the car gets damaged because of weather conditions, it will cost you much more to fix the vehicle (of course insurance will cover the damages, but it will be a headache to get all the paperwork done and fix the vehicle).

If you are wondering about the price for enclosed transportation you can check it following this link.

–        Another important thing about MoveWheels Transportation Company is that we do NOT require any kind of prepayment at the time of booking, so you do not pay anything until our job is done and the transportation is set up with the driver.

–        Our company offers some discounts;

•     Military discount for active military members;
•     Business discount for dealers, body shops, or any other business shipping vehicles from time to time.
•     Multi-load discount for shipping 2 or more vehicles on the same route at the same time;

How can I get ready for moving? [Check-list]

Once everything is set up, the deal with the driver is finalized and you have his name and number on file it’s high time to get your vehicle prepared for shipping.

The most important thing you should remember about especially if you are not planning to be at the pick-up location is to make sure the car key is at the pickup. Even if the vehicle you are transporting is inoperable the driver still needs the keys to load the car on the car hauler. So he will start it and drive on the trailer or if it’s non-running, he will shift the transmission to neutral to winch the car on the trailer. 

Another important thing you should remember is the Bill of Lading. As we have already mentioned, it’s the only document that proves that the vehicle was not damaged before (or was less damaged). Please don’t forget to inspect your vehicle for any damages at the drop-off location and request the Bill of Lading. If you don’t have it and the vehicle was damaged the insurance company will reject the claim.

If you are shipping the vehicle from a private residence, please remove the vehicle’s loose parts, tags, and plates. Road cameras may take a picture of your vehicle by mistake and send you a ticket for toll roads or speeding. You can dispute it by showing your Bill of Lading and the agreement for the transportation, but it will take some time. If the vehicle is going from the shop, the dealer will remove the loose parts and if it’s going from an auction we will ask the driver to do it for you.

And the last but not the least important thing when shipping a vehicle is to keep safety measures during COVID. Don’t forget to disinfect the vehicle before the pickup and after the drop-off, especially those parts, the driver is likely to touch when loading the car on the trailer. When meeting the driver make sure to wear a mask and gloves or wash your hands properly after the pick up and drop off and disinfect the car key.

All these precautionary measures will help you, the carrier, and all other people he is moving the cars to stay healthy and safe.

If you need more info about auto transport preparetions you can check our cross country car shipping guide, visit our car shipping blog or just call us and we will explain you every point.

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