There are times that you want to have a car shipped from one place to another. This can be costly even though it needs to be done. You need to talk to several companies before you settle on one.
When you call around for a shipping company, you need to think about a few things. You want to find cheap car shipping but you also want to find quality shipping. You can have both if you look at the right places.
This article will give you ten tips about auto shipping. These tips can help you to find the right company to ship your vehicle. You can also do more research to find more information.
Ten Tips for You
- Choose the Right Company – Shipping your vehicle across the city or across the country can be a major headache if you don’t find the right company that is willing to work with you. You need to research all the nuances of auto shipping before you hire someone to move your auto. If you do this, you will know what they are talking about and what you might need to do.
- Open Auto Transport Vs Closed Auto Transport – You can ship your vehicle in an open transport or a closed transport. The open transport is one where your car is not covered and is open to the elements. A closed transport is one where the car is in an enclosed truck and is protected from the elements.
- How to Research – There are ways to research to find the right transport for your vehicle. You can visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, website to get safety reports and to see if they are a broker or carrier: https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx. You can also find out if they are authorized to move vehicles.
- Ask Friends, Family, and Local Car Dealers – Check with family and friends to see if they have used a vehicle transport – if they have, see who they recommend. Check local auto dealers, as well, so that you can see who they can recommend. These people should be ones that you trust so that you get good recommendations.
- Be Wary of Auto Transport Brokers – They are not the same as carriers – they broker to find you a carrier. With a broker, you don’t know who will be driving the transport across the country for you. Brokers often use subpar truck drivers and companies that don’t have experience moving autos.
- Never Give a Deposit – Reputable transport companies will not ask for a deposit – they will ask for their money at the delivery of the vehicle. Brokers are more likely to ask for a deposit because that is how they make the majority of their money. They might offer you a deal at the beginning, but then won’t follow through with quality work.
- Don’t Go on Price Alone – The price of the service shouldn’t be the only thing that you base your decision on. You can get a highly qualified service for a low price, and you can get poor quality for an expensive price. There are more items that you need to check besides price.
Usually, you expect to get higher quality for a higher price, but this isn’t always the case. Check out the reputation of the company before you choose one. Check online reviews and others to see if they are reputable.
- Check Insurance Coverage and Policies – Not all insurance policies are the same and not all companies choose the best coverage. You want to make sure that the transport company has enough insurance to cover all the vehicles that are on the transport in case something happens. Look here to see what type of insurance they should carry. Some carriers only carry about $50,000 in coverage, while others carry a million dollars or more.
- Make Sure Your Scheduling Needs Are Known – If you have a specific date that you need to have your auto delivered, make sure that the carrier knows this. If they are carrying six autos like they can, they must coordinate the schedules so that all are delivered on time. They can’t do this if you don’t let them know that there is a specific date. If they don’t know that, they will probably deliver your car when it is most convenient for them.
- Prepare Your Car – You need to make sure that your car is as clean as you can get it and that it is mechanically sound. Many carriers will charge more if they can’t drive the car onto the transport and back off it. Make sure that you have plenty of gas and your battery is charged.
Conclusion
There are many things that you should know about before you hire a car shipping company. You want to make sure that your car will be cared for properly and that it will be safe during transport. Follow these tips and you can find a reputable company that will take care of you and your vehicle.
