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Auto Shipping: Much More Than a Tow

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   Auto Shipping: Much More Than a Tow


You’ve just purchased the vehicle of the dreams. The only problem? It’s in California, and you’re in Boston. Where will you find the time to pick it up and take it home? That’s when a car transport company comes in handy. The great news? There’s one in your budget and provides much more than a simple towing service.

Tow Trucks: Weighing the Pros and Cons

Moving your car from where it currently is to where you want it to be requires two different transit options: tow truck vs. shipping company. A tow truck will take your vehicle – usually immediately – to where it needs to go. Mostly, we’re used to using tow trucks after it breaks down. Because tow trucks are designated to come at a driver’s ‘beck and call,’ it comes at a high price.

The biggest disadvantage? Tow trucks are usually limited by a 100-mile radius. Anything more than that, and you’ll be forced to make other accommodations. The other disadvantage to consider? Tow trucks don’t offer covered carriers – only flatbeds, so added protection for your vehicle isn’t an option.

Today’s Shipping Company Isn’t What You’d Expect

The car shipping industry is a competitive one. If you need to move your vehicle from one city to the next, you’ll find the most competitive pricing. A highly reputable car shiping company will provide:

  • Insurance
  • High quality customer service
  • A accurate estimate of delivery date
  • Positive reviews (with a strong positive online reputation)
  • The ability to be ‘transparent’ – no hidden fees!

Sure, you can drive your own vehicle. But that takes time away from your job and family. Financially, it can require a steeper price to pay if you’re driving with hotel cost, gas, and without the experience of driving long distances, you could drive out of your way (costing you more!) Drive your own car to pick up your car, and that’s wear and tear on your vehicle.

Remove the hazards and hassle of driving yourself in one shot with a professional shipper, who knows what it takes and the shortest amount of time to get you there.

The route matters, the cost plays a factor, but in the long run, a car shipping company will save you time, money and the hassle of figuring out the details. For a free quote from America’s best shipping company, fill out a contact form today, and receive a quote within minutes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

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