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Basics Of Auto Transport

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   Basics Of Auto Transport

Auto transport TipsShipping a car isn't usually an common experience for most, so for those who are first time car shipper, here are some auto transport tips that might help.

Here are a few things to remember:

Clear Out Your Vehicle Before Shipping
Personal belongings, valuables, documents, electronic gear, are best removed from the vehicle. Don't assume you can ship your vehicle if it is packed full of personal items.  Some carriers will work with you on this, however, vehicle weight is a serious concern, and most carriers prefer that your car is empty, and if possible, with only a few gallons of gas in the tank.  This certainly lightens the vehicle saves on the auto transport costs.

Have Comprehensive Auto Insurance
Damage to your vehicle during shipping is very rare, but it does and can happen.  You have several layers of protection depending on who your broker and carrier are, however, it is always recommended that you carry your own current auto insurance on any vehicle you are shipping.  Auto insurance claims depend heavily on proofs submitted to support the damage caused during shipment. Take note of the condition of the vehicle, or even a few snaps of the car before getting it moved.

Have An Extra Key Made
Its and easy things to overlook, but its always a good idea to have an extra key if needed.

Perform A Thorough Inspection
Needless to say that the vehicle should be thoroughly inspected before and after delivery.

Be Flexible
Auto transport costs are determined by the distance of shipping, the weight of the vehicle, the type of transport requested (closed or open transporters),  accessibility of the destination, fuel costs, and how full the schedule is for that particular carrier.  If you are flexible with the car shipping dates, sometimes you can get better rates.

Take Advantage
Remember that thousands of people use car shipping services every day, it is a convenient and affordable service that can save your time, money, and vehicle wear and tear.

Call Us With Any Questions or To Get A Free Auto Transport Quote

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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