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Common Car Moving FAQs

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Home  |  Car Carriers   |   Common Car Moving FAQs

Car MovingSafe-Direct Car Shipping ensures that the process of transporting your car is smooth and trouble-free, however, knowing what the process entails will help prevent any issues and expedite the transfer. When you are armed with the right information, you will know what to expect and which steps you should do to ensure a safe and prompt delivery of your vehicle.

Here are some common car moving FAQs you might find useful:

What types of cars can be shipped through a car moving company?
Most companies will ship cars, vans, SUVs and trucks. Others may extend their services to ATVs, snow mobiles, jet skis, motorcycles, boats and heavy equipment. Most moving companies will also ship antique and classic cars and oversized vehicles. The auto moving company should provide you with information regarding the extent of their services so you will know if they can meet your needs.

Do auto moving companies accept rush transactions?
Your request for immediate pickup can be accommodated, provided your vehicle and all supporting documents are prepared ahead of time. Otherwise, it helps if you could arrange to have your car scheduled for pickup so that all the necessary procedures are completed.

How long will it take for the vehicle to reach its destination?
The time it will take for your car to be delivered to a pre-agreed address will depend on the location of the pickup and the destination. Transit time will also depend on factors such as traffic, weather and road conditions and mechanical breakdowns. In some cases, schedule of delivery may also be affected if there are vehicles on the same load as your car that have to be prioritized.

What do I need to prepare?
Your car will be physically inspected by a representative from the auto shipping company. It is a good idea to clean and wash the car so that any defects, scratches, cracks and dents may be noted and recorded. It is also recommended to remove loose parts, grill and tire covers, racks, antenna and wide mirrors. If you are shipping a convertible, keep the top on or make sure that the car is covered. If there are an open seams, tears and damages in the tops, it is recommended to have them repaired prior to shipping. Any personal items in the car should also be removed.

What types of documentations are required for shipping a vehicle?
The auto moving company will likely ask you to provide them with the original title of your vehicle, a notarized EPA or Export Power of Attorney (for international shipping) and a copy of your driver's license. If the car has not been fully paid for, the auto shipping company will also require a release letter from the creditor. The EPA authorizes the moving company to transport your vehicle overseas on your behalf. The original title of the vehicle is a requirement of the Department of Transportation. Once the vehicle has been delivered, the car moving company will return it to the car owner.

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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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