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What Types of Services Do Car Shipping Companies Offer?

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   What Types of Services Do Car Shipping Companies Offer?

There are dozens of companies that offer auto transport services but many people know very little about the industry. For most, it is their first time dealing with this type of service so they aren't exactly sure what to expect. They just know that they need to transport their car from one place to another. So, what exactly do car shipping companies offer? Let’s take a closer look at what customers can expect from an auto shipping company. 

Car Shipping Services

A reputable auto shipping company works to help you navigate the process of transporting your vehicle from one location to another. They have a customer service specialist who will explain your options and guide you through the process from start to finish. They will work with you to decide which pickup and delivery options will work best for you and what to expect upon delivery. 

Door to Door Services

Many auto shipping companies will offer door to door transport services. This means that a carrier will arrive at your home to pick up your vehicle and then your vehicle will be delivered directly to your specified destination. In the event that your neighborhood or municipality won’t allow a large carrier to make a delivery, your specialist will work with you to explore alternative solutions. 

Terminal to Terminal Services

Some auto shipping companies will also offer terminal to terminal transport services. This involves pick up and/or delivery to or from a regional storage facility. This type of service can be more flexible, as it allows for flexible drop-off before and after transport. It can also be a cheaper option than door to door shipment and it might be necessary in rural areas where door to door services are not available. 

Open or Enclosed Transport

Many auto transport companies also offer two options when it comes to shipping your vehicle: open or enclosed transport. As one might guess, enclosed carriers offer better protection for your vehicle but they also come at a higher cost. Open carriers are typically cheaper, but you should bear in mind that your vehicle will be exposed to the outdoor elements. 

Specialty Vehicle Transport

In addition to shipping cars, trucks, and SUV’s, some auto transport companies will also offer services transporting other modes of transportation including classic cars, boats, motorcycles, ATV’s, trailers, and tractors.

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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