The Beginners Guide To First Time Car Shipping
Sending your car for the first time
You are about to ship your car, whether you're moving across the country, preparing for a major move, or simply heading south for winter. This guide is for you if this is your first attempt.
Car shipping can take time so it is best to start reading this at least weeks before your shipping date. Don't worry if you don’t have enough time to ship your car standard. However, expedited shipping will cost you extra. You can still ship your car.
You will be amazed at how easy it is to learn about car shipping. To ensure you make the best decision for yourself, there are a few things you should know about car shipping. The following sections will provide you with a detailed guide on car shipping from Move Car Auto Transport. Learn how to ship your car correctly and schedule a shipment today with our award-winning team at Move Car Auto Transport.
What factors affect the price you pay to ship a car?
Besides convenience, the cost is the primary reason people ship cars. Car shipping costs are not always the same. There are many factors that will affect the cost of your car shipment. The following questions can help you estimate the cost of shipping your car.
Open-air or enclosed transport? These are two phrases that you will encounter when you start to learn how to transport your car. These words sound complicated, but they're not. Open-air transportation simply refers to cars being shipped in a trailer that is "open," or open to the elements. Open-air transport is used to ship approximately 97% of all cars. Most likely, yours will be. The only cars that can be shipped by enclosed transport are the rare and valuable cars that require a fortified shipping method. Although open-air transport is safer than enclosed transport, it's not as secure as enclosed transport that has four walls, a floor, and a roof to protect the vehicle. Open-air transportation is cheaper and easier than enclosed transport. You may have seen a truck full of ten cars moving along the highway. This is Open transport. It's safe because car manufacturers know this.
Do your needs include door-to-door shipping? Move Car Auto Transport assigns the vehicle to a carrier. We instruct the driver to pick up and deliver your vehicles as close to your addresses as possible. This is done in the spirit of door-to-door. It is rare that a large car carrier can pull up at your door. Everyone gets that. Your address will be found first by the carrier using Google Maps. The carrier will then search for an area where he can park his truck safely to unload your vehicle. Groceries, malls, and rest areas are all good places to meet. You get the idea. Next, the driver contacts your origination contact to arrange a meeting place. Most people can understand why the car driver chooses a different location than the original address. It isn't practical. Things usually work out well when the parties agree on a time. The entire process repeats at the destination. Door-to-Door shipping can be the most efficient and cost-effective way to ship your vehicle.
Where is the car coming from? Which direction is it going? The price will depend on the state or town from which you need it to be shipped. Shipping companies compete to offer the best prices, so big cities like Los Angeles and New York have a lot of shipping options. This means that shipping companies will try to lower their prices. Some of the less-traveled routes are not accessible to other parts of the country, such as the northern tip of Maine and smaller towns. Shipping your car to and from these far-flung destinations will cost you more, as you might expect.
Do you prefer expedited shipping or regular shipping? Booking well in advance is the best way to schedule car shipping. Sometimes, however, it's not possible to achieve the ideal. Move Car Auto Transport offers a Rush and Expedited shipping option for those who need it quickly. This is how it works. The upfront cost of expedited shipping is slightly higher than standard shipping. This means the trucker makes more money by delivering your vehicle. This leads to a higher demand which in turn causes your vehicle to be loaded on a trailer faster than if it were shipped the Standard way. Expedited shipping isn't as expensive as standard shipping. Our expedited shipping is preferred by a large percentage of car shipping customers. We are so glad they chose our expedited shipping!
How to prepare your vehicle for shipping
You'd prepare for cross-country travel just like you would prepare for your own journey. These are the essential steps you need to take in order to prepare your vehicle for cross-country shipping.
Take photographs of your car before you ship it. Wash your car's exterior and clean its interior. Although it might seem counterintuitive, washing your car before shipping it is going to be driving hundreds of miles across America's highways and freeways can make it more durable. After you have cleaned and washed your car, it is time to take detailed photos of its interior and exterior.
Take care to document any pre-existing damage and to remove any valuables from your vehicle's interior. It is best to ship with a company that will not try to take responsibility for minor cracks or dents. This is more of an insurance measure to protect your car from being damaged by someone else. It's a good idea to remove any valuables, such as paperwork or items that you keep in your glovebox.
Fill your gas tank to a quarter of its capacity before you hand your car over to shippers. You will need enough gas to get through the inevitable shuffle of cars at each stop. However, it should not be too full as heavy gas tanks can cause trucks to lose more gas mileage.
Give a set to the driver. Last, present your car to the truck driver. You will need to give a set to the driver. You should have several keys and be able to give your spare key to the driver. No matter if it's your only or spare key, you will need to give the key to the driver so they can perform the inevitable shifting of cars between pick-up and drop-off. You don't need to provide proof of ownership to hand over the vehicle to the truck driver. Anyone who has the keys and is willing to sign the Bill of Lading may ship the car.
Verify your insurance coverage and that of the shipping company
Safety is the number one concern when shipping your car. Your car will be safe even if you choose open-air shipping. Statistics show that there is less than one claim per two hundred shipments. These are typically innocuous such as a scratch or dent to the bumper. Your vehicle will sit on the back or middle of the car transport truck, or at least behind it. There is very little chance that any pebbles or other debris will cause damage to your windshield or undercarriage.
You should still have your vehicle insured. Today's best car shipping companies will insure the car while it is still in its possession. Checking out their shipping policies is a great way to distinguish a quality shipping company from one that is just average. Avoid any company without a minimum six-figure policy. You want the best and most reliable company to insure your car.
It is better to have too much insurance than not enough. Your car shipping company does not have to be your only source for insurance. To find out what shipping coverage you have, check with your auto insurance company. You should not rely solely on your personal vehicle insurance to cover you during shipping. It's still a good idea to have it, especially if there is a dispute with the trucking company regarding damages caused on the road.
You should be prepared for the possibility of your car's shipment schedule being changed
It can be difficult to ship cars. It's not easy to transport cars. This is a huge logistical challenge. It is important to be able to plan for the transport of a car on the open road. We'll be covering the next section. You want to ship with a company that has an experienced logistical team to ensure that you choose the most effective, logical, and efficient route from the beginning. This will allow your car to ship quickly and on time.
Changes in shipping schedules can happen, no matter how professional a car shipping company may be. Shipping times can be affected by weather conditions, road accidents, or other factors beyond the control of shipping companies. Many delays are caused by customers being late to pick up or drop off their vehicles. Once one delay occurs, there are chances that more will occur. Because if the first drop-off or pick-up runs late, the next one runs earlier. The driver then needs to rest before the next round of picks. This may push one or two back until the next day. The list goes on. You will receive a range of dates to determine when your car will be delivered.
The distance between drop-off and pick-up is the most likely reason your vehicle will be delayed. You should do everything you can to ensure your vehicle arrives on time. You will want your car to arrive at its destination at a specific time. This is why you should choose expedited shipping. Shipping a car is different from shipping a FedEx parcel. It costs four thousand pounds of mettle. The customer needs to be more understanding.
How do you choose the best company to ship your car to?
It is important to look at the shipping company. This is the company that will get your car from A to B. You want your team to be efficient, safe, and cost-effective. service is a company you can trust. These are the factors you should consider when choosing a company to ship your vehicle.
Ship to a company with excellent customer service and logistical teams. Skip delays. A good logistical team is paramount to a happy first-car-shipping process. You should look for reviews that highlight professional drivers and punctual drivers. Great drivers often mean great dispatchers. Reputable car shipping companies that have the best dispatchers and drivers also tend to provide the best service. Shipping your car will be much more simple if you have a great customer service team.
Choose a company that has a track record of success. Do not rely on the company's claims about their service. Check out vetted review sites for information about shipping companies. Trustpilot is a great place to start. Google Reviews and the BBB are also excellent places to start. You should search for keywords that describe the speed, professionalism, and ease of shipping the car. You should be able to distinguish the positive reviews and negative ones. Trustpilot is a trusted review site that will do the majority of the research for you.
Find the best car shipping deals without sacrificing quality. You should also start your search early so you can shop around for the best price. You are lucky to get a car shipping estimate in 2020, rather than 2005. Many quotes back in the day took a long time to process and required lots of personal information. Some even required you to ship with a company that provided the quote, or you had to pay a fee. Move Car Auto Transport was the one to make all this change. Today, many car shipping companies have online quote calculators that you can access from your computer or phone. Our quote calculator remains the most accurate and reliable.
Ship with the best. Move Car Auto Transport is the best. Move Car Auto Transport is the best place to find a shipping company now that you have a better understanding of how to ship a vehicle. Our reputable car shipping company was founded in 2010. It has forged new routes through the complex world of car shipping to make it easier, safer, faster, and more convenient for customers. We created the Original Car Transport Quote Calculator in 2004. This was nearly four years before other companies had one. The Original Auto Transport Quote Calculator is simple and asks seven questions that require no personal information. It then gives you a transparent, affordable quote in just seconds. Our Online Quote Calculator is a highly regarded company that offers excellent service and fast shipping times. We also offer both covered and uncovered shipping options.
Listen to thousands of satisfied customers and don't believe us. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and a 94% 5-star rating via Trustpilot. This means we can deliver on our promises of fair rates, great customer service, and great coverage. Learn more about shipping a car. For great tips on shipping a car, visit our Blog or contact us for assistance. Are you ready to ship with us To get started with the shipping process, use our Online Price Calculator today!