In a previous article in this series, I discussed some things you need to know before deciding to ship your car nationwide. In this article, I’ll give you some additional advice to follow before actually deciding on a specific carrier or shipping method. We’ll also give you some general tips to follow to keep moving as pain-free as possible.
Check the right insurance
Before taking your vehicle to a car transport company, make sure it is properly certified and insured. Cars can sometimes get damaged during transportation. As such, you should ensure that your service provider has adequate insurance in place to cover any damage your vehicle may suffer during transit. You need to know what your carrier’s insurance policy covers and what deductible you will have to pay if you have an insurance claim. You should also check what your insurance company will cover if your car is damaged in transit.
Have your vehicle checked
Take over your vehicle for full service before you bring your vehicle to the forwarding agency for inspection. This is to ensure that they are in good working order and that there are no mechanical, electrical or other problems. When inspecting the vehicle, always remember that it is in your interest as well as in the interest of the transport company to have your vehicle inspected by the forwarding agent before loading.
You must ensure that your vehicle is completely clean so that it can be inspected more easily. The exterior should be immaculate, the interior clean and tidy, and easily inspected for signs of damage or general wear and tear. If your vehicle has nicks, dents or minor scrapes, document this with the company to avoid any misunderstandings after the vehicle is returned. Another check will be carried out at the delivery point.
Damage is uncommon but unfortunately can happen. It is therefore important to record any damage to the vehicle on the bill of lading as soon as it leaves the truck and before the vehicle is driven. The carrier is not liable for damage reported by you after you have already taken delivery of the vehicle.
Minimum requirements for non-operational vehicles
It can also be transported when the vehicle is not in use. Transporting a non-functional vehicle is certainly possible, but at least the car must be able to roll, steer and brake. Otherwise, you will have to use a forklift at both the pickup and delivery locations, making the movement more complicated and expensive. Vehicles that cannot be operated must be parked in an area of suitable size so that trucks and forklifts can drive over them if necessary.
Should I use a broker?
Brokers act as intermediaries between you, your customers, carriers or car transporters and are in fact the primary source of freight for most car mrchauffeurcolorado.com in the industry. Most brokerage firms are not asset based. This means you don’t own a truck, but move vehicles on behalf of your customers quickly and cost-effectively through a large network of pre-qualified hauliers. Brokers don’t typically own trucks, so you don’t have to weigh yourself down with an idle truck that needs to be on the road, but can instead focus on finding the best automated shipper to ship your vehicle.
Brokers often rule out carriers with poor customer service or dissatisfaction because they don’t want to hire a shipping company that doesn’t offer the highest quality of service. They use tools they don’t have access to that allow them to track a shipping company’s safety records, driver histories, insurance coverage, or fraudulent activity (if any). This is valuable information that cannot be obtained simply by searching the internet, so using an agent to facilitate vehicle transportation can save you a great deal of time and headaches. Basically, a single call to your agent will help you get a list of reputable companies to work with.