Car Shipping Safety Procedures

Your vehicle is undoubtedly one of your most prized possessions.  If you need to have it moved from place to place by an auto transport company, you want to know that it will arrive in one piece at its destination.  This article provides some helpful tips to ensure the safety of your vehicle and can also help you find a trustworthy car shipping company.

Before you select a car shipping company, be sure to investigate its insurance coverage.  If a company is insured properly, it will cover damages that occur on your vehicle’s journey.  The amount of coverage and certain details can vary by company, so you should take the time to find out more about a company’s coverage.  The shipping company is required by law to provide a copy of its insurance certificate, which you can check through the insurance provider or the department of transportation.  If a company is unable to produce the information you want, they may not be a legal operation and you should take your business elsewhere. 

Auto transportation is not especially dangerous, but it never hurts to prepare for the worst and you want to be certain that you are adequately protected.  If you have a nice car, it is especially important to find out the types and amounts of damage that are covered by a car shipping company’s insurance.  Let your own insurance company know that you plan on transporting your vehicle and find out if your coverage changes at all during the transportation process. 

Many people who transport their vehicles are interested in limiting their car’s exposure to the elements.  Unfortunately, closed trailers are frequently much more expensive than closed trailers, so the pros and cons must be carefully weighed.  If you are using a multi car trailer, be aware that top rack cars may drip oil onto the cars below.  Top rack cars may also be more vulnerable to tree branches in some regions.  These concerns can be solved by using a single car trailer, but these are generally more expensive.  Single car trailers are often the fastest way to move a car and they can get your vehicle closer to its destination, so they do have some other advantages to consider.

While shopping for the best deal on car shipping, you may want to try one of the websites that connects transport companies with potential customers.  Companies use these sites to find business and fill empty slots in their trailers that will otherwise go to waste.  You create a listing that explains your transportation needs and companies bid against each other for your business.  If the site is very active, you can get offers at a much faster rate, and with much less hassle, get offers at a much faster rate than you could by calling companies one by one.  By letting companies compete against one another, you are also likely to get some good offers.  At that point, it is up to you to find out more about the companies making the best offers.  If you properly prepare your vehicle for transport and investigate the shipping company, you can feel safe moving your car or truck with the help of an online service.