Interstate car transport isn’t the kind of thing you do every day, and as your car could be your second most expensive possession after your home, it can fill most people with a fear. Let us help ease your mind with all of our how to ship your car knowledge.
There are plenty of companies to pick from if you need to ship a car across the country, but how do you choose the right one, so you don’t have to worry too much about your car arriving in one piece?
Table of Contents
Decide on the Service You Need
When you’re looking to ship your car to another state, there are so many car transport companies to choose from, figuring out which is going to be the best one can be a little daunting. The first thing you’ll want to do is decide exactly what kind of service you need. Does your car need to get where it’s going in a hurry, or are you more concerned with keeping the cost down? Do you want to make sure it has as much protection as possible during transit, and need a company that provides enclosed car transport? Deciding what kind of service you’re looking for will make it easier to compare companies when you start getting car shipping quotes.
Choose the Right Transporter
When you’ve found a few auto shipping companies that appear to offer the kind of service you need, the only way you’re going to feel confident trusting them with your pride and joy is if you check them out properly. Companies that offer auto shipping services need to have both a Department of Transport and a Motor Carrier number, which they should be happy to provide you with, and you can check out on the DoT and FMCSA websites.
Once you’ve made sure they have all the necessary registration, you need to verify the level of insurance coverage your car will have while it’s in their possession. They should be happy to give you a copy of their insurance document and explain the level of cover it gives you, enabling you to confirm that your car will be insured, and also discuss increasing the cover if you think you need to.
When you’re happy with all the paperwork, it then really comes down to getting the best price. Ask for a free quote from a couple of companies you’ve checked out, so you can see which offers the best value for money considering the service they’re providing, and things like insurance coverage etc. When it comes to car transport, interstate shipping companies can offer different standard services and costs, so make sure you bear that in mind when you’re comparing them. When you’ve found a company and price you’re happy with, it’s time to get everything ready.
How to Ship Your Car and Prepare it for Transport
Make sure you know what state your car needs to be in before it’s collected by the auto transport company, and also what documentation you will need to give them. You will usually need your insurance and registration, as well as all the available keys for your car, which will have to be turned over to the shipping company.
Empty the car of all your belongings, and don’t leave too much fuel in the tank – it’s just dead weight that the shipping company could do without. You’ll need to do a thorough inspection before the car is shipped (and one when it arrives to make sure there is no damage in transit), so cleaning it up and giving it a once over before it gets picked up will help to make the process easier and quicker.
You can learn more in this article on how to prepare your auto for interstate care transport. Making sure you’ve got everything ready and know what to expect doesn’t just make the shipping company’s life easier, it’s also the best way of ensuring everything goes as smoothly as possible and there are no nasty surprises.
Interstate car transport quotes will vary depending on the type of service you are looking for, and the credibility of the organisation that will be shipping your car. Fortunately, these are both things that you can control.
So, if you make sure you choose the right service for your needs, you check out the company you are going to use, and you do your bit to make the shipping company’s job as easy as possible, you can be confident you’ve done everything you can to make sure your car will arrive without any problems.
