There are a number of things to consider before deciding to ship your car. Whether you’re moving it between states or across country borders, you’re going to need to understand the process and know where to start. Shipping your car is a process that requires being organized and patient. You need to realize your shipping options and decide on the best scenarios depending on your budget. You also need to go through all required documents and paperwork and prepare your car for being shipped across national or international lines.
Think about the shipping company you’re going to deal with and how long it will take them to deliver your car to the new location. These are the reasons why you’ll need to be prepared with at least the basic elements of this process. This guide gives you the basics to shipping your car, keep reading to understand how you can transport your car successfully without hassle.
Shipping Options
There are a few shipping options available for transporting a car with the corresponding variations of their prices, whatsoever. The goal is to choose the safest and easiest option. First, you need to decide on whether you want your car to be shipped in an enclosed carrier or not. Uncovered or open carriers tend to be the cheaper and faster option if you’re shipping your car for a short distance. This is because more carriers will be available at the shipping company compared to enclosed carriers. However, your car will be exposed to any damages that can take place in the trailer carrying it. As opposed to enclosed shipping which has far lower chances of damaging your car but is also a lot more expensive. Other shipping options include door-to-door shipping and terminal-to-terminal shipping with door-to-door shipping being the expensive option.
Insurance Coverage
You may be lucky enough to have a car insurance policy that covers damages that incur to your car during shipping. However, even if your car is insured for shipping, you will need to confirm the insurance coverage of the shipping company you choose to deal with. Reputable companies will have shipping insurance coverages up to $50000 worth of damages. You may also want to check with them whether the coverage includes damages that take place even when your car is not in transit. Before booking your shipping services, you want to make sure your car will not be damaged while being parked overnight while being dropped off, or even during pick-up.
Your Budget
Shipping expenses can vary depending on many factors including the time of the year, the size of your car, the travel distance, the model of your vehicle, and the shipping option you choose. You need to identify how to ship your car within your budget limits. Identifying your car’s shipment cost should be easy if you know how to estimate the base price of shipping trips. However, you can also use a quote calculator or fill a quote form to get down to the expected price of shipping your car. For example, each mile costs $1 and if you ship your car for a distance longer than 1000 miles, the rate drops down to around 60 cents per mile. For trips longer than 2000 miles, the rate is 50 cents, and it’s 40 cents per mile for journeys over 2500 miles. Expect to pay an average of $100 to $1500 if you’re planning to ship your car, however, it’s better to use a calculator tool or to ask the company you’re booking with.
Cleaning the Car
If your car is dirty, it will be harder to spot dents and scratches when your car arrives after transportation. Make sure to clean your car thoroughly before letting the shipping company pick it up, aim to remove any dust or dirt that can cover scratches or hide dents if something was to happen to your vehicle during the shipping process. This way you’ll be able to tell if your car was damaged by the auto transport company during shipping. You may also want to clean the interior of your car and get rid of anything that is not secured in its place.
Especially bottles with liquid materials in them. There is a chance that your car may be moved around or bumped during transportation. You don’t want coins and air freshener bottles tossed around all over the inside of your car once it arrives at the destination. This is why you need to make sure your car is all cleared from the inside and that you remove all electronics and supporting cables or charges before letting the auto transport company pick it up.
Before transporting your car to a different location, make sure you’re choosing the safest and easiest options. After all, car damages can be really pricey if your car is not insured by a policy that covers car shipping. This is why you need to be extra careful picking your shipping carrier and preparing your vehicle for being transported across state or country lines.