Whenever you receive your car after any type of auto shipping, one of the most important things you can do is inspect it. Sometimes people are so happy to get their vehicle back they fail to look it over and they simply sign the Bill of Lading, pay the driver and are on their way.  It is abnormal for there to be damage caused by an auto shipper that isn’t very noticeable.  Usually damage caused during transport is a major dent or something of that nature.  If you sign the Bill of Lading and go about your day and a day or two later you look at your car and say….”Wait, that dent wasn’t there before” it is too late.  Understandably, as a car shipping company, we do not want to pay for damages we weren’t responsible for and after a couple of days there is no way to say it was or wasn’t the carrier who caused the damage.  It could have easily happened at work or the grocery store where someone could have easily accidentally done that.  On delivery, if you notice the damage on the car, the most important thing you can do is make sure it is noted on the Bill of Lading, on your copy and the drivers.  If it is something minor like a small dent, it is best to resolve it right there.  Speak with the driver, ball park an estimate on the price, lets say $200 and take that from the total amount you were going to pay him on delivery.  This puts the issue to rest immediately and while it will be an inconvenience for you to get it repaired, it is better than trying to call the driver and get him to send you a check after you had an official estimate.

In the car transport business, it is often believed by the customer that a late delivery automatically entitles them to a discount in the quoted rate.  This is not necessarily true.  While in some cases the broker and/or driver decide that it is warranted, they will do a discount on the rate, but this is not automatic as some customers would like to think it is.  In the car transport industry, breakdowns, weather and customers can all be delays that are not planned for by the driver.  These delays are part of the reason that when companies quote the transport time there is always a window.  If your car is late by 3 days or more, you can ask for a discount, but don’t assume the car transporter who has your vehicle will gladly give it to you.   Some feel that threatening the driver or reporting it stolen will quickly resolve the issue, but you can be getting yourself in trouble if you are filing a false claim with the police.  Going with a reliable company and doing your homework ahead of time, will typically prevent this from happening.

Technically speaking, while your car is being moved by any car transport company it is required to be free of any contents not part of the car.  This can be very surprising to you if you have already called several companies as they will inform you can you can put anywhere from 50 lbs to “as much as you want” in your car.  While it is vary rare, the Department of Transportation has the rights to seize items put into your car as on the Bill of Lading of all carriers it states the vehicle is free of contents.  You would have signed the Bill of Lading when the driver loaded your car.  While this is a very rare occurrence for the DOT to actually remove something from the vehicle, it is something to consider when you are planning your auto shipping.  What is typically considered acceptable are basic things like blankets or clothes as long as it is kept light.  Household goods like TVs and computers are never acceptable items to load into the car despite what some people may tell you.

People often call our office unsure if they want to transport their vehicle in an enclosed trailer or on an open trailer. They are under the illusion that transporting with an enclosed auto transport is the only option if they want their car to arrive safely.

You should use this service if your vehicle is a valuable exotic that shouldn’t be exposed to the elements, like a new Ferrari or Aston Martin. Another scenario is when your vehicle has high end modifications like a custom paint job or is a restored classic.

Typically the main difference between the two will be that if your car is shipped enclosed it will arrive clean and on one of our open trailers it may come in dirty. In the wintertime, if you’re shipping through an area that has snow, keep in mind the salt that will be on the highways. If that’s a concern for you, ask for an enclosed truck to handle your move.

One of the biggest issues that people face in choosing an auto transport company is finding someone reliable. Make the decision without doing some research, and it could be a nightmare. There are several steps one can take in order to have confidence in the choice of a company. Most people will call a few companies and receive a variety of quotes with inconsistent costs. Price should not be the determining factor when shipping your car!

Overall cost is important, but only one key aspect to consider! Another important factor is the number of complaints against the company, as well as how long they‘ve been in business. All of this information can be found by looking up the company at the Better Business Bureau. These steps are often overlooked when choosing a company.

Do this and you can rest easy knowing you have chosen a reliable partner for your car transport needs!