Car Moving FAQ | Auto Transport | Auto transport brokers
How does car shipping work?
How long does car shipping take?
How should I schedule the shipping?
What is door to door service?
What insurances to get when I ship a vehicle?
What forms of payment are acceptable?
Can I have other items in my car that is shipped?
Do you need me during car pickup or delivery?
Can I choose the truck to ship my car?
Are your pickup and delivery dates reliable?
What is the cost involved?
How should I prepare my car for shipping?
What is terminal to terminal service?
Are terminals used for all car shipping?
How to determine my car shipping service?
How can I trust the auto trucking company transporting my car?
How does car shipping work?
After you place you order to transport your car, we will contact insured and licensed auto shipping and trucking companies who can ship your car. The dates for pickup and delivery will be chosen close to the dates you specified. Please be informed that the dates are estimates and not guarantees. The auto shipping and trucking company will call you atleast 24 hours in advance to confirm pick up and delivery dates. After you confirm the dates, make the cash ready to release the vehicle at the destination.
How long does car shipping take?
The actual duration for car shipping may vary for various reasons. Shipping delays, weather conditions, routes taken, driver illness, other shipments may all cause a delay in car shipping. The shipping dates are only estimates and they are not guarantees. However, a mover from east coast to west coast may take around 14 days. Car moving using trucks from Midwest to either west coast or east coast may take 8-10 days. Moving up or down the west coast or east coast will take anywhere from 3-5 days. During peak shipping times when auto shipping and trucking companies have huge orders to be covered, there may be unforeseen delay in shipping your car.
How should I schedule the shipping?
You should call the car shipping company at the earliest to schedule shipping of your car. It is better to notify them about car shipping atleast 10 days before the pickup date. This way, they can arrange the truck to pick up your car at the scheduled date. The earlier the notice, the easier it is for them to stick to your schedule. You can also contact us for fast and express delivery services, but these services incur additional fee. Once you have scheduled your shipping, they try as much as possible to stick to your scheduled dates. You will get confirmation from them if your schedule is accepted and confirmed.
What is door to door service?
Door to door service ensures that your car will be picked up from a location that is as much close to your home as possible. If the vehicle used for transportation can reach your home within legal and safety limits, your car will be picked up from your home. Similarly, while delivering your car, the closest possible location to your home will be chosen to deliver the car. It is important to understand that auto shipping trucks are long and wide and hence, several city rules don’t allow such trucks to enter into the city easily.
What insurances to get when I ship a vehicle?
We will get your car shipped only with licensed auto shipping and trucking companies. The trucking company will provide insurance for your car. This insurance applies for liabilities and damages caused during the shipment of the car. Car inspection will be conducted before you and the driver before pick up of your vehicle. You will be given a bill containing damages. Both you and the driver must sign the bill and you can have a copy of the bill. At the time of delivery, you have to re-inspect the car with the bill you already have. If there are discrepancies, you have to note it down in the bill and ask the driver to sign the bill. However, you have to pay for the move completely to get your vehicle. You can then make claims to the auto trucking company to get paid for the damages caused to your car during shipping.
What forms of payment are acceptable?
The down payment for shipping your car can be paid to the company directly using cash, check, money order or all major credit cards. Upon delivery, you have to complete the balance payment by paying the truck driver. In most of the cases, cash or money order will be accepted at the delivery point. However, you have to verify with the auto trucking company about the type of payment accepted during delivery of the car.
Can I have other items in my car that is shipped?
The insurance for car shipping does not include the items that are present in the car. You should empty your car when it is transported. However, it is better to leave some gas in the tank because the truck driver may have to drive the car for a short distance to make it shipping ready. All other valuable items must be removed from the car.
Do you need me during car pickup or delivery?
The company needs the car owner or his agent while pickup and delivery. A complete inspection of the car will be done during pickup and delivery and they need a person from the car owner’s side to sign the bill.
Can I choose the truck to ship my car?
Most companies use open as well as enclosed carriers to ship cars. Normally, open carriers are used to ship the vehicles. These are the trucks that are used to haul cars from car manufacturing companies to dealers. Weather conditions on the outside may affect your vehicle when it is shipped using open carrier. You can also opt to let the company use enclosed carrier for an additional fee. While scheduling your car shipping, please let us know if you need enclosed carriers to carry your car.
Are your pickup and delivery dates reliable?
The company will schedule the shipping of your car close to the scheduled pickup and delivery dates you have specified. However, car shipping is not similar to postal services. Many unforeseen circumstances may delay the shipping of your vehicle. Even though you have given the dates for car shipping, you must be flexible and patient when you have ordered for car shipping. Please always be ready for contact because the auto trucking company may call you to confirm and postpone car shipping dates.
What is the cost involved?
The cost of car shipping depends on various factors such as size of the car, route, source, and destination locations. If your car is of bigger size that may take more space, you have to pay more. Locations of pickup and delivery also affect the cost of shipping because if it has to be done in smaller cities, you may not find services from various trucking companies. Route taken during shipping also affects the cost. Sometimes, due to weather conditions or other unusual circumstances, the route taken for shipping may be changed at the last minute. Coast based routes are normally cheaper. To find out the exact cost for shipping your car, fill our online form to know the estimates.
How should I prepare my car for shipping?
First empty your gas tank, but make sure that you leave some gas behind for driving the car during shipping. Remove all valuable items from your car. Even though inspection will be done by the auto trucking company, it is better to inspect your car beforehand and have the list of damages. This will help you to check the bill during pickup and delivery. Take photos of your car from multiple angles. All the electrical appliances including alarm must be turned off before your car is transported.
What is terminal to terminal service?
In terminal to terminal service, shipping terminals are used to transport cars. On the scheduled date, your car will be taken to the terminal and stored until a truck is ready for pickup. At the destination, your car will be stored in the terminal until you are ready to pickup the car. Even though maximum security for your car can’t be guaranteed, this terminal to terminal service is very cheap for car transport.
Are terminals used for all car shipping?
No, most of the car shipping services are door to door services. In places where the long shipping carriers are not allowed, terminals are used. Similarly, for overseas shipments, terminals are used because your car will be shipped along with other cars and vehicles for international shipments.
How to determine my car shipping service?
You should determine what type of service you want depending on your budget, requirement and convenience. You will have time to choose an appropriate service only if you schedule your shipping in advance. Even though certain companies ship cars on short notice, you won't have many options when you want the shipment to be done as quickly as possible. While terminal services are cheaper, it will require lots of effort from your side. On the other hand, door to door services are expensive, but provide maximum convenience for you.
How can I trust the auto trucking company transporting my car?
All auto trucking companies must get a license from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Before allowing the driver to pickup your car, check the license and insurance information. You can ask the persons to show documents related to their license. Make sure that you make yourself available while inspecting your car during pickup and delivery. If there are discrepancies, specify them in the bill and get it signed from the truck driver. Your claims are not valid unless the damages are approved by the truck driver.