Read this before hiring an auto transporter.

You’re moving, or you bought that dream car you always wanted, or you just need to ship a car for whatever reason. Driving is not always an option and choosing the best auto transporter can be tricky. Car shipping has changed a lot over the last few years, whether you’re shipping by an enclosed or an open trailer you need to avoid a possible nightmare. Here you will learn how to choose the correct auto shipper to just about anywhere in the world and how to choose a top company you can trust. If you go online and you search for car shippers in your area you will find hundreds of them that pop up on your browser and you can call or you can book it online, but this is where the scams, the delays and the overcharges can happen if you choose a random shipper with a slick website. The best way to avoid car shipping scams is to make sure you don’t pay up front, many companies will ask for payment or deposit before they’ve even located the carrier that’s going to get your vehicle. You should not pay a carrier in advance, they will have your car and your money and you should always pay on delivery as they already have your car as collateral. 

Transportation costs vary based on mileage of transport, the vehicle weight, the type and location, whether it’s enclosed or open trailer, seasons and current demand in the market can also impact pricing, oversized and inoperable vehicles are going to cost extra, also remember that no personal belongings can be in the vehicle. Carriers pick jobs based on how much they get paid for that pickup, so if the rate is low it’ll be hard to find a carrier even though they may promise you that it’s a great deal, if a rate is really low it may be hard to find a carrier to get your vehicle to its destination. It’s important to check with your insurance company on coverage to make sure you are covered for the transport, the carrier’s vehicle must have fifty to a hundred thousand dollars of liability transport insurance. You can make sure that you don’t fall victim to a scam by having the company provide you with a copy of the carrier’s information and a copy of their insurance policy. You also want DOT numbers and how to contact the driver, this will allow you to track your vehicle. It’s not always about the cost, some of the lower cost carriers will move your vehicle multiple times and then you have to wait for another carrier to pick up the vehicle to get it to your destination. These kinds of issues have happened before and there could be severe delays while they wait for the next carrier. 

Shipping a car is not like shipping a package, once the vehicle leaves it will not arrive overnight, deliveries in the US have roughly a 2 to 4 week window. When you choose the wrong company, some of the biggest nightmares include the vehicle showing up weeks beyond the promised date, damage to the vehicle, carriers without insurance and drivers that just don’t respect your vehicle. Thus always inspect the vehicle for damage before it’s unloaded, this will occur at the delivery location and that’s when you pay the driver. The bottom line is there are brokers and there are shipping companies both are options but preferably you will use only shipping companies and no matter who you choose always check out the company’s reviews online, you can find out if a carrier has damaged cars and if they have fixed them, also you may check if they won’t pick your car up or if they won’t drop it off on time which of course would be a nightmare.