Dos And Don’ts Of A Car Shipping Plan
Getting your car delivered is a straightforward process. A few people mistakenly think that it is much more complicated than it is.
When you deliver your car with the help of a reliable car shipping company, there are several things that you should remember to do, and several things that you have to remember to avoid doing.
This comprehensive guide will detail each of these things so that you won't make any easily preventable errors during the car delivery process.
But first, let us take a look at a few things.
What Is The Car Shipping Process After All?
Road transport comes down to four steps:
- Find a company that you think can meet your road transport needs.
- Get a quote
- Book your shipment
- Prepare for your vehicle to be picked up.
Let us take a deeper look at these stages separately.
Finding The Best Car Shipping Company
Finding a reliable car shipping company that you think can transport your car from your current location to your destination is just as easy as Googling "state to state car shipping."
For example, if you search on Google for "Florida Car Delivery," you will find many relevant companies that will have pages on their sites dedicated to that particular route. Once you visit the company's website, you should be able to get instant quotes if they are reputable.
It is here where specific addresses of your receiving and destination points will be indicated. You will need to enter your address details, details regarding your car, make-and-model, and when you want your vehicle to be shipped.
Getting A Quote For Shipping Your Car
You will then receive the estimated price of your potential shipment, available delivery dates, and an estimate of the length of time your shipment should take.
Making A Booking For Car Shipment
If you believe that the information requested when you receive your quote works for you, you should find the option to book your shipment on the same page where your quote is displayed.
You can also call the company you have chosen and talk to a live representative about booking your shipment.
Preparing Car For Shipment
Once you've booked the shipment, you'll need to get a little ready to ship. A few days before shipment, you will need to clean the car. When your car is picked up for transportation, your carrier driver will check for any damage that has occurred before.
Even if your car is dirty, the pick-up process will still take place. However, it will take much longer, and you will need to be present throughout the entire process.
You should also ensure that you have removed any personal items from your car at that point. It includes items such as phone chargers, jewelry, etc. The reason for this is because none of these items will be covered by car insurance if they are damaged, stolen, or lost during the transportation of your car.
Furthermore, you should see that your car is fully functional, that you have a key that you can give to your driver, and you or whoever will transfer and receive your car has a valid and unexpired driver's license.
Ensure that you know who will transfer and receive the car (you do not need to be present yourself to release and receive your car, any person with proper identification who is 18 years old or older can do so).
Since you probably know what actions are being taken in connection with delivering the car, let us discuss a few dos and don'ts.
Car Shipping Dos
When you are transporting your car, there are a few things that you will want to do. Doing the following is recommended:
Book The Shipment With As Much Notice As Possible
When booking the transportation of a car, you will be given a window period of about three days when your car is delivered. To ensure that you receive the desired delivery dates, we recommend that you book your shipment as soon as possible. Realistically, it would help if you always strived to book your shipment at least one month to get the pick-up and drop-off dates that you want.
Take All Necessary Steps To Prepare Your Shipment
As we mentioned earlier, you should always wash your car, remove all personal belongings, and make sure you have a valid and non-expired license.
Take A Photo Of Your Vehicle Before Shipping
It will always be an additional extra if you ever needed information or evidence for insurance cover. Therefore, take a picture of your car with your digital camera just before shipping.
Ask Any Questions When Booking A Trucking Service
If you have any questions about your shipment, you should ask them when you speak to your trucking representative over the phone or in person.
It is also a good idea to ask someone who has already shipped a car for advice.
Discuss Pick-Up And Drop-Off Locations With Your Carrier Driver
Door-to-door delivery is available in the vast majority of cases. However, in some rare cases, local streets may be too narrow, or local regulations may prohibit a carrier from driving on local roads.
If this is the case, you should find out where you can meet the driver nearby to pick up/ drop off your car, for example, in a mall parking lot.
Car Shipping Don'ts
There are also a few things that you want to make sure that you avoid when you deliver your car:
Do Not Leave Valuable And Personal Items In The Car
If you leave personal items in the car, such as sunglasses or phone, these items will not be covered by the auto transportation coverage you receive for your shipment if they are accidentally lost or damaged during transportation.
We therefore strongly recommend that you take these items out of the vehicle before they are collected for shipment.
Do Not Overfill Your Gas Tank
In this case, you should not have more than a quarter tank of gas. It is a strictly enforced rule of the Fire Code, which states that any vehicle transported by ship must not have more than a quarter tank of gas.
It is due to the possibility of a fire on board a vessel if each vehicle has more fuel. If you want to ship your car to Alaska or Hawaii, it will have to make part of its journey by ship.
Do Not Leave Your Car Dirty
Your car should be cleaned before the driver of the car delivery arrives to pick it up. It is necessary so that they can quickly and efficiently check your car for any damages.
If your car is filthy, the inspection will still be done. It will take a lot more time, and as mentioned earlier, you will need to be present for all of this.
Do Not Forget To Check For Everything You Need
When we say that your car should be in full working order, we don't just mean that the engine should start. We also mean that the steering/leveling must function properly, the tires must be properly inflated, and everything else must be done so the car driver can drive the car in and out of the carrier's car.
Do Not Use A Company That Offers Instant Quotes
A reputable car delivery company will offer free and instant quotes online. If you understand that a transportation company has a website that does not provide instant quotes, you should not trust it.
Transporting Cars is Simple
There are a few things you can remember to do and not do when you are transporting your car. They are simple, and the process of delivering the car is quite simple as well.
It comes down to remembering to book early without leaving personal items in your car, making sure that your car is ready for delivery, and knowing exactly when and where your car will fall.
If you are prepared to ship your car right now, you can get started.
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