Bradley Byrne

For many of us, moving a car means getting into a car and driving ourselves from one home to the new one. In long distances or shipping overseas, however, we’ll need to ship our cars separately. When this is the case, it will be a more reasonable and efficient way to avail of auto transport services that will handle moving your car for you.

For those who are unfamiliar with the process, auto shipping cars can be an intimidating procedure. However, many auto shippers have been around for decades with some of the more notable ones gaining high recognition for their valued services. In the right hands, car shipping can be a fast, secure and effortless process.

The first and possibly the most important task is to find a qualified, licensed and reputable auto shipping company that will transport your car for you. You’d want to go with a company that has done car shipping many times before.  Aside from gathering referrals from family and friends, the Internet is a great place to look for reviews of good car transport companies.

Depending on your needs, you might need an auto transport company that specializes in moving boats, RVs, motorcycles or a company that moves internationally. Some non-automobiles like boats need special lifting equipment to load them on a trailer so you should make sure that the company of your choice is experienced in that department. Similarly, shipping a car overseas can be more complicated than auto transporting domestically because of the documentation, restriction, fees and regulations associated with it.

Along with choosing a provider, make sure to avail of insurance coverage as well to know exactly how protected your vehicle can be. Look for any exclusions and restrictions in your insurance contract and try to get the fullest coverage possible. You’ll never know when any unpleasant accidents may occur during transit so thoroughly read the contract before signing.

Now that you have your choice of shipping company in place, you’ll want to ask about the mode of transport. Basically, you choose between enclosed transport where 3-5 cars will be kept in enclosed trailers at a time, and open transport where 8-10 cars will be transported together, most likely being exposed to outside elements. Your primary concern should be the safety and security of your vehicle, but choosing one or the other boils down to personal preference.

You will also need to ask about your preferred method of delivery of either door-to-door or terminal-terminal transport. Auto shippers will have your car picked up and delivered at your indicated location in door-to-door transport. On the other hand, you’ll have to drop-off and pick-up your car yourself in terminal-to-terminal shipping.

Although auto shipping companies remain the experts in auto transportation, this doesn’t mean you leave your car with them without preparing it for shipment. Check your car for existing damage first so you’ll know if any damage incurred during transit. Take out all personal belongings and remove any external and customized accessories from your car so as to avoid any damages to your car during shipping.

The car owner is also responsible for checking the fluid of the engine and making sure the battery is in good working condition. Make sure to have your gas tank to at least a fourth full to reduce transport costs during shipment. Finally, make sure to turn off your alarm system or leave instructions on how to disarm your alarm in case it goes off during shipment.

It would be best to talk to your auto transport carrier to know exactly what you need to do before shipping your car. Auto transport may be relatively unfamiliar to many as it is not a service to be used often. However, knowing the process will help relieve car owners from the worry of turning over the responsibility of shipping their car.

Most people are used to shipping packages to loved ones both nationwide and around the world. However, only a handful of individuals think that shipping cars is a viable option. Little do they know that there are many instances when they might hire an auto shipping company.

One of the most common reasons to use auto shippers is relocation. Movers will be able to save a great deal of money when they have their car shipped rather than drive it themselves. It will also be a cheaper option than to sell the vehicle and buy a new one at another destination.

Aside from financial concerns, relocating to a destination requires a lot of stress, especially when having to pack boxes and boxes of belongings. Add to that the emotional baggage of leaving a place you called your home. When car owners make use of a vehicle shipper, they can then turn their attention to the more important aspects of moving instead of worrying about how to ship their vehicle.

Almost all car owners know that packing on mileage is the worst thing to do to a vehicle. Not only will it be susceptible to wear and tear but it also loses much of its value. Most car transports get the vehicle to a new destination without putting any mileage or any stress on the car at all.

Keeping mileage low on antique and classic cars is a must as well. Exotic cars are delicate as they are worth a lot. Vehicle transporting antique cars requires special handling so you’ll want to leave the moving to the experts.

Until the day that highways will be built to cross seas, vehicle shipping is the only option when moving overseas. Only a handful of auto transport companies offer international shipping but these companies usually are the best of the best in the industry. These auto shipping companies also know how to take care of such cars when doing shipping across long distances.

With the help of the Internet, buying and selling cars online is possible even though those involved in the transaction live miles away from each other. Driving the car to the buyer or picking up the car from the seller is just too impractical. Shipping the car is then the best option to avoid hassles for both parties.

In some instances, work or school can make a car owner be a temporary resident of another town or city. Some prefer to be driving a familiar vehicle in foreign territory. The car then won’t have to be left behind if a vehicle shipper will be able to deliver your car to a new location.

Having vacation homes is a variation to the reason just listed. Shipping vehicles is a common motivation for older people that want their car at both their seasonal home and permanent address. When trips to such vacation homes are made more than once a year, it makes more sense to hire auto shipping companies to ship the car than to spend money on gas and maintenance costs.

Clearly, there are many scenarios where shipping a vehicle to a new destination is better than driving it to a location. Oftentimes, shipping a car is easier, simpler and more cost effective. The list of reasons to use auto shipping goes on, giving people a better motive to look into car transport before deciding to move a vehicle by driving it.