Shipping a car may seem like a complicated process if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s what you need to know about shipping a car:
Do You Need to Ship a Car?
It can be tempting to try to transport your car all on your own. After all, road trips can be fun, but they aren’t ideal for everyone or all scenarios. What you may imagine as a fun and adventurous road trip can quickly and easily turn into an exhausting nightmare.
And that doesn’t take into account the costs involved in transporting the car yourself. Paying to ship a car may seem expensive since it’s a single lump sum. However, doing it yourself will also cost you quite a bit of money in gasoline, accommodations, and food on the road.
The potential maintenance or other issues that you might run into along the way should also be considered. Furthermore, you’re adding costly miles to your car by driving it yourself.
What Do You Need to Ship a Car?
Here are the different steps that you need to complete to have your car transported:
1. Car Transportation Service
You need a car transportation service. These are professional companies with the equipment and personnel needed to get your car from point A to point B. The good news is that there’s no shortage of car transportation services out there. The bad news is that they aren’t all created equal.
You’re going to want to use a reputable and experienced car transportation service to ship an asset as valuable as your car. After all, it’s worth thousands of dollars -- it needs to be treated as such. The best way to find a trustworthy car transportation service is to look online. A simple internet search can pull up some top contenders that you can look into.
Review the websites of the companies you’re considering for more information. Make sure that they are licensed and insured. Also, make sure that they generally have positive customer reviews and don’t have any complaints filed against them on the Better Business Bureau website.
2. Quote
Once you have narrowed down your list of car transportation services, you can reach out to each one for a quote. Generally speaking, you should try to get around three to five different quotes. You should be prepared with relevant information about your car and its journey to receive an accurate quote.
Here are some of the things that you need to know to receive a quote for shipping your car:
- The vehicle make and model: You will need to include the make and model of your vehicle with your inquiry. You may also be asked for the height and length of your vehicle -- these measurements can often be found online. The smaller your car is, the cheaper it will be to ship. This bodes well for smaller models like sedans.
- The Distance: You will need to include the distance of the shipment with your inquiry. At this point, the distance doesn’t necessarily have to be exact. Instead, you may be able to use a rough estimate to get a general idea of how much it will cost since car transportation services usually charge by the mile.
- Car transportation service type: You will need to choose what type of transportation service you’re interested in when making your inquiry. You can choose between an open carrier or enclosed carrier -- with enclosed being the more expensive option. You can also choose between door delivery or terminal delivery -- while door delivery is more convenient, it’s also more expensive.
- Location: You will need to choose where your vehicle will be picked up and dropped off as a part of your inquiry. Vehicles coming from and going to more populated urban areas will usually receive more favorable rates than those coming from or going to more rural areas.
- Date and time frame: You will need to determine the date of your vehicle shipment and the shipping time frame. Keep in mind that you may receive a higher price for high-demand times like the summer or the holidays. Furthermore, you may have to pay more if you want the shipping process expedited.
3. Paperwork
Once you have received your quotes and are ready to move forward with the best company, you will receive the paperwork detailing the agreement between you and the transport company. Specifically, you will receive a document called a “Bill of Lading'' that details the vehicle being shipped and acts as proof of delivery. Additionally, you may have to provide the title and registration of the vehicle, proof of a personal auto insurance policy, and photo identification.
4. Insurance
Speaking of insurance, this is the next thing that you will need to ship a car. The good news is that most car transport services include some level of insurance coverage with their services. This policy protects your vehicle from damage that occurs when the vehicle is being loaded onto the carrier, during transit, and unloaded from the carrier.
You may also want to check any coverage offered by your personal auto insurance policy -- which is required to ship your car in the first place. If necessary, you may want to purchase additional coverage to protect higher-end vehicles.
5. Inspection
Before your car is loaded onto the carrier, you need to complete a thorough inspection of it inside and out. Inspect the entire car for damage like paint chips, scratches, dents, etc. Take detailed photos throughout the entire vehicle. The driver will also conduct their inspection and take their own photos. They will write up their report that will be used for insurance purposes should anything happen to the vehicle.
6. Payment
Finally, the last thing you need to ship a car is the actual payment. Payment policies vary depending on the transport company. Some require you to make a deposit when you book to secure your pickup time. Others do not require a deposit at all. Some require payment beforehand, while others do not. Ensure that you fully understand the payment timeframe set forth by your transport service so that you’re up-to-date with all of your payments.
Additionally, check on the methods of payment that are accepted by the transport service. For instance, some will not allow you to use a debit card or a personal check. Generally speaking, a credit card or certified check should be safe -- just make sure that they accept your credit card company.
The Final Rundown on Shipping a Car
As you can see, shipping a car is easy when you know how it works. It’s also made easier by choosing the right transport company -- like RPM. So reach out to us for a quote today!
Sources:
12 Tips for Moving During Peak Moving Season | Moving.com
Car Shipping Documents Explained | Move.org