With professional help and assistance, it is always easy to ship your car from one place to another. Shipping services involve using complex transportation methods and dealing with stringent state rules and regulations.
Even a slight mistake or negligence during the self-car shipping process can lead to unwanted life-threatening road incidents. Shipping companies consist of trained experts having years of knowledge and experience in transporting all kinds of vehicles to different locations.
If this is your first time hiring services for shipping a car to Hawaii or from a car shipping company, then there might be several factors you want to learn before the shipment process. Learning vital factors before the car shipping process can help you prepare your vehicle in advance and avoid unnecessary and uncertain car shipping expenses.
In this article, we have listed some significant factors to consider for a seamless car shipping experience. Here are the top ten important factors to know before shipping your car to a different place, city, or state.
Table of Contents
1. Conduct background research on your service provider
It is important to be cautious about misleading and fraudulent service providers in the market. Misleading and fraudulent car shipping companies tend to attract customers by offering services at unrealistic prices without any intention to fulfill the same.
Conducting background checks will help you avoid such service providers and learn vital information about them. You can conduct online background checks or visit the service providers in person to know their true intentions.
2. Read online reviews and seek referrals
One of the easiest ways to learn about any company or service provider is to read online reviews. Several websites on the internet offer genuine and reliable reviews about various shipping companies in the marketplace.
These reviews are generally given by the customers who have taken their services in the past. You can also consider having one-on-one conversations with past customers to learn more about the services shipping companies have to offer.
Seek referrals from your friends and family members who have recently taken shipping services. Ask about their experience and the factors you need to consider while shipping your vehicle.
3. Get multiple shipping quotes
Many customers ignore or don’t understand the importance of multiple shipping quotes. Shipping quotes are the estimated shipping rates generated considering different shipping situations and factors. It helps you get an overall estimated figure for shipping a particular vehicle from one place to another.
Getting multiple shipping quotes will allow you to know the ongoing shipping rates in a particular location and avoid the service providers you charge extra or unreasonable money.
4. Compare the potential service providers
After considering the above pointers, make a list of potential service providers. You can make a list of service providers through referrals, shipping quotes, and online reviews. Once you have made a list of potential service providers, compare their services to find an ideal available option. Compare their websites, shipping services, shipping quotes, years of experience in the industry, and customer services.
You can also ask questions about their additional services and factors that make them unique from others.
5. Avoid giving deposits
It is important to note that a genuine and reliable shipping company will never ask for advance deposits. Deposits are certain amounts that you give in advance. Most shipping companies that offer reliable services avoid deposits or advance payment of the services. They will charge you or ask for the payment after completing the entire process.
In this way, you can anytime refuse to take services from the company when you find their services not up to the mark.
6. Be thorough with your insurance policy
Insurance policy is the most vital factor in the entire process. An insurance policy can help you avoid unwanted expenses in the future. However, not all expenses are included in insurance policies. It is recommended to thoroughly read the insurance policy.
Ask questions to your agent to learn more about the policy and coverage amounts. You can also ask questions about the situations where coverages are not applicable or expenses covered under the policy.
7. Choose your shipment methods wisely
Open and enclosed car transport are the two most popular and widely used shipping services. Almost all shipping companies offer these services. Depending on your shipping requirement and budget, you are required to choose either of these services.
Open car transport is a budget-friendly shipping service where your vehicle is transported in an open trailer. On the other hand, the enclosed shipping service is an expensive shipping option where your vehicle is transported in a closed container with high security and safety measures.
8. Remove the clutter
Once you have decided on the shipping methods and the company you like to hire, you can move ahead to prepare your vehicle for the shipment. Begin by getting rid of the clutter in your vehicle. Shipping companies tend to charge extra money for vehicles that are not in good condition. Clean your car both from the outside and inside to boost its performance levels.
9. Remove your belongings
During the shipping process. Your vehicle will be away from you for a couple of days. Therefore, remove your belongings from your vehicles to avoid theft-related issues. You can also consider removing expenses and limited edition removal auto parts from your vehicle. For nonremovable auto parts, you can mark your auto parts with good-quality adhesive tape or a permanent marker.
10. Keep the fuel tank half empty
To load and unload your vehicle in shipping trailers, the experts are required to drive your car. Keeping your fuel half empty or even less will allow you to limit the number of times your car can be used by the service provider. Avoid leaving your fuel tank empty as it might increase the service charges.
These were some factors to consider before shipping your vehicle from one location to another. Consider all the above-mentioned factors for a better shipping experience.
