Auto Shipping, Much More Than a Tow

Auto shipping requires your full time and devotion like every professional task. You cannot choose any shipper or expect nothing to go wrong during the process. Review the similarities and differences that are obvious between vehicle shipping and towing.

Similarities between Shipping and Towing

Auto shipping and towing are similar in several ways. In both situations, the car must be picked up at a certain time and location or additional fees will be added. Regardless of the type of service, all clients must be responsible for the safety of their own belongings.

Differences between Shipping and Towing

There are more different types of auto shipping than towing. Customers can ship locally, within the country or outside of the country. Towing is usually done locally with fewer trucks and maps needed to get the work done.

Auto shipping requires more planning and paperwork. First, research the different shipping laws along with the companies that provide this service. Make sure that the company is certified to ship cars legally and provides insurance to its clients. Once you know their credentials, compare the costs, services and reviews of different companies.

Shipping is more of a planned process and less spontaneous than towing. People ship their cars because they're moving, while many people have cars towed against their will, usually because of parking violations.

Towing the vehicle is supposed to be less complicated, but there are fewer protections if something goes wrong. The tow operator could damage the car by accident and rake up your repair bills. Since there is no insurance added, the operator could be more careless with your vehicle, and if that happens, you are usually left with the repair bills.

Many towing companies are small businesses in local neighborhoods, but most auto transport companies are run by brokers. A single broker can have access to hundreds of shippers. They connect people who are moving to companies that actually ship the vehicles. These shippers rely on the brokers because they lack the resources to market to the public.

Auto shipping is more than towing your vehicle a few miles to a junkyard. Shipping is a lot riskier and painstaking because there's more paperwork to fill out. In the end, the effort is worthwhile if you can ship your vehicle to a faraway destination without having to drive it there yourself. The first task to get started is to research the process and the different companies before you choose one.