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Tips For Choosing Car Carriers

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Home  |  Car Carriers   |   Tips For Choosing Car Carriers

Car CarriersMillions of cars are moved every year, with many units even crossing borders and international lines in order to arrive at their destination. Shipping and transporting cars requires meticulous attention to details in order to ensure that the vehicles reach their destination in good condition. Car carriers are responsible for taking charge of the whole process of moving cars, from pick-up to transport to delivery. To get the most out of their services, here are the most important things to consider before hiring an auto carrier:

Know your preferred mode of transport.
Car carriers offer different types of services and some may offer more than others. Know which type of car transport service you need and check if the company offers it. Consider your budget, time frame and other requirements that may be specific to the type of car you wish to transport. Some carriers, for example, may only offer terminal-to-terminal delivery which may require you to find another company to complete the transport to a specific address.

Decide on open or closed transport.
Open transport moves vehicles usually on flatbed trailers or trucks. The advantage to using an open transport system is that it allows for more cars to be moved at one time. It saves time, is quite efficient and cheaper. It does, however, expose the vehicles to the elements during transport. This includes wind, rain, dust, snow, hail and ice. Closed transport, on the other hand, offers protection since it uses enclosed trucks to move the cars. It does provide transport for a limited number of cars for every truckload and is more expensive than an open auto transport system.

Make sure car carriers are pre-screened by your broker.
Brokers are third parties that assist in getting cars transported. They do not move the cars themselves and instead work with carriers to do it on your behalf. They pre-screen carriers, and offer additional customer service and insurance benefits.  It is very difficult for a car carrier to get added to Safe-Direct Car Shippings approved car carrier list, and very easy to be removed.

Look for a registered carrier.
All auto carriers and transporters are required to have a Department of Transportation registration. Check to see if this, along with their MC number, is active.

Ask about insurance.
Car carriers are required to carry insurance and information about this should be provided on their website or brochure. Ask about insurance coverage for cargo and liability information before signing up for the service.  Safe-Direct Car Shipping has the INDUSTRY'S ONLY DAMAGE FREE GUARANTEE.  Our Carriers cover your vehicle 100% or WE PAY!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Your Car Moving Questions

The hardest thing for people researching car moving companies to understand is that the prices they are getting are not hard and fast gaurantees, but rather ESTIMATES of what one company thinks it will take to get a vehicle moved promptly versus another company's opinion of what it will take. Don't be fooled, there are not carriers committed to take your vehicle at these quoted prices, the company you choose will still have to get to work getting a carrier to commit to move it at the price they quote you.

Your total price breaks down into two parts, the broker's fee (or 'deposit' as everyone calls it) and the carriers fee (your COD amount) Make no mistake about this, EVERYONE YOU ARE GETTING SALES CALLS FROM IS GOING TO BROKER YOUR MOVE. In this industry, there are brokers who try to fool you into thinking that they are the actual carriers and there are an equal amount of carriers who sell themselves on the fact that they have a truck or two but are not being honest about the fact that they broker out 90% of the orders they book. Here is a quick easy way to tell, if a company takes an up front fee, whether they call it a deposit or any other name, they are a broker. Carriers do not take any payment until the vehicle is delivered.

In our opinion, you are crazy to do so. Have you ever been paid up front for the work that you perform for your employer? Why would you pay a fee up front when there are reliable and trustworthy companies like ours that won't ask for it until we provide you with your carriers details?

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will be between one and two weeks. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

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