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Car Shipping Checklist

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Home  |  Auto Shipping • Car Shipping • Car Transport   |   Car Shipping Checklist

There are many reasons to ship a car from one location to another. A move across the country (or across the globe), or just selling a car to a new owner are all reasons to ship a car from one place to another. While the process can seem intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. The following checklist will help you prepare your car for shipping and get it to where it needs to go, simply, easily and affordably!

Find a Shipping Company You Can Trust

The first, and most important step, is to find a good shipping company that can get your car safely from one location to another. Before you settle on one shipper, check reviews, get detailed quotes, and determine what services come with the quoted cost. You should also make sure that the chosen shipping company services the destination you have in mind. Then you can make an informed decision on the best choice for shipping your car.

Prepare Your Car for Shipment

Once you have found the right company to ship your car, it's time to prepare the car for shipment. The most important thing to do is remove all valuables, including digital media, iPods, iPads, phones, computers and other personal belongings. You should also check the fuel level in your vehicle; some shippers require that your gas tank have a certain level of fuel remaining.

You should also obtain the required service and maintenance that is due, such as an oil change, filter change and check the tires. If your car is in need of new tires, it's best to have this done before you ship the car. You should also make sure the registration is valid on the vehicle and won't expire before it makes it to the next location.

Drop Your Car Off With the Shipper

Once your car has been prepared for shipping, it is time to drop it off with the company that will ship it to your destination. Make sure you have a signed contract on hand that details your responsibilities, the shipper's responsibilities and how it will be delivered. The contract should also detail all the costs associated with shipping the car. And finally, when dropping your car off with the shipper, schedule a time for your or another person at the destination to pick up the car.

The car shipping service you choose should have the experience, and testimonials to back up their promise. Will they treat your vehicle the way they treat their own? Have they been given and awards for continuous customer service and quality? At Ship A Car Direct, we place pride and passion in our car shipping services, and with hundreds of customers to back up our claims. Contact us today for a free quote, and experience the difference yourself!

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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