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How to Ship a Car Safely

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   How to Ship a Car Safely

How to Ship a Car Safely

Are you handing your car over to a car shipping company but aren’t sure what you need to do to prep it correctly? Our quick and informative guide will teach you the basics, so by the time you drop it off, it’ll be a smooth and stress-free process.

 

Give Your Car the Once Look Over  

 Inspect your vehicle for any existing damage like dents, scratches and anything else that’s ‘off’. It’s always a good idea to wash your vehicle before shipping it—that way, you’re able to easily see any minor damage to your car. Take photos of any dents, etc. for your records. Sometimes scratched paint and dents can occasionally happen while your car is being transported. If that happens to your vehicle during transport, photos taken during the pre-shipping process will allow you to accurately fill out the Bill of Lading so you stay protected

 

What About Valuable Items?  

 It’s important to do whatever you can to minimize your car’s risk of injury before it makes its journey—no matter how short or long its drive may be! Fold your side mirrors in, place your antennae in the trunk, and secure any loose parts before shipping it off.

 

Give It a Maintenance Check

 If you’re transporting an inoperable vehicle, may sure to tell your transport carrier before dropping it off. If your car is in operable condition, it’s important to give it a maintenance check before handing it off. Get its mileage checked, top off all of its fluids and make sure your vehicle has a full battery charge.

 At Ship A Car Direct, we pride ourselves on taking care of our customer’s vehicles with as much care as would with our own.  Whether you’re have a everyday or vintage vehicle, we’ve got the perfect transport option and carrier for your unique needs! Contact us today and learn about our damage-free guarantee!

 

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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