There are around 4,400 vehicle shipping businesses in the United States. Perhaps you’ve been through the grueling vetting process and finally decided on a company to ship with!
In that case, they should tell you what the process will be like when you ship a car with them.
But what if you haven’t exactly made a choice yet? And you’re feeling anxious about the process?
A great way to put your mind at ease is to learn about these shipping services. To help you out, we’ll discuss that in detail here, including how to get the car shipping cost. Keep reading to get more information so you can feel more relaxed about your move.
The Car Shipping Process
Let’s say you have your heart set on an auto transport company already. In that case, great! It’s up to you to get the car shipping process started then.
But before you do that, you need to know what will happen. That way, you’ll know if a company is trying to take shortcuts.
Here’s everything you’ll go through with them, starting with getting the car shipping cost and ending with your vehicle safe in your possession again.
Get the Car Shipping Cost
Before you say yes to anything, you must get the car shipping cost. Without doing so, you’ll be going in blindly, which means you can have a huge financial surprise and burden.
Fortunately, this is very easy to do. You can either call up the company or fill out their online calculator.
The information you’ll need to provide is your start and end locations, the approximate date you’ll need the shipping services, how quickly you need them (economy/standard or expedited), the type of vehicle you have, and the type of hauler you want (open or enclosed).
With this information, the agent on the phone line or the website can give you some estimates. You can then confirm that you’re fine with these rates and move onto the next step.
Set Dates for Pickup and Dropoff
Next, you’ll want to schedule the pickup and dropoff dates. If you’re requesting an enclosed hauler and/or moving during high season, you might have to pick some alternative time slots and dates to ensure you receive these services.
Most people think that this is where you’d pay for everything upfront. But when you use a reputable company like Nexus Auto Transport, they won’t require that you make a full payment right away.
Instead, all you’ll have to do is make a nonrefundable $25 deposit that’ll be counted toward your whole shipping cost.
You’ll also need to provide the agent with some information about your car. This includes:
- Make and model
- Year
- Last 6 digits of its VIN
Of course, you’ll also have to give them the addresses for both the pickup and dropoff locations.
Driver Picks up Your Car
Before the driver comes and picks up your car, you’ll receive an email and a call from the auto transport company. They’ll let you know approximately which day and time the driver will come.
If everything goes smoothly, then the driver will come to your door and you can do the handoff with them. Otherwise, if they aren’t able to reach your address for any reason, they’ll arrange to meet you at the nearest accessible parking lot. This allows for everyone’s safety.
When you’re with the driver, you’ll then go through a vehicular inspection with them. All preexisting damage is noted so a comparison can be made once you receive your car at your destination.
Once that’s done, you’ll get a copy of the Bill of Lading and the driver will set off with your vehicle!
Track Your Car While in Transit
Some auto shipping companies will allow you to track your car while it’s in transit so you can get peace of mind. They’ll give you login details for their site so you can go on and check it whenever you wish.
Some companies might even give you the driver’s contact details so you can speak directly with them. So if you get anxious about your car easily, this can be a fantastic way to keep yourself updated and calm about the situation.
Receive Your Car
Once your car reaches its destination, you have 2 choices for receiving it: you can either go get it yourself or you can send someone in your place.
Either way, a post-transport inspection with the driver will happen, just like before they set off with your vehicle. If there are no new damages, then you’ll sign a Bill of Lading and get a copy of it. You can then drive off with your car wherever you wish!
However, if you do find new damage and are sure that it happened while in transit, you’ll have to file some extra paperwork with the auto transport company.
It shouldn’t be a difficult process though. All drivers are required to have current cargo insurance policies, which means that you should receive fair compensation for the damages soon after.
Now You Know How to Ship a Car
After reading this article, you now know what you have to go through when you want to ship a car. As you can see, you start when you get a car shipping cost and then end when you receive your vehicle at your destination.
From start to finish, the auto shipping company will help you with every step. So you won’t have to worry since you’ll have the guidance of professionals by your side. Moving will be a lot simpler when you work with dependable car shipping companies.
For more articles like this one on car shipping, make sure you check out the rest of our blog!
