If you’ve never shipped a vehicle before, the whole process can be a bit overwhelming at first. There are, however, a few things that you can look out for that may help you choose the best vehicle shipping company for your needs.
An important thing you want to consider is how readily the company offers to show their insurance policy. Do not trust your car to companies which do not cover the cargo they handle. Even if they seem decent, they are not doing to well if they cannot afford insurance. They are either already in a lot of legal trouble or they are just waiting to swindle a few more customers before they close and escape with the profits of an uninsured, ill-managed business (a sort of hit and run strategy, not uncommon among people who would be businessmen, yet who cannot adequately run a business).
The company you choose must be honest and reliable and financially sound enough to offer you several policies from which to choose. There are two types of insurance in the industry, primary and excess. The primary will cover damages independently of your current personal insurance policy. Excess coverage is just that, it covers damages in excess of your currently held personal policy. The company should be eager to describe what types of accidents and damages their policy covers so you can make an intelligent choice of the coverage you need to purchase from them.
Now that that is done, you can move to the next part of the process, that of deciding which method of transport is best for you. There are two basic methods of transport in the industry, open or closed transport. Closed carrier trucks are the most commonly used and can be seen trucking almost everyday, everywhere. They are the most popular because they are the cheapest mode of transport and ship promptly. If the weather is good and your car has a long, long trip ahead of it, this is a good option.
Generally shipments by sea use container shipping. The drawbacks of container shipping are the obvious increase in price as well as the less obvious time factor, Auto shipping companies are not quick to ship partial containers so you may have to wait a considerable amount of time before your container is full and ready to depart.
The closed truck or container offers more safety for your vehicle. The incidence of theft and damage is lessened as your car is neither exposed to inclement weather, road conditions or car thieves. If your car is of the rare, expensive, or custom variety or if it has a very long journey to make to its destination, the closed container is your best option regardless of the extra cost involved.
Companies, that is – good companies, offer insurance for every shipped vehicle: any damaged while the car is handled by the company will be compensated. Moreover, they arrange for liability insurance of at least $800, 000 which covers damage to large numbers of cargo. No business company worthy of its name finds it profitable to mishandle or endanger the property of their clients. They make sure you are insured. Beware of fishy organizations which even so much as hint at reluctance to offer adequate insurance or neglect to mention it.
If you need to find Connecticut Auto Transport companies, Colorado Auto Transport companies, or auto shipping in any other state, please visit MetroGistics.