subject: Tips in choosing a car mover—an auto transport guide [print this page] Tips in choosing a car moveran auto transport guide
Moving your car from one location to the next can be tiresome, risky and time consuming. The best option you've got if you need to move your car is to hire a car mover. Now there are so many choices out there, in fact the problem is not about choices, it's how to choose.
With the number of choices you've got, is there a way to systematically reduce it and just settle with one best auto transport company? Read on because these tips that I will give you will do just that. I have listed here some surefire way of choosing the best auto transport company and if you will follow these tips, you will sure land on the best. Here are some tips:
1. Know the company's reputations
It is very important to know the company's reputations because there is just a huge degree of anonymity in this business. A good indicator that a company is a good one is if they have successfully delivered about a hundred cars without complaint of mishaps. You can find complaints filed by previous customers from the Better Business Bureau's website. You can also find good reviews from blogs and you can make a forum post asking previous experience with auto transportations.
2. Inquire how much it will cost to ship a car
In order to know how much it would take to ship a car, ask for a free auto transport quote. In order to avoid confusion choose only three of the most reputable auto transport companies from the names that you have gathered. Ask them if it's possible to breakdown the charges so that you will know what you are being charged for. This way you can compare the auto transport quote and decide which one you can afford.
3. Don't forget to ask about insurance coverage
Insurance coverage is usually part of the quote but you should never forget to ask for nonetheless. This is one way of checking whether you are dealing with a legit company or not. Auto transports are required to carry at least a cargo and liability insurance and if your company carry none of those, then they are operating illegally and you would do well to avoid them.
4. Ask about the kind of services that they offer
The standard service that a shipping company will give you is an open carrier auto transport because this is sufficient for most shipping needs. This is fine except that your car will be exposed to the elements of nature and possible vandalism. If however, you have special needs like when you are shipping a vintage car, you can choose a closed carrier which offers more protection and security. In this case, your car will be shipped inside a closed container which will serve as its garage. This is usually shared by four other cars but you can also have a solo container for a higher price.
5. Ask for a tracking system r/> A tracking system for auto transport works similar to that used by FedEx or UPS wherein you are given a tracking number and you can track your car online. This is a standard feature among car movers this days and a good one at that. A tracking will give you an idea where your car is at a given time and you'll know when to expect it to arrive.
6. Ask for a delivery date
Along with the tracking system, you can also ask for a delivery date. You have to remember though that despite all the technologies in place, it is still difficult to give a guaranteed delivery date because of all the contingencies that are at play here. Auto transport services are based on trucks that still has to deliver ten other cars aside from your own to various destinations and by that delays are expected to happen. Give your company a good window of time to deliver your car.
It is important that you keep an open line of communication with your car mover because no matter how hard you try, eventualities are bound to happen and it is important that they can contact you when they need to. This is especially difficult if you are moving too, which is usually the case, so you really have to make an effort here. Follow these tips in order to choose the best auto transport company.