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Shipping your precious car to a distant destination can be a
stressful business but entrusting your vehicle to a professional auto
transport company will go a long way towards ensuring your car will
arrive safely. Here are some tips to help you manage the procedure. They
are divided into preparing the vehicle and checking the documents.
Preparing your vehicle for transportation
First let's look at the best way to prepare your vehicle for
transportation. Firstly, your car must be roadworthy. This is because
employees of the auto transport company have to drive it on and off the
transporter. Plus, you should wash you car to allow for easy inspection
for such things as scratches and dents.
Then make sure your car doesn't have any leaks. Cars are usually
transported in batches on one large transporter. You will be responsible
if any leakage of fluids from your car damages other cars on the same
transport. By the same token, make sure your gas tank is less than a
quarter full and other fluids such as break and suspension fluids have
room for expansion.
Next, secure or remove any accessories your car may have. This
includes such things as antennae and wide mirrors on the outside of your
car and after-market CD players on the inside. Make sure your alarm is
disabled along with any other devices that may drain the battery. Remove
all personal possessions from your car as the transport company will not
want to take responsibility for them. In fact, the Department of
Transportation does not legally permit the transport of personal
belongings in vehicles transported on auto carriers.
Bear in mind you may have to drive your car to a pick-up point agreed
between you and the car transport company. This is because the
transporter vehicles may be unable to access your neighborhood owing to
their size.
Finally, don't forget to consider the climatic conditions. If you're
moving to, say, Alaska, it would be wise to put anti-freeze into your
car before shipping. Plus check your heating or air-conditioning
systems. You can also request a covered transport to further protect
your vehicle against the elements.
For international shipments, some other steps are needed. For one
thing, you need to confirm your car meets the environmental standards of
the destination country. You can get this information from the consulate
of the country you're moving to along with details of any other
restrictions that may apply. Your auto car services transport company
can help you here. Note that international car transport regulations
specify that cars be no taller than seven feet and have a minimum of
four inches ground clearance.
Checking the Car Shipping Documents
So now that your car is ready for transport, let's look at the
all-important question of paperwork.
The key document involved in car transport is the bill of lading.
This outlines all the terms and conditions of the agreement between you
and the auto car transport services company. A key component of the bill
of lading is the condition report which documents the condition of your
car at the time of handover. It will also contain such details as
odometer readings.
As any future claims for damages will be made on the basis of the
information in this report, you need to check it carefully before
signing. Both you (or your designated representative) and a
representative of the car transport company have to sign this both
before and after loading. Generally, if your car is damaged you have two
weeks in which to file a complaint.
For international auto transport, additional paperwork such as those
required for customs formalities will be required. And make note you
will need the original title of your car and a Bill of Sale when
arranging international shipment.
Then there's the all-important matter of insurance. Ask for a copy of
the car mover's insurance coverage. Your vehicle should be insured
against damage and theft by your auto transport company. By law,
carriers have to carry a minimum of $1,000,000 worth of public liability
insurance as well as cargo coverage. And don't forget that your owner's
insurance remains in effect throughout the transport of your car. If
you're transporting you car by ocean container, it has to be
professionally packed for the insurance to be valid.
When it comes to documentation, the golden rule is that you have to
make sure you have everything, including the total cost involved, in
black and white.
Providing you're well prepared and follow the above steps, there's no
reason why you shouldn't enjoy a stress-free transportation of your car.
But first make sure you find a reputable car transport services firm
that offers a full service. A reputable car transport company will be
happy to give you a free quote. Knowing that trained professionals are
taking care of your precious car will give you peace of mind during this
stressful time.
Zack Edwards is president of Secure Auto Transport a full service car
transport company. Visit http://secure-
autotransport.com/company.htm for your free quote.
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