When you are moving to a new place, you will need to decide how you will transport your car. And though you can drive it to the location, this can be a pretty cumbersome process. As such, the best way to get your vehicle shipped to your location is by hiring an auto shipping service. And if you are looking for a reliable service to ship your car, keep the following points in mind.

Open And Enclosed Shipping

When shipping your vehicle, you will have two options how the car will be transported – open or enclosed shipping. In open shipping, the vehicle will be transported without being covered. As such, your car will come into constant contact with dust, sunlight, snow, debris, rain, and other natural elements. In contrast, in enclosed shipping, your car will be completely covered, ensuring that it never comes into contact with outside elements. However, this is a much more expensive option when compared to open shipping. And even though open shipping might seem like a risky affair in the sense that the car remains exposed, the fact of the matter is that vehicles rarely get damaged while being transported using open shipping. In fact, most people do prefer open shipping when transporting their cars.

Deposit

When hiring an auto shipping service, it is customary to pay a deposit upfront. This ensures that the company is committed to the task and delivers your vehicle to the exact location you want. Without receiving a deposit, there is a chance that the service might not take the task too seriously or even try to squeeze out of the job at the most crucial moment. This obviously is undesirable. And as a matter of fact, all good auto shipping companies do charge a deposit before they perform their job. So, if you find a service that offers to transport your car without paying a single penny as a deposit, we suggest that you look for other options.

Pickup And Delivery

Most auto shipping companies will offer a terminal pickup and drop option in which you can drop off your car at the company’s terminal. They will then transport it to a terminal close to your new location. You can then pick it up from the terminal and drive your vehicle to your new home. Shipping companies also offer door to door pickup and delivery where your car will be picked up from your old home and dropped off at your new home. But this is a more expensive option when compared to the terminal pickup option. As such, if there is a company terminal near to your new home, then choosing a terminal pickup and delivery method will be the best way to save some money on auto shipping.

Insurance

Make sure that the auto shipping service does offer insurance coverage to the vehicle. After all, if the car is damaged while being transported, you should not be the one who ends up suffering because of the fault of the carrier. This is why an insurance cover that will compensate you for such damages is required. Generally, you can expect a company to offer you about $100,000 worth of insurance. And in some cases, it can reach up to $250,000. Whatever be the case, ensure that you do a thorough inspection of the car before the pickup and after the delivery. Take a few digital photos during both times and compare them to see if there has been any damage to the vehicle. Plus, remember to notify the damages at the time of delivery itself. If you notice the damage only after about three days from receiving the car, then it is less likely that you will receive any compensation from the insurance company. If the company does not offer insurance, then you may have to purchase a car transportation insurance separately.

Extra Items

When it comes to storing extra items in your car while transporting it, the US laws clearly state that the carrier can be fined up to $10,000 if the authorities find that the car is loaded with household items. As such, most auto shipping services will be very averse to the idea of you loading your car with any personal items from your home. However, the rules are never strictly imposed. As such¸ some carriers might be okay with you loading the car with one or two items. So, talk with the person in charge if you wish to keep a few items in the car.

Gas

If your car is fully loaded with gas, then it is advisable that you take it out. Only keep the tank about a quarter full so that the person in charge of transporting the vehicle can use it when it is necessary. And remember to hand over your keys to the responsible person at the time of pickup of your car. If there is any problem in the vehicle that might end up surprising the person, then be sure to explain such things to them so that they are not confused when encountering such incidents.

Reviews

Make sure to read up all the reviews about the auto shipping services. Check how people rate their service and take note of any special complaints about them. This will give you a good idea as to which service to pick and which to avoid. As far as possible, pick the shipping service that has the lowest number of native reviews and the highest number of positive ratings. However, be realistic and understand that all services, no matter how top-notch, will always have a few negative reviews. Just make sure that the negatives pointed out is not too extreme, like damage to vehicle and such.

Price

You will also have to compare the fee being charged by the various auto shipping companies. Decide what you can afford and prepare a list of carriers who can ship your car within your budget. However, never go for a service that offers the cheapest rate since that can be quite risky. Instead, check the reviews of the services as mentioned previously, and then compare the price with the service that has a high number of positive reviews. Doing so will ensure that you hire a top notch service that can ship your vehicle within your desired budget.

Personal Items

Make sure to remove all the personal items in your car before loading it into the carrier’s vehicle. Whether it is CDs, GPS devices, satellite radios, or any other thing, it is better to take it out of your car than leaving it inside. This is because the shipper will have your keys with them to move the car when required. And though chances of them stealing your things are nearly non-existent, it is better to be safe than sorry. After all, the last thing you want when you are delivered the vehicle is to find out that something is missing from it.

Ordering

As far as possible, place your transportation order at least a week in advance, or at best three days before the pickup date. If you try to book for shipping for the very next day, you might find that the carriers are busy servicing other clients and are unable to take you up on your order. And this can obviously hurt your plans. However, don’t place an order too early, like a month in advance. That is pretty much useless. Booking within a week to three days from pickup will ensure that you get the most current pricing.

So, keep the above mentioned auto shipping tips in mind when looking for a reliable service, and you should have a pretty easy time ensuring that your vehicle is shipped to your destination without any complications.