Harish Makam 22 Dec 2022 1 year ago When you are moving to a new city, you will come across the need to take your car with you as well. There are a few different options available to consider when transporting your vehicle. You can either drive it, get someone else to drive it, or get the help of an auto transport service. Out of these options, getting the help of an auto transport service is the best one to consider. It provides a smooth and convenient experience for you by taking your car from one location to another. Once you start to look around for an auto transport service, you will figure out that there are multiple service providers. Some people offer different services. You must carefully look for the best auto transport service provider. Below are some helpful tips you can keep in mind to locate the best auto transport service out there. Make sure that the company is bonded and insured. The very first thing you should do is to check whether the auto transport service is bonded and insured. You never know what will happen when your car is transported to its destination. In case it encounters an accident, you need to be covered. This is why it is a must to proceed with a bonded and insured company. Please request more information and learn more about the insurance policy of the auto transport company. Then you can be aware of the nature of coverage your vehicle can receive while in transit. Some auto transport companies would charge you more to provide full coverage. However, spending a few extra bucks to get full coverage is totally worth it, as it can help you keep peace of mind on the road. See if you can get a no-obligation quote A no-obligation quote estimates the cost of a service without any commitment or requirement to purchase. It is a way for customers to compare prices and services and get an idea of what they’re getting for their money. You will need to get a quote when you want to compare the prices of different auto transport companies. You should get in touch with the auto transport company and see whether you can obtain a no-obligation quote. If the company does not offer a no-obligation quote, it is best to look for another service that does. You must also check and see whether the quote offered by the auto transport company includes everything or not. The quote should include all the fees, hidden ones too. When you get a written estimate that includes everything, you can obtain the services while keeping peace of mind. That’s because you know how much you should be spending on the service, and you can budget accordingly. Before signing up, you need to go through the contract in detail. Then you should understand everything stated in the contract clearly. If you need any changes, you should ask the auto transport company to work on them, before you can sign the contract. Take a look at the payment terms and conditions. Looking at the payment terms and conditions can help you get the best deal on auto transport services because it will provide you with information about any discounts or special offers that may be available. It will also provide you with information on the deposit and payment schedule, as well as any cancellation fees or other charges that may apply. This information can help you decide which auto transport service is the best fit for your needs. Additionally, reading through the payment terms and conditions can help ensure that the company you are considering is reputable and reliable. Go through customer reviews. Make sure you have a good couple of hours to go through customer reviews on the internet. These reviews will help you understand the nature of the auto transport company’s service. While going through customer reviews, you need to know whether it is the experience you are looking forward to getting as you work with the auto transport company. Customer reviews can provide an unbiased opinion about the company’s services, including its pricing, customer service, and overall quality of service. This can help you make an informed decision when choosing a company for your auto transport needs. Customer reviews often include information about special deals or discounts the company may offer, which can help you get the best deal possible. Finally, by reading customer reviews, you can also gain insight into the company’s overall reputation, which can help you determine whether or not the company is a reliable and trustworthy provider. While going through customer reviews, you should highlight all the companies offering low-quality service. Make sure that you pay special attention to critical comments that customers have left about the company. Check if the company is registered. It would help if you only allowed a registered company to transport your vehicle from one location to another. This is where you should check and see whether the auto transport service is registered with the Department of Transportation. If you are planning to ship your car to a different country, registration is a must. You can request the company to provide you with the DOT number. Then you can search for it online and confirm the company’s authenticity. You may also ask the company to provide you with the Motor Carrier Number. It can be entered on the FMCSA website so that you can go through the safe driving record of the company. If the auto transport service is shipping the vehicle, it must also be registered under the Federal Maritime Commission. You may go through the website of the Federal Maritime Commission and check the authenticity of your chosen service provider. Learn more about the cancelation policy Last-minute changes to your plan can happen, and you will come across the need to cancel the shipment. But before that, you should be aware of the cancelation policy of your auto transport service. Since you never know what will happen, it is a good idea to stick to an auto transport company with a decent cancelation policy. You may inquire whether you will need to spend extra money to cancel your shipment and reschedule it for later. When asking about the cancelation policy, you may also request information related to payments. If you cannot make a full payment, you can see whether there is a possibility to make partial payments. Compare the costs While looking for an auto transport company, you will come across the need to go for the best deal available. However, the cheapest service provider may need help delivering quality service. This doesn’t mean that you should go for the most expensive one. To find a reasonably priced auto transport company, you should compare cost to ship a car . If you are trying to transport a bulky vehicle, you will have to spend more money. On the other hand, distance plays a significant role in transportation costs. You may have to pay extra money to speed up the delivery. You can ask for a quotation by providing the information requested by your auto transport company. Request quotations from a few different service providers, and you can compare them. Make sure that you compare the price and also the services that you receive with the price. Then you can locate an auto transport company that offers an excellent service for the amount you spend. Generally, small-scale auto transport companies usually charge more money to help you with cross-country transportation. That’s because those companies are not in a position to offer long routes. Therefore, sticking to a more prominent company would be a good idea, especially when you want to ship your car a longer distance. Avoid using the cheapest service provider. As mentioned earlier, you will often think about sticking to the cheapest auto transport service, as it can help you to save money. However, not all deals you will come across will be good, as you can see them. This is why you should only decide partially based on the price. A lower price usually indicates that you will end up getting a compromised service. Therefore, you should refrain from working with auto transport companies which offer their services are lower prices. When you deal with such a company, you will also have to go through the hassle associated with hidden fees and underlying costs. Without focusing only on the price, make sure that you look at the service offered by the auto transport service. Inquire about GPS tracking Some auto transport services offer GPS tracking. It would be a good idea to work with such companies as well. Then you are aware of where your vehicle is. Based on the information, it will be possible for you to plan your work accordingly. The GPS tracking system will not just help you to learn where your car is. On top of that, you can even be aware of the route the auto transport company takes to take your vehicle to its destination. You can have complete peace of mind throughout the journey. There is no need to worry about the approximate delivery times since you know the exact location of your vehicle. Take a look at all services available. You need to look at all the services available and then decide to proceed with the auto transport company. For example, if you have a classic car, you won’t transport that in an open car shipping. Instead, you will need to take it in an enclosed carrier. This is where you should check and see whether the auto transport service offers enclosed car shipping transportation services. This provides maximum protection to your classic car from road debris and scratches. Likewise, you need to prepare a list of your specific requirements. Then you can see whether the auto transport company can cater to those needs. Ask for references It is also a good idea to ask the auto transport company to provide you with some references. It is also an excellent way to learn about the company’s experience, customer service, and past performance. References can give insight into how well the company handles customer concerns and its overall professionalism. It is also an excellent way to ensure that the company is licensed and insured, which is essential when hiring an auto transport service provider. Check if you are working with a broker or a carrier Not all auto transport companies that you will come across will be carriers. Some of them are brokers who work as middlemen between you and an auto transport company. It depends on your individual needs and preferences. A broker may be the better choice if you need more flexibility and support in finding the best insurance options. Brokers are independent agents who work with multiple carriers to provide a variety of options to their clients. On the other hand, if you prefer to work directly with a single carrier, then a carrier may be the better choice. Carriers typically provide more personalized service and may have better rates, but you may need more flexibility regarding coverage options. Inquire about the customer service It would help if you were dealing with an auto transport service that offers excellent customer service. Whenever you come across a question, you should be able to ask for it from customer service and get it clarified. This is why you need to learn how good customer service is. During your first call to the auto transport service, you may get a better idea about the level of customer service. You can check if the auto transport service is confident when providing answers to your questions. Then the customer support team is aware of what they do, and you can get an appropriate service whenever you need it. See how the rates are calculated. To have extra transparency, you may ask and see how the rates will be calculated by the auto transport company as well. Some factors can create a direct impact on the cost that you have to bear. Auto transport companies typically determine their rates based on various factors, including the distance and number of vehicles being transported, the type of vehicle being shipped, the season or time of year, the urgency of the shipment, and the availability of carriers. They may also charge additional fees for specialty services, such as door-to-door delivery and enclosed transport. Check if the auto transport company has a physical presence. It is also essential to check and see whether the auto transport service has a physical presence. Few service providers run their businesses virtually. Working with such a company can be risky. You would never want to hand over your vehicle to a company operating out of a home address or a virtual address. Therefore, you must check and see whether you will work with a legitimate business with a physical presence. See if you can get the door-to-door shipping If you can get the door to door shipping services from your auto transport company, you can get a convenient overall experience. That’s because you will not need to move your car even for an inch. Door-to-door shipping is an efficient, cost-effective way to transport vehicles from one location to another. It is a convenient way to ship a car, as it eliminates the need for the customer to pick up or drop off the vehicle at a shipping terminal. Door-to-door shipping is also the safest method of auto transport, as it eliminates the need for the car to be loaded onto a trailer and driven on the open road. By opting for door-to-door shipping, customers can rest assured that professionals will deliver their vehicle safely and securely to its destination. If the auto transport service does not offer door-to-door service, you will have to take your car to one of their boarding points. You will not usually be able to find such a boarding point in your neighborhood. As a result, you will be asked to drive for hours. Ask about the shipping timeframe options. An auto transport company will usually offer multiple options for you to transport your car. You may also ask for more details about the shipping timeframe options available to you. The options typically vary depending on your budget and schedule. If multiple options are offered, you can stick to the most appropriate one that can deliver a convenient experience. Some of the shipping timeframe options you can expect your auto transport company to offer to include priority shipping, economy shipping, and guaranteed shipping. Here, priority shipping would be the standard shipping method. If you are in a hurry to get your vehicle delivered to the destination, you should go for guaranteed shipping. It will cost more, but you can expect your car to be delivered faster. Check what documentation assistance you can receive You will need to be ready with documents when transporting your vehicle to another part of the world. It will be a daunting thing to work on all the documents on your own. This is where you should check and see what documentation assistance you can receive from your auto transport company. Documentation assistance from an auto transport service provider can include: Helping you obtain necessary permits. Providing tracking information. Helping you fill out paperwork for customs clearance. Knowing what documentation assistance you can expect from a service provider helps ensure your vehicle is transported safely and legally. See if you can also move your personal belongings. Personal belongings that you can transport with your car through an auto transport service include clothing, household items, small electronics, luggage, and other items that fit within the vehicle. Moving your personal belongings through an auto transport service provider can save you time and money and reduce the risk of damage to your items due to improper packing or handling. It is also essential to ensure that the service provider has the necessary insurance coverage to protect your belongings in case of an accident or other unforeseen incident. Check if you can transport a non-operable car. It is crucial to determine if an auto transport service provider can transport non-operable cars because it can significantly affect the cost of the service. Non-operable cars require additional labor and transportation resources, and the service cost is usually higher than if the vehicle was in working condition. Knowing if an auto transport service provider can transport non-operable cars can help you plan and budget for the service accordingly. Check what goes into the vehicle transportation process. Last but not least, you will need to ask and understand how the vehicle transportation company will offer you the overall vehicle transportation service. Checking what goes into the vehicle transportation process can help identify any potential risks or issues that arise during the transportation process and allow for proactive measures to be taken to mitigate those risks. Additionally, understanding the vehicle transportation process can help to ensure that the vehicles are delivered on time and in the best possible condition. Wrapping it up By following the tips outlined in this article, you should be able to find a reliable and trustworthy auto transport service that can provide you with a safe, secure, and cost-effective way of transporting your vehicle. Always do your research, get multiple quotes, and read all of the terms of the services before making your final decision. With a bit of preparation and research, you can be sure that you are getting the best auto transport service for your needs. Harish Makam Share this: