Costly Mistakes People Make When Shipping Their Vehicle

Shipping a car from one place to another has some nuances any vehicle owner should know before preparing their vehicle for transport. No one wants to make any mistakes while applying for a car transport service. Nevertheless, there are some common mistakes to be aware of and a vehicle-shipping checklist to look through thoroughly.

Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for Vehicle Shipping

Choosing a wrong car shipping company
The initial research of car transport service providers is the number one guarantee of having safe and secure car shipping. You will especially need high-level safety for classic car shipping and expensive motorcycle transport. Apply to only registered shipping companies. Search for online reviews and read them attentively.
Leaving personal items in the vehicle
If you leave any of your personal belongings in the car, the shipping company will not be responsible for them. Even if you have shipping insurance, your stolen or damaged items won’t be covered. To escape situations like this, avoid loading your vehicle with any other stuff. Most of the vehicle transport companies will even thoroughly examine the car to forbid any side-items.
Skipping the car preparation
Before handing over your car to the vehicle shipping company, make sure to take pictures carefully. Photograph every scratch and mark to have proof about your car’s condition. If you find anything new while collecting your vehicle, you will have the pictures to prove its damages. Besides, supervise the process and be present during the car moving.
Lack of required documents
Naturally, you will waste both your time and your driver’s if you do not have the needed documents ready in your hands. You will get the complete list of required documents from your car shipping company. Usually, it includes your photo identification, valid license, passport or ID, vehicle registration, car insurance, etc.
Lack of insurance documents
One of the common mistakes car owners usually make. No matter the price of your vehicle – whether it is cheap or expensive – always make sure to have auto transport insurance coverage. This way you will guarantee that you will not get into financial troubles if anything happens to your car during the transport.
Asking for a precise delivery date
It is difficult to predict the exact time of delivery. Anything can happen during the shipping, especially if the distance is long. No one can predict traffic issues or weather changes, so providing you with an accurate delivery date is tricky enough. Expect to have a 1 to 6–business day window. Meanwhile, you can keep in touch with your shipping company to ensure that everything goes well and receive updates on the delivery status.
Believing in unrealistic vehicle shipping quotes
Low costs for car shipping may seem attractive, but they can be tricky. There are some standard market rates, so be aware of too low vehicle shipping quotes. Even if you have a low upfront quote, the shipping company may ask you to pay the rest for delivering your vehicle to the desired location.
Delaying the scheduling of your shipment
There are many car-shipping companies. However, because the demand is high, you may find it hard to schedule the shipment on your desired date. Make at least a month’s notice to the vehicle transport company to ensure that there are still some free spots left.