Auto Shipping Frequently Asked Questions - The Curious Car

Many of us can remember or relate to the famous investigative monkey Curious George. Although many of his exploits landed him in difficult situations, a lot can be learned from his willingness to seek out answers and understandings to the concepts and obstacles he faced. Like George many academic teachers have long encouraged inquisitiveness. Statements like, "there is no such thing as a bad question" or "an unasked question never gets answered", are often common threads to a successful classroom and working environment. Very similar to school, the auto shipping process is another area of life where asking questions is an essential part of the proceedings.

No one ships their vehicle regularly, so due diligence is required to get the job done efficiently and effectively. You must ask questions of the shippers and/or brokers you deal with in order to get your car in the right place at the right time in the right condition. Auto shipping is already a complicated process, so to prepare yourself and your car for a satisfactory experience, you must find out more about the industry and the process. The easiest way to go about your research is to start with the basics and proceed from there to the more complicated stuff.

There are numerous questions we should be asking when shipping cars and starting with some of the most basic can lay a great foundation for dealing with the more advanced nuances of the transaction. A simple question that should be asked is, "what type of container will your vehicle be shipped in or on". There are big differences in closed and open auto shipping and they should at least be asked about in terms of categories like protection and cost. Another crucial question to ask is about pricing. It's always worthwhile to learn about what price quotes cover. Companies often quote a total price as if it is comprehensive only to have customers find out later that things like insurance, weather changes, door to door shipping, direct and expedited routing and closed containers actually cost more.

Along with cost questions should come cancellation fee and policy examination. Delving in depth with the auto shipping provider in regards to the terms and conditions of pricing and service is never a negative. Other simple questions to ask may be about the amount of time it will take to complete the shipping, what are the guarantees of the delivery organization, and if the company represents itself entirely or brokers the work out to third parties. Extra general questions to be aware of include cross-examining scheduling parameters, pickup and drop off locations and the rules of object inclusion inside the vehicle. Once the standard prodding is out of the way there still may be a few more investigations we should be making.

If your car has special needs and/or if it going outside of domestic boundaries, shipment knowledge definitely becomes even more of a priority. For example, even though Hawaii is certainly a part of the United States, there are distinctive conditions that apply to this particular state, and you need to find out what they are. In international shipments, you will need to inquire about customs clearing, local laws and the current idiosyncratic rules and regulations of the particular country of destination. If your vehicle is rare, vintage, classic or oversized, special handling is required. Ask the shipper how they handle such vehicles.

Damage reporting is a crucial issue for you to know about. Gain an understanding of how the inspection sheets operate, required drivers licenses and how signatures are coordinated should there become a need for reconciliations. Be aware of how the company handles emergency situations. This can be done by researching the history of the company to find out just how such instances were handled in the past. If they were handled to the customer's complete satisfaction, that is a very good sign that the company cares about it's customers and the customer's property. This is a very important consideration of any shipping company you talk to. The more questions you ask and the more you know about the auto shipping industry in general, the more satisfactory will be the result of your personal vehicle transportation endeavor.

The auto shipping industry is mysterious to most people simply because it is not part of their every day experience. Seemingly dumb questions like how much gas to leave in the tank, will somebody drive the car at any point in the process, or is it okay to ship a non-operating vehicle are important concerns that anyone transporting a vehicle needs to know. If at any time in the decision process of hiring an auto shipper you don't feel like you know what you are doing or don't understand all of the details, that is the time to refer to market resources that you can find most easily online or locally through someone who regularly transports vehicles, like a car dealership, for example. Not knowing what you are in for when shipping your vehicle is sure to be to yours and your vehicle's disadvantage. Be a sock monkey. Ask questions.