What kind of insurance do the carriers use?

Most carriers hold750,000 to one million dollars combined single limit and two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per incident.

This insurance covers damage done to your vehicle in transit. The auto transport carrier is the main and only coverage. Personal contents of the automobile are not covered by the carrier’s insurance, and the vehicle will not be covered if it is lost, damaged, or stolen

Can I Put Items In My Vehicle

Auto shipping companies are not insured for household goods. The law specifically forbids automobile movers from transporting anything except your vehicle. The vehicle shipping transport truck is inspected by the Department of Transportation agents and police at every state line and can be fined up to $10,000, if found to be carrying household items. Under no circumstances may a vehicle carry firearms, illegal substances, contraband, or hazardous materials. The vehicle may be subject to impoundment, and in such an event, all fines and expenses will be passed on the owner of the vehicle. Newenglandtoflorida/American Transport lets you put less then 100 pound sin the trunk. Remember transport companies are not moving companies. In addition, please do not have anything in the front/back seat over the windows.

Beware The Auto Transport Quote Rip off

Beware the Auto Transport Quote Rip-off

Here are a few things to look out for when shipping your car:


1.  Beware the ultra low quote and things that sound to good to be true. Dishonest companies will do anything to get their hands on your credit card numbers and you could face big problems. Ask yourself…would I haul somebody’s car for .25 cents a mile? Not unless you are desperate! Good transports don’t need to work for low pay but poor quality transports will take almost anything they can get their hands on and if you go with ultra low quotes THAT is who will be carrying your car. BAD BAD news… 

 

2.  Giving a deposit before a truck is assigned to your vehicle is a big NO-NO. Booking your car weeks in advance is another. Some dishonest trucking companies will gladly take your money upfront and then ignore your car. It happens EVERYDAY somewhere in the USA. Loads get cancelled and delayed constantly in this industry and the further out you book the more likely it is that your car will sit and you won’t get it picked up or delivered when you expected. It’s as simple as that.

 

3.  So you call for a quote and the price is just soooo low and you’re liking it and eager to book your car at that price and then comes the CONTRACT. Yes, the dreaded contract MUST be signed, so they say. Yes, they do need it signed and returned but not for the reasons you think. Many of those auto shipping companies use contracts to protect themselves, not you OR your car. Take a very very close look at the terms you are agreeing to. Often times the contracts are written in a way for the dishonest transport to keep your credit card deposit. Their car shipping quote suddenly needs “priority” upgrading or other nonsense which forces you to spend more money. Or you cancel with them and they get to keep your deposit. Then you decide to hire a lawyer to get some fair treatment and the lawyer informs you all disputes must be held in their local court system forcing you to travel. These are just a few tricks they use to get your money. They can’t wait for you to just go away and not bother them about moving your car. Many people actually do. They give up. Some even go to the next company and cross their fingers it doesn’t happen again. One way to find honest brokers and dispatchers is to visit the Better Business Bureau. Avoid the online transport reviews websites. Most are surviving by accepting advertising money from transport companies. Does that tell you anything? The information they offer is custom tailored and often tainted to hurt the transport companies that DON’T give them ad dollars.

Does it make a difference how much gas I leave in my vehicle?

The suggested amount of gasoline  in a car upon pick-up is a ¼ tank. The reason why we ask our costumers to make sure of this is because any extra weight, multiplied by several vehicles per transporter, might cause the carrier to be deemed “overweight” at a weigh station.

Does it make a difference how much gas I leave in my vehicle?

Basic Auto Transport Industry Rules

1. NEVER choose a company based only on having the lowest quote (a quote is not always the price)

2. IGNORE companies who tell you that they “Have a driver or truck in your area” or “One spot left on the truck due to a last-minute cancellation” when you have no official order with them (these are just gimmicks to get you to call them and it is not an honest statement. Does it make sense that a broker really looked for a driver for your car already, before ever talking to you or getting your information? or that truck drivers are just standing by waiting around the corner?)

3. AVOID companies that claim to have their own trucks or say that they are “Family Owned and Operated” (Those are just ploys and if they offer “Nationwide” shipping they are ALWAYS a Broker and contracting carriers for you exactly like the next company, the key is to hire an honest one who protects your interests!)

4. AVOID companies that have “NO UPFRONT DEPOSIT REQUIRED” (NO DEPOSIT = NO CONTRACT)

5. DO YOUR RESEARCH by checking www.BBB.org and CAREFULLY.

 

These are Basic Auto Transport Industry Rules

5 Easy Tips to Improve your Auto Transport Experience

You asked for it, and we delivered. Here it is…a simple list of 5 tips that can improve your auto transport experience exponentially. Without further ado, here they are!: 5 Easy tips to improve your auto transport experience

  • Don’t Go For the Cheapest Quote!
  • This is something that far too many people go for. If you go for a cheap quote, you’re probably going to get burned. The problem is that anyone can give you a cheap quote, but no one can get you cheap auto transport. It’s expensive and you get what you pay for
  • Always Check Out the Credentials of an Auto Transport Company
  • This is pretty straightforward. It’s also a standard for smart shopping of any type. Always make sure that the people you work with are reputable.
  • Be Reasonable With Your Expectations
  • Understand that auto transport involves some heavy duty logistical planning. It’s not easy to plan routes, and when things go wrong it can delay transport by a couple of hours.
  • Figure Out What Kind of Service You Need Before Booking
  • Figuring out what you need before you book is going to save you from a bunch of time and money. Get all your ducks in a row before you book! Cancellations can be expensive, and so can rescheduling a transport.
  • Choose your Route Carefully
  • Just because an auto transport company offers ‘door to door’ transport doesn’t mean your vehicle needs to be shipped directly to your door. You can choose any door you like for shipping, and in many cases making a slight adjustment can save you hundreds of dollars. Here’s an example. Say I live in Manhattan and I want to ship a car to myself. If I send it right to my apartment in Harold Square, it’s going to cost me about $1,000. If i try to ship the same car to Newark, however, it’ll only cost $800! Be smart about your route!

What if my auto transport vehicle drop-off or pick up location is inaccessible to the truck?

Most auto transport trucks are quite large, up to 75 feet long. This sometimes makes it impossible to reach many residential areas. If that’s the case with your auto transport vehicles move, your vehicle mover will attempt to get as close as possible to your delivery location. We can also arrange a convenient location, like a shopping center, to either pick up or deliver your vehicle. A big lot is the best. Also, sometime companies have double drivers so they can drive the car to your house and then give them a ride back to the truck.Steps invloved with auto transport drop off

What Happens During Auto Moving

We will take you through the process of a typical auto move from start to finish.

First things first, get quotes from several auto moving companies. This can be done quickly and easily on the internet. No more days of sitting with the phone book spread out in front of you calling random auto shipping companies for quotes and information.

Next, you need to compare the quotes and services offered by each company. Once you have found the company that is right for you, accept their quote, and then contact the auto moving company to discuss pickup and delivery dates and other pertinent information.

After that, you will most likely need to fill out paperwork for the shipment of your vehicle. Mostauto moving companies will email, fax, or mail these forms to you. This preliminary paperwork is not the final paperwork that needs to be filled out to ship your car; this is just the formalities of accepting a quote and getting the process started. After submitting your paperwork to the auto shipping company, you are now considered one of their clients.

Right away, the auto moving company will begin working on planning your vehicle shipment. They will look for auto shipping carriers to use that can pick up and deliver your vehicle within a specified time-frame, have a good history of transporting vehicles, and have good communications with the auto moving company. Once a carrier is secured, you will be contacted with an estimated pick up date.

Soon after, your vehicle is picked up for delivery. The process takes about 20 minutes to complete. The driver will inspect your vehicle for any damages and will note them on the Bill of Lading. He will then load the vehicle onto the auto moving hauler, giving you a copy of the Bill of Lading before he leaves.

Finally, you will receive a call at least a day in advance from either the auto moving company or the driver to let you know your vehicle is almost there. Whether you chose door-to-door service or terminal-to-terminal service, you now know it is coming.

The very last step of this process is to make sure you are there to meet with the auto transport driver when he arrives with your vehicle. You want to be there to inspect your car for any damages and document them on your Bill of Lading if there are any. If you chose to pay for your shipment C.O.D., you will need to make that payment to the auto moving driver before he releases your vehicle to you.

These steps are taken in a typical auto transport. Obviously, everyone’s experiences will vary, but this scenario was given to show that auto moving is easy and a lot less detailed for a consumer than some might imagine.

Car-Moving-300x225

Personal Items in Vehicle during auto transport

Brokers & Shippers: Most carriers prohibit the inclusion of personal items in vehicles being shipped. This is for three very good reasons:

  • License & Insurance – It is against FMCSA regulations for carriers to transport personal possessions within a vehicle. Carriers risk fines for transporting any personal possessions. In addition, the carrier’s insurance typically does not cover the loss or damage of personal possessions included in a vehicle being shipped.
  • Weight – Auto haulers have strict limits on the weight of loaded trucks and trailers. The unanticipated weight of personal items could cause carriers to be overweight. In this situation, the carrier has to make a choice to drive overweight (risking fines and significant delays) or not take the vehicle.
  • Safety – Extra weight in the car could cause damage to the undercarriage during loading and unloading.

To avoid the potential loss of personal items and to make sure that vehicles can be delivered on time, make sure customers understand that they should not ship any personal items in a vehicle.

Customer please make sure you follow these instructions.