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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.

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Move Vehicle across the U.S.

transport across U.S.

The time that your car is in transit will be dependent on a number of factors, including the origin and destination, time of year, and the actual truck that will be shipping your car. When you get quotes from auto transport companies, you should also ask about estimated shipping time. The following are common time frames for shipping between different parts of the country.

East Coast to West Coast – typically 5 to 14 days
Midwest to East Coast – typically 3 to 7 days
Midwest to West Coast – typically 3 to 7 days
South to the North – typically 3 to 6 days

Sometime Carriers have to stop and pick up and drop off vehicles. They do not make any money when the truck is empty.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OPEN AND AN ENCLOSED AUTO CARRIER AND THE AUTO TRANSPORT RATES


What is the difference between open and enclosed carriers. An open carrier is similar to those you see transporting cars to and from dealerships. These carriers range in size and capacity. Vehicles that are moved via an open carrier are exposed to inclement weather and road conditions. Enclosed carriers also range in size and capacity. Since these carriers are covered, the vehicles in transit are not exposed to weather or road conditions. Enclosed carriers are recommended for custom and antique or classic cars. This mode of transport is more costly than the open carrier.The auto transport rates can vary from 300-500 dollars from an open trailer to en enclosed trailer

Most Popular Auto Transport Snowbird Routes

In North America, the eastern seacoast is the most popular snowbird route. The most popular auto transport snowbird routes are Montreal and Toronto down to the New England states down to New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and ends in Florida. This route runs the I-95 corridor is the most popular. The second is the Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA through I-5 and ending in Arizona or California. The third route cuts down the center of North America –from Minneapolis and Chicago down to Texas or cuts of west to Arizona or east towards Florida.

Auto Transport and Snowbird Prices

Snow

snowbird auto shipping

Please keep in mind that during the winter moving season snowbird auto transport shipment prices on snowbird routes are higher. American Transport advice to all customers is not to fall for the lowest price. The truckers have too many cars to choose from and they usually go by the highest price tag, thus a really low car shipping rate raises a red flag and vehicle could sit 3 or 4 weeks. Auto tranports Snowbird prices are usually from Oct 15th until Jan 15th

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.