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?
To make this process as uncomplicated as possible we provide the following information. Here are some helpful tips you may not be aware of when it comes to coverage for your vehicle:
What is the process if there is damage to my vehicle upon delivery?
Please call the offices of American Transport immediately. In most cases, we have only 30 days to file a claim and if not reported to us within 30 days we cannot offer assistance or be held responsible for any damage that might have occurred.
Additionally, you must clearly indicate any resulting damage that occurred during shipping on the “Bill of Lading” or delivery receipt issued by the driver at the time of delivery.
Plainly put, car shipping is a big deal. Placing your valuable vehicle in the hands of perfect strangers can be a bit nerve racking by itself. Most often, however, there is also some other event taking place when an auto transport company is hired. When you’re focused on relocating due to a new job, buying that new car, retiring to the city of your dreams or finally buying that classic car you’ve drooled over since high school, you want to know for sure your car will be moved with the highest level of care and at the best price. That’s why choosing between a broker and a carrier can be extremely important.
Core Differences in Auto Transport Companies
The basics are the same regardless of which type of auto transport company you choose. Your car will get shipped from point A to point B. But that’s generally where the similarities end. From there you find a list of pros and cons that can help you make a decision on whether to use a broker or carrier.
Let’s define those terms to start with. In the car shipping industry, a broker is a company that resells your job. For instance, when you call a broker, they will charge you a fee for shipping your car. However, they will not actually perform the shipping themselves. They will call several carriers and sell your car shipping job to them. After the job is passed on to the carrier, the broker steps out of the picture.
A carrier, on the other hand, actually takes your car from destination A to destination B. Think of it as going straight to a wholesaler when you’re buying furniture or jewelry. Rather than going to a retail store when you buy these items, you cut out the middleman and buy them for a better price direct from the wholesaler. In the same way, rather than using a broker, you have the option of contacting carriers directly.
Pros and Cons of Choosing Either an Auto Transport Carrier or an Auto Transport Broker
Selection
The biggest benefit of using a broker for car shipping is selection. A broker may either have a pre-approved list of carriers or may post the vehicle online for any carrier to select. When using a carrier, you would be responsible or contacting each one individually which might take a bit of time. However, there are other factors at play when shipping a car.
Fees and Cancellations
Brokers attempt to source carriers at rates below what they have quoted in order to make a profit. That’s how they stay in business. You will be expected to pay a deposit, which is generally nonrefundable. The carrier will collect the balance of the transportation costs when the vehicle is delivered through cash or certified funds only. Many will also allow you to cancel your order at anytime prior to pick-up with a 100% refund. To be sure, always ask first!
Guaranteed Pick-Up
Because brokers don’t have full control over every carrier they use, they can’t guarantee when your car will be picked up. When comparing transit time you need to be careful to make an apples-to-apples comparison. A brokered move may have a shorter transit time from pick up to delivery but it may take more days to get the vehicle picked up. Make sure that you include all of the days in any comparison.
Door-to-Door Service
Depending on the carrier, the size of their truck, or the entry into your neighborhood, you might be asked to meet the driver at a nearby shopping center or other landmark for delivery. This is due to their inability to take big equipment into an area that is difficult to maneuver. Unfortunately, brokers cannot always assess the carrier’s ability to take your vehicle directly to your door. Again, never assume. Ask the broker or auto transport carrier what their policies are to be sure.
As you can see, there are big differences between auto transport brokers and auto transport carriers that go beyond price. Before you sign any contracts or releases, make sure you are dealing with the type of company you prefer and, to ensure the safety of your car and a flawless transaction, check out each company thoroughly before making your decision.
Most transport companies use a National Board to connect with carriers and brokers. This board provides key information on the market conditions like current rates, the supply and demand of trucks and vehicles moving in a particular area and much more info required to give customers a great service. At American Transport we are proud of our specialized service unlike many other companies, American Transport work does not end on the national board, it starts there. We will contact every pre-approved carrier from our extensive carrier’s list working a particular route until we find, negotiate and schedule your job. There is no better way.
You want to move your vehicle from Massachusetts to Florida. Next question is how do i do it. You go to google in type in Auto Transport Quotes. You see there are a lot of pages that give free quotes some even give you 9-10 free quotes(brokers pay for leads)from different companies. Here is the problem with that first all these companies are Brokers not carriers which mean they DO NOT have their own trucks. In addition, they will low ball your quoting hoping one of the carriers will take it off the centraldispatch.com board. The truth is if it’s to good to be true it probably is your car will sit for days or weeks with no carrier picking it up. Also, when the time comes the broker may call you to tell about the increase in price due to an increase in insurance or diesel fuel. What are you going to do say no and not move your car and let it sit. This is called the old bait and switch and happens all the time in the auto industry. It is a game and the brokers know how to play it. Please use a local company who you can trust.
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.
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
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
Brokers & Shippers: Most carriers prohibit the inclusion of personal items in vehicles being shipped. This is for three very good reasons:
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.