Posts

Choosing Between an Auto Transport Broker vs. an Auto Transport Carrier (American Transport is both a Carrier/Broker)

/in

auto broker American Transport

 

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.

Is hiring an auto transport company cost effective?

/in

Hiring an auto transport company going to be cost effective.

It can take several days to drive across the country. That means staying in a hotel and paying for meals and of course gas and oil. There’s also the wear and tear on each car driven including the brakes and engine. Tolls on interstate highways are getting more expensive each year. Locals have the computerized passes that let them zip through, while outsiders have to patiently sit in the long line to pay their toll.

There’s also the possibility of costly speeding tickets. On the very depressing side, a family might start to think about the possibility of a car accident and the injuries it would involve. At this point in the thought process, paying car shipping rates becomes a more attractive idea.cost effective auto shipping

 

The Truth About Auto Transport Quotes

/in

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.

auto shipping questions

/in

questions for auto transportCar shipping can be an extremely frustrating experience therefore you must have a lot of auto shipping questions. So many things can go wrong. For example, you car can be shipped to the wrong location, it can arrive with damages and/or the cost of shipping may fail to remain as it was. In addition, the arrival of your car maybe delay for days or weeks. In summary, you need to ask a few questions before you decide to ship your car with that company. Therefore, it is important for you to ask yourself, “What are some key questions to ask a car shipping company?” Here are some of these questions.

– To Begin With, You Need To Ask For A Price Quotation From The Shipping Company.

Prices vary across car shipping companies due to a number of factors such as the capacity to haul cargo, the expertise the company has in this industry and the type of cargo you are carrying. Common price factors include distance, prevailing fuel costs and wages of laborers. This is why you need a quotation from the company. It will help you to compare prices with other companies and so choose the option that best suits your financial capability. Please get a shipping quote from company in writing

– Secondly, You Need To Know How They Will Ship Your Car.

There are different methods of shipping. Each of these methods can either put your car in harm’s way or prevent it from being damages. You therefore need to know which method of storing and shipping your car the car company intends to carry out. For example, an open trailer method of hauling cargo across the seas exposes your car to the destructive effects of Mother Nature. Answer these few basic questions to get a better handle on the type of company you are dealing with and you will be in good shape!