3 Vital Tips for Auto Transport – Tips for Moving Your Car

Planning and executing a move is a stressful undertaking. The operation can prove costly, time-consuming, disorienting, and emotional. After signing on the dotted line, most people don’t know where to start. A long distance move just makes everything harder because there is no running back and forth for forgotten valuables. Everything has to be packed up and sent in one trip; there’s no turning back. When dealing with so many details, transporting your car becomes an added headache. Driving to your new home becomes an exhausting journey, especially when traveling with children. A great alternative is to send the car separately, and travel at your own convenience. There are some basic tips and tricks that will make the auto transport process a lot less difficult.

Book in Advance

In order to get the best price, it is advisable to start doing your homework early, so that you can compare price quotes from different companies. It is important to inform the company about the size of your car, the make and model, and the length of your destination, as these factors will affect auto transport pricing. It is a good idea to shop around, but remember that after deciding on a company, if you call back a while later that price may have changed incrementally. This is because auto transport pricing takes into account some variable factors, such as gas and the weather, which will fluctuate over time.
If you plan on doing your research online, make sure to check the company’s references and reputation so as to ensure that your car, one of your most prized possessions, will be in good hands.

The Extras

Standard auto transport consists of transporting your car, but different companies will offer different extra options for your convenience.

Many companies offer open or enclosed car transport. Remember that with an open truck, your car will be exposed to the elements just as if it were being driven on the road. However, enclosed car shipping is usually more costly. If you have an expensive new car, a leased car which you are afraid of damaging, a collection car, or the like, you should consider enclosed auto transport. With enclosed transport, the car is transported in a fully enclosed trailer.

Another option offered is door to door transport. Many companies request that you drop your car off at a central terminal, and pick it up from a terminal near your destination, otherwise known as terminal to terminal auto transport. If you require door to door auto transport, make sure to request it. By ‘door to door’ companies mean that the driver will come as close as physically possible to your door. If there are narrow or winding streets, low hanging wires or trees, or other obstacles, the truck will not be able to come directly to your house. Instead, you should arrange to meet as close as possible to central roadways, and in an area with a large parking lot, where there will be room to load the vehicle onto the rig.

Preparation

Once you have scheduled auto transport, there are some preparations that must be made to ensure that your car is ready for the trip. First, don’t plan on sending your car chock full of boxes. Your car must be empty of personal belongings. In fact, you must remove anything belonging to you, including a GPS, car phone, personal documents, etc. Auto transporters carry insurance that covers only the car itself, and not anything inside of it. They hold no responsibility for any belongings left in the car. Also, if stopped, you can incur a fine.

Your car should be taken for a tune-up to ensure that everything is in working order. Any fluids and the gas should be filled about a quarter of the tank. This ensures that there is enough to get the car on and off the truck, but not too much that the car will be overweight. Any special instructions for driving the car on or off the rig should be written down and given to the driver. Also, wash the outside of the car well, and take pictures of it. This will keep you covered in case of any damage to the car during the trip. The driver will also take pictures of the car when he comes to pick it up, and make note of any scratches, dents, etc.

Once you’ve done your homework and the necessary preparations, you’re done. You can let someone else drive your car across the country, or ship it overseas, while you travel in style.

Amy Trip is a travel expert who recommends 1 Auto Transport for all your auto transport needs.

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Posted by Make The List Staff on June 6, 2011. Filed under Auto, Home, The List. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry