By definition, a car is something that can travel down a road. Because of time and mileage issues, however, many people prefer to ship their vehicle from here to there instead of driving it.
There is a branch of the trucking industry that is concerned with the transport of private automobiles. In some cases, entire fleets of cars belonged to an organization might be moved and sometimes it is just a person who is moving to a new location and does not wish to drive his own car. Either way, car shipping companies play an important role in the trucking industry
The cars are moved in two basic types of trailers. The first is the open trailer in which the auto is either fully or partially exposed. The second type is the enclosed trailer which is a type of mobile garage and keeps the car fully protected. Normally, the enclosed trailer will cost between 50% and 90% more than the cost of enclosed trailer. Enclosed trailers are normally used for very expensive or exotic automobiles, but the decision is entirely up to the owner and depends on how much he is willing to spend.
Most vehicle shipping companies advertise their service as door-to-door, but this is a misleading statement. Many of the trailers are up to 75 feet long and it is often impossible to navigate the narrow streets of a residential area. Local laws might prohibit large trailers in certain areas also. What door-to-door actually means is that the automobile will be picked up at a mutually acceptable point as near to the owners residence as possible. The same will apply to the drop off point.
Auto shipping companies generally offer insurance for your automobile while it is in transit. Most private insurance policies will not cover damages incurred while being transported, but the owner must contact his own insurance agent to determine if this is the case for his policy. The shipping companies also advise that the car be washed before pickup to make sure any damage is clearly visible in the pre-shipment inspection. Alarms systems should be disabled and the gas tank should only be around a quarter full of gasoline.
Coast to coast service from a shipping company ranges from 5 to 13 days. It is important to allow a generous leeway in scheduling as a number of factors can delay the transport and increase delivery time. Some of these factors are adverse weather conditions, road and traffic conditions, mechanical malfunctions or DOT regulations. It is important to remember that personal effects inside the car are not covered by insurance, and the Department of Transportation does not allow household goods to be transported inside the vehicle during shipment.
Carl Stinson is with TruckingCompaniesforyou.com - a directory of
trucking companies.
