Many people are not unduly obsessed with the safety of auto transport and simply send their car off to be shipped by the first name they came across in the yellow pages.This often leads to a lot of complications and avoidable bitterness between the shipper and the client. If you are planning to ship your vehicle through an auto transport company, it is better you engage the right company after you do some research and pre-study. One of the primary concerns about auto transport is that things can go missing from within the vehicle - particularly items like stereos or other additional fittings that are loosely bound inside the vehicle. The best thing would be toremove anything of value or if that is not possible, get a signed document stating that the auto transport company will reimburse you the value in the event that something in missing or stolen from your vehicle.

Make sure that the auto transport company has the required experience and background for diligent auto shipping. You can certainly ascertain from them how they prepare a vehicle for auto transport, the processes that are involved, and how they make sure that everything id done smoothly and safely. Any reputable and reliable auto transport company will be only too glad to answer your questions and will definitely have a proper method in place to ensure that things are done without any hitch. Auto transport companies have multiple ways to send your vehicle when they register to ship it. Rail and trailer are the most common routes and naval way will be utilized only if you are shipping overseas.

Ask and know from your auto transport company how they intend moving it and why they chose that method. It is very common for auto transport companies to send vehicles through rail, especially if it is for a destination within the United States. Rail has the advantage of being relatively safe and is fairly quick. Door-to-door service in a closed container is the safest of all auto transport options. Not only will your car be not exposed to the weather but you will not be required to go anywhere to pick it up, either. The driver will get as close to your specified pick-up or delivery spot as he can legally and safely get. When access is denied, the auto transport company driver may ask that you meet him in a nearby parking lot, mall or store. Most house-hold moving companies may offer to ship your car along with your other household goods. However, as a rule moving companies charge more than auto transport companies when it comes to car shipping.

Most car shipping companies undertake booking on "door-to-door" basis. But how close the transport vehicle can get to your door can vary, since auto transport trucks are generally 75 feet long. Open transport is less expensive than closed transport, but your car is exposed to the weather during the trip, which could take 8 to 10 days to cross the country or longer, depending on how many pickups and drop-offs the driver has on the way. You must make it a point to know if the car shipping company you engage is licensed and insured. Insist on knowing from them what type of insurance is provided for your vehicle in transit and whether you can buy additional protection if you deem it necessary. You may also verify with your insurance agent to see if your car insurer has any restrictions on coverage while your vehicle is in transit. It is a common practice for a car transport service to use an agent for shipping vehicles. If this is true in your situation, ask the auto transport company to see the agent's certificate of insurance. Brokers also arrange for car shipping through auto transport companies they work with. You must check the insurance certificate of the company they are using to transport your car.