Car detailing and valeting

If you’ve never shipped a vehicle before, the whole process can be a bit overwhelming at first. There are, however, a few things that you can look out for that may help you choose the best vehicle shipping company for your needs.

Perhaps the first thing to observe while doing your comparison shopping is how willing they are to show you their insurance policy and explain the coverage. If the company does not insure their cargo, or will not offer proof, scratch them off your list. They may seem upstanding but if they are not insured, they probably cannot afford it – a very bad sign. They could be embroiled in legal issues or just simply operate their business very badly and are looking for another sucker to fleece before they close their business. Don’t be that sucker. This could be just another example of someone who wanted to be an entrepreneur, but had no idea how to run a successful business.

The company you choose must be honest and reliable and financially sound enough to offer you several policies from which to choose. There are two types of insurance in the industry, primary and excess. The primary will cover damages independently of your current personal insurance policy. Excess coverage is just that, it covers damages in excess of your currently held personal policy. The company should be eager to describe what types of accidents and damages their policy covers so you can make an intelligent choice of the coverage you need to purchase from them.

Now that that is done, you can move to the next part of the process, that of deciding which method of transport is best for you. There are two basic methods of transport in the industry, open or closed transport. Closed carrier trucks are the most commonly used and can be seen trucking almost everyday, everywhere. They are the most popular because they are the cheapest mode of transport and ship promptly. If the weather is good and your car has a long, long trip ahead of it, this is a good option.

A lot of container shipping is done by sea. Closed carrier trucks are costlier than open carriers. Moreover, companies prefer to wait until a container truck is loaded with a maximum of cars before shipping, which means you will have to wait, perhaps a long time, unless you are willing to pay to compensate them for early delivery.

The closed truck or container offers more safety for your vehicle. The incidence of theft and damage is lessened as your car is neither exposed to inclement weather, road conditions or car thieves. If your car is of the rare, expensive, or custom variety or if it has a very long journey to make to its destination, the closed container is your best option regardless of the extra cost involved.

The reputable company will offer insurance for each and every vehicle it carries and any damages they sustain will be fully compensated while under their care. Over and above, they carry liability insurance of at least $800,000 to cover the cargo should several of the vehicles become damaged. Honest companies care about their reputations and will not sacrifice their name by mishandling or endangering their customers’ property. They will insure against this. So do not do business with any company that will not give you proof of insurance or fails to bring it up in initial conversations.

To read more on Car Transport or Car Shipping please visit MetroGistics.