The process of car shipping may not be as safe and simple as you may imagine. There are quite a few factors you need to apply your mind if you want your car shipping to be successful. As a first step, you will have to get your car ready for transportation. This calls for completely cleaning your car and removing all the extra fittings like antenna. You will have to check the gas tank to make sure the filling is not more than one-fourth and also ensure you have controlled the radiator for antifreeze.

The next step is to organize an inspection of your vehicle and prepare car shipping report. You have to state clearly in the report the condition of your vehicle before shipment. The report must describe the current condition of your car and spell out all the existing scratches, cracks, missing parts etc. You will need this report to check your vehicle's condition upon delivery. This report is also essential to resolve all the possible disputes that may later arise in respect of the car condition. If there are any damages to your vehicle which occurred during the shipment, you can claim these damages.

You should begin studying auto transport options at least a month prior to your car shipment and confirm the entire schedule two weeks prior to the vehicle's departure. Please remember to verify the car shipping company you engage has a license and provides full cover insurance of your vehicle. Make it a point to verify with people who have the experience with the companies you are considering. Find out whether the companies are licensed. These vehicle transport companies must be licensed by the US Department of Transportation and you are well within your rights to demand and see the DOT license number certificate issued to the transporter.



Before signing the contract of car shipping, carefully study the payment details and also consider the prices. It is absolutely essential that you are fully satisfied with the car shipping - its terms and conditions, the safety the company provides to your car. You need not take any hurried decision as there several car shipping companies which offer competitive prices and favorable terms and you have a wide choice to suit your budget. The cost of shipping is determined by many factors, including the make, type, and weight of the vehicle, the departure point and final destination of the vehicle.

You must understand that pick-up and delivery dates are only probable dates and there cannot be anything definite about them. There could be many unforeseen problems, not within our control, like traffic jams, rough weather conditions, breakdowns etc. that can contribute to delays. Quite often the cause of delays is one of the customer's making. They make last minutes changes to the agreed routes or delivery terms. Remember the better you fulfill your part of the deal the sooner you will get your car delivered at the other end.


Selecting the vehicle for transporting your car is indeed a crucial decision. Open trailers are fully or partially exposed and therefore cheaper. The fully enclosed ones are obviously costlier as they protect your car dust, sun and rain. Your choice will depend on the money you are willing to spend. Moving an oversized car is expected to cost more than a smaller vehicle, and there are certain parameters that apply when determining the cost of transporting classic cars or other customized vehicles.

You should also not be misled into believing that door-to-door shipping will mean your car being delivered at your home. When your car is shipped door-to-door it means that the truck driver will reach your car as close to the pick-up or delivery point as possible.