Dedicated Auto Transport: All You Need To Know Before Hiring One
If you own a supercar, or a private yacht, or any vehicle, for that matter, and you need it shipped from one location to another, you’ve landed on the right page. You probably love your car a lot. And there are simply no reasons for you not to do so. When you plan to relocate, it might sound convenient to drive your vehicle up to the new place, but at the same time, it can be too tiring. And to add up to all the hassle, consider the fuel, toll, and other costs that you may incur on the way. In this article we look at some of the questions you need to ask before signing a contract with a transportation company.
If you own a supercar, or a private yacht, or any vehicle, for that matter, and you need it shipped from one location to another, you’ve landed on the right page. You probably love your car a lot. And there are simply no reasons for you not to do so.
When you plan to relocate, it might sound convenient to drive your vehicle up to the new place, but at the same time, it can be too tiring. And to add up to all the hassle, consider the fuel, toll, and other costs that you may incur on the way.
A Dedicated Auto Transport service may help you alleviate your stress while saving you a lot of money as well. So, how does car shipping work? Read on to find out.
What is a Dedicated Auto Transport Company?
You must have come across and overtaken huge trailers that have several vehicles loaded on them when traveling across freeways. These trucks and carriers belong to a dedicated auto transport company. Usually, these companies have brokers or mediators in between to deal with the customers. However, you can contact the company directly and skip the brokers in between.
Moreover, there are many additional custom services that these companies offer. Read on to learn more.
What to Look in an Auto Transport Company?
With so many companies selling the same bacon to every customer, it can be a bit confusing. Therefore, it’s wiser to look for how they customize your experience with their service.
Here are a few tips that you can follow when looking for a towing or a transport service.
You get what you pay for
Often people go for cheaper services. In the end, they either receive a carelessly handled vehicle sustaining damages or receive it too late. Remember, you need to ensure quality over quantity. Even if it requires you paying a little extra to ensure the utmost safety of your vehicle during transit. For instance, you can choose a covered trailer for transporting your car, or a private tow-truck.
Check their service record
When looking for a transport service, you can ask your service provider to share the USDoT# or MC#. Using this number, you can look into more intricate details about the company. And you can find out if everything they said is true or not. Experts suggest that you should avoid searching for company details by name and instead use their motor carrier number or US Department of transportation number.
Ensure that you hire a company
As already mentioned, there are instances when a broker may mediate between customer and transport company. Just to ensure that you don’t end up paying unnecessarily, you can ask the company that you’re hiring if they own their fleet, or whether they outsource their trailers and trucks. Additionally, you can search through their reviews online to ensure that the company you are hiring has a good reputation.
It is sure that by now you must have a list of prospective transport services to reach out. But, the next step is to inquire about their services and how they can offer it differently.
So, here are some of the questions that you should ask your transport service.
Questions you should ask your dedicated auto transport service
Before you agree to the terms and prices asked by your service provider, you need to learn more about them. After all, you are leaving your prized possession with them- your precious car.
Question 1: Can you offer a free quote?
It is an industry-standard, offering free quotations for the services you require. If a company denies offering free quotes, it is a sure-shot red flag. Offering free quotes is the way these companies get business. So, if a company is denying you free quotes, then either they are new to the industry or simply incompetent.
Question 2: What’s included in the quote?
Asking the inclusions of the quoted price is more important than enquiring about the price itself. Most commonly customers complain about uninformed expenses that they may have to pay at the time of delivery. Some of these costs may be because of a change in route due to natural calamities but having enquired about these charges beforehand can save you a lot of stress and money, of course.
Question 3: What modes of payment do you accept?
Often the transport company may ask you to make partial payment upfront. However, if they ask you for complete payment, it’s best to keep looking for better service providers. At the same time, it is also crucial to ask for the modes of payment they accept. For instance, if your transporter asks for a cash payment, then you should ask for a receipt in return. This can help you save a lot of tax, while also helping you maintain a record. Similarly, some transporters may also accept credit or debit card payments.
Question 4: How much transit time would you require?
This one’s really important as it can be a priority deciding factor. For instance, if you require your car or your truck to be shipped AFAP, you’d only be choosing a company that can meet your timeframe. Usually, every transporter offers an express delivery service. However, it may cost you a little extra. On the other hand, standard delivery time may range from 3-4 days to up to a week, depending upon the distance of transit. Additionally, the timeframe may also be affected by the stops during transit, especially if you opt for co-loading service.
Question 5: Can you share some references?
When you ask for references, expect them to share contact details for a real person that you can have a mutual conversation with. Do not consider online reviews and testimonials, as they can be manipulated very easily. Instead, ask for the contact details of their previous customers so that you can evaluate the real experience they’ve had.
Question 6: What are the common problems that may arise?
If your company isn’t able to answer this question, you surely should keep looking further. Although there are no certain causes that they can predict beforehand, if they are competent and in the business for years, they must know it by experience. Moreover, you can also expect how they overcome these problems. For instance, if the transit vehicle comes across a sandstorm en-route, do they protect your vehicle with sheaths or they simply leave it to be damaged.
Question 7: Can I get everything in writing?
Most importantly, you need to ask every detail in writing. Be it the quote or inclusions of the quote or the driver details, everything should be kept in writing. You can ask your service provider if they can provide every detail in writing, including the transit time, cost, vehicle identification number, and driving details. Moreover, you can also keep your conversations, including any negotiations, in writing, just to avoid any conflicts at a later stage.
Choosing a transport company is not like buying a product from a supermarket. It is particularly a serious service and when hiring someone to take care of your vehicle for you, it is better to relate with the company, and not the services they offer.
Several companies may put up dreamy offers and luring deals to improve business and make minty money. But, in the end, it’s you who has to decide. Whether you wish to get cheap transportation and end up receiving a damaged or dirty car, or you wish to receive it as you handed it over? After all, a car is an expensive belonging and a luxurious necessity as well. You wouldn’t wish to have it damaged just because you cared a bit less when hiring a transport service.