Your car is probably one of the most expensive and personal items you’ll ever own, and that’s why when it’s being shipped, you want to ensure it’s in good hands, and you have a peaceful mind to go on with your daily routines.
After getting used to seeing it every day and knowing where it is at every moment, it’s likely that you’ll get uneasy when you know you’ll be without it for a few days or even an entire month. While it’s being shipped, you’re likely to get concerned about where it is, and what its current condition is; whether everything is ok? This is not a good state of mind, and that’s why below are a few tips to help you relax while you wait for the delivery day.
1. Do Your Homework
This may be the most important step. It involves doing a thorough background research of various companies to determine which one will be the best to employ to ship your car (i.e. if you don’t have a favorite yet.
If you already have a preferred company, you may skip to the next tip, or better still, just read on to confirm that your company of choice meets all the required criteria). You want to confirm what shipping options the company offers; like terminal-to-terminal or door-to-door.
The former will have your car shipped but you’ll have to go pick it up at one of the company’s facilities – probably the one they’ll tell you to go pick it from. The latter will have your car picked from where you’ll tell the company to pick it up (normally your residence), and then they’ll deliver it to your preferred destination (usually your other residence or where you specify).
Another feature you’ll want to consider is whether the company offers open air or enclosed transport. If you’re shipping an exotic, rare, luxury, very expensive, or classic vehicle, you’ll want to go for an enclosed auto transport that will ensure your priced cargo has the best of care during the shipping. It will be more expensive but it’ll be better than having your car delivered to you with dents, scratches or a thing or two broken. Moreover, compare the prices of the companies to determine which one is the most affordable but offers all the features you prefer.
You also want to consider the company’s reputation. If it’s your first time shipping a car, it’ll be best to consult friends and family about their experience with shipping a car and get a recommendation about the best company to employ. Also, a Google search will be beneficial. Look for reviews about different companies and learn what others are saying about them.
Companies with a good reputation nowadays have a testimonial section where customers post their experiences with the company. It takes time and experiences for a car shipping company to guarantee total safety for your vehicle. Therefore, it’s important that you check to ensure that the company you’ll be hiring will take extreme care of your vehicle so that it’s delivered in one piece and in the exact state it was in when it was picked up.
Doing your homework well will save you more than 50% of the work you’ll have to do to ensure you have peace of mind while your car is being shipped.
2. Your Car’s Status
As long as you know the company you want to use to ship your vehicle, another important thing you’ll want to do is have a record of the condition your car was in when it was picked up for shipping. This will be crucial if something unpleasant happens to your car during the shipping.
For this step, there are a few things you’ll want to do to ensure that your vehicle is in the best status possible for shipping.
First things first; ensure that your car is in the best condition possible by having it evaluated by a professional mechanic. However, if for some reason you cannot manage to do this, and the car has a number of issues, then document them and ensure that the shipping company is aware of this prior to the shipping. Take pictures and videos of the car so that you have a record that you can use as proof for the condition your car was in when it was picked up for shipping. Another thing you want to do is to clean the vehicle, both inside and outside. Let it be shipped clean and delivered clean.
Ensure the gas reading is no more than a quarter of the tank to prevent the gas from spilling during the car transport. Disable the alarm system to avoid unnecessary interruptions while the car is being shipped. You want your car delivered exactly in the same condition it was picked up, and the above steps will help you ensure that this is true.
3. Your Valuables
It can be very frustrating and even annoying when you want something but can’t have it because you left it in your car, and it won’t arrive until a week or month later. Even worse, consider your child crying incessantly for days about a toy that was left in the car, or something as important as your cell phone? It’s good that you ensure nothing valuable, or significantly useful is left in the car before it’s picked up for shipping. Preferably, let it be as empty as it was when you bought it. We are talking about peace of mind here, and this is a small but very sensitive tip that if ignored, can really cause storms in your head.
4. Insurance
Transport companies are required by law to have sufficient insurance for all their cargo. As long as you’ve done your part (you gave your car in a good condition), then the rest is the work of the transport company. If anything happens to your car, it’s the obligation of the transport company to ensure any damages are taken care of without unnecessarily affecting or bothering you. Remember your evidence (Tip #2) in case of any challenges.
5. Some Distraction
It may take from two days to up to a month for your car to be delivered. If it’s delivered sooner, good for you. However, there is a chance it may take more than a week or two to be delivered. This is the part this tip concerns. In such a case, it will not be fair for you to be worried all the time until the car is finally delivered. It’ll be much better if you invested in some distraction to keep your mind from worrying about the car.
Keep yourself busy with other things like your children, setting up the new home if you were moving, getting to know the neighbors, or settling in at the new place. Look for some distraction until the car is delivered. Furthermore, if it’ll take more than two weeks, it’ll be a good idea to set a reminder on your phone 3 – 5 days prior to the delivery day. This will get you prepared in advance in case you are lost in your distraction. It’s good to expect the vehicle and ensure that any arrangements necessary for its reception are done.
