If you’re someone who’s looking for an easier way to transport a car, but you haven’t been sure how to handle it, then this is the article for you. There are a lot of moving parts during the process, as you can probably imagine. Trying to juggle everything at once can be difficult, but that’s why we’re here to offer a guide on how you can quickly, easily, and painlessly ship a car.
Something to bear in mind before we begin is that some of these things will be dependent on where you’re shipping to and from, where you live, and some of the specifics of your vehicle. Now, you can read more about that in this article, particularly in relation to gasoline prices. With that said, let’s delve into how this process works.
Step One: Decide Where You’re Shipping to
For those of you who are well-versed in shipping cars already, this first step might seem incredibly obvious. Here’s the thing, though – there are many different reasons that a person might decide to utilize car transport services. Sometimes it will be for something like a move, so you’ll inherently know the destination, but it’s not always that straight forward.
For instance, if you’re selling the vehicle in question to someone else who is receiving it via shipping, then you’ll need to sort out where they want it to arrive. This could also go vice versa, so if you’re purchasing a vehicle, you may need to provide those details to the seller.
Step Two: Pick a Shipper
Naturally, the next step is to decide which shipping company that you want to work with. There are a lot of different options out there, so it can be challenging to pick between them. What are some metrics that you can use?
Well, one thing to understand is that you can get a bit more information about most of these companies by checking out their websites like this one: https://www.roadrunnerautotransport.com/how-to-ship-a-car, where you can find details on what the general offerings are as well as some comparisons between types of cars to be transported.
In addition to that, you may be able to check if there are customer reviews on their website. When there are, it can help you get a gauge on the experiences that other customers have had, and that can be helpful in terms of the selection process. At the end of the day, what really matters is that there are some car shippers who can provide more affordable services depending on the area, and you should go with whatever will suit your needs best!
Step Three: Get Your Paperwork Ready
Something that tends to take a lot of folks off guard is that when you decide to ship a car, there’s going to be a lot of paperwork involved. Wondering what that will look like? Some of it may be that you need to get your license and registration, which hopefully isn’t too difficult. However, depending on the circumstances, you may need to get more than that as well.
If you’re shipping a vehicle to a buyer, it may be helpful to get a copy of their identification to provide to the transport company as well, just so that you can ensure that it reaches the right person. Make sure to double check beforehand as far as what you’ll need – most company sites will thankfully list it out, or just explain if you do call them for a consultation.
One more example of that could be your insurance information, since that can also help with proving ownership of the vehicle before it’s shipped. These are just a few of the moving parts involved here, but hopefully they shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
Step Four: Prepare Your Vehicle
The final thing we’d like to mention here today is that when you’re going to have a car transported, you will also want to make sure the vehicle itself is ready for the journey. Part of that will have to do with how much gasoline you put in beforehand, as well as how well you’ve cleaned your vehicle. Allow us to explain.
One thing to keep in mind with all of these things in this last point is that most shipping companies calculate the cost of shipping based on the overall weight of the vehicle in question. Even something as small as having more than a quarter tank of gas when the vehicle is picked up for transport can make a pretty big difference in pricing.
That’s why it’s important to get the car clean as well before the driver comes to retrieve it. Stop by your local car wash or do it at home, as long as you get it spic and span both inside and out. This will help you save some money on the shipping cost!
