Top Questions to Ask Prior to Shipping Your Vehicle

While hiring a company to move your vehicle for you can be much easier and more cost effective than driving it yourself, it can still be quite daunting to trust others with your vehicle. Whether it’s your primary vehicle or a new purchase, your vehicle is valuable and important to you. Here are a few of the top questions you should ask your transport logistics broker or shipping carrier prior to shipping your vehicle.

Any business that is offering auto transport services, whether they are logistics only or the physical driver moving the vehicle, is required to be licensed with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). This is true whether they will be crossing state lines or not. Any company organizing or providing auto transport should be able to provide you with their USDOT number at any time. 

In addition, companies that provide transport across state lines will also be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and receive an MC number. This number should be readily provided to you by your company when asked or you can confirm the information on the FMCSA website. 

If you’re transporting your vehicle outside of the continental U.S., the company providing the transport abroad will also require registration with the Federal Maritime Commission. 

NOTE:  Auto transport logistics brokers or carriers that transport your vehicle to international ports within the continental U.S. DO NOT require registration with the Federal Maritime Commission UNLESS they are providing the physical transport abroad or handling the logistics of a transport abroad.

This may seem like a silly question but it’s more important than you think! You should always ask what services the company will provide so transport expectations are clear. Some companies may have restrictions as to where they can transport (inter- vs intra- state transport), restrictions on the type or size of vehicles they can transport, and the types of carriers they are able to offer (enclosed vs. open carriers). Knowing what to expect and what is available will help you determine the best company to work with.

Car transport rates will vary, so check out the prices for a few companies so you can get a comparison, and make sure you understand exactly what’s included in the cost – you don’t want to be hit with any ‘extra’ charges that you weren’t aware of. The best way to do this is to request a personalized transport quote that takes into account the specific details of your transport. At Graham Family Auto Transport, we believe that honesty and clarity is key to setting proper expectations so our personalized auto transport quotes are ALWAYS free! You should be able to receive a personalized quote and lock in that quote for a certain amount of time without providing any payment – that’s why we don’t charge anything until a carrier has been assigned to dispatch your vehicle.  You might also want to ask if the price is negotiable or, as many families often have more than one car, if there is a discount when you ship more than one vehicle. 

The standard motor insurance on your vehicle probably won’t cover transporting your car across the country, so you need to make sure your shipping company has adequate insurance coverage. More often than not, the insurance coverage is held by the carrier/shipper and not the transport logistics broker themselves. Once a carrier is being considered for the transport, you can ask to see their insurance documents, and find out exactly what level of cover your vehicle will have while it’s being shipped. If you don’t think it’s sufficient, ask about increasing the cover. It might cost a little more, but the peace of mind will be worth it. 

It is also wise to call your personal auto insurance company to confirm what is and is not covered! 

The proper documentation to ship cars across the country is required, otherwise car thieves would have a very easy life. Typically, this means being able to provide your registration and insurance documents. You can always confirm with your transport company to find out exactly what paperwork they will need to see to be sure you have the legal right to ship your car. 

Auto shipping companies are prohibited for moving cars that contain additional weight, valuable items, or items that are regulated/prohibited/illegal, so most companies will want you to make sure all you property is removed from the car. The Department of Transport also requires that all keys (engine, door, trunk, and other lockable compartment keys) be turned over to the mover while the car is being transported. It is also suggested that you have no more than a quarter of a tank of gas, so the company avoids any surcharges for excess weight, and you avoid any surprise costs. Your logistics team should be able to go over all the pre-shipping requirements and expectations with you. You can also check out our article  “How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Transport” available anytime at our website !

Shipping times will vary from one transport to another. It is very dependent on how your car is being shipped, and where to. With car shipping, quotes for delivery time are rarely guaranteed, as things can occasionally be unpredictable. As a general guide, coast to coast transportation might take 1-2 weeks, shorter distances a few days, and overseas much longer. 

The payment structure can vary from company to company so you should always ask what to expect. Some shipping companies will require you to pay the full amount up front, and others will take a deposit, and the balance on delivery. Make sure you ask what kind of payment arrangement the company requires, and also what methods of payment you can use when your vehicle is delivered, as some might not accept checks, or prefer not to have their drivers carrying large amounts of cash. 

At Graham Family Auto Transport, we believe in protecting the finances of our customers as well as our carriers and drivers. In effort to maintain this balance we have arranged a payment structure that holds both sides accountable without requiring full payment or full gesture of goodwill from either side. At the time of confirming a carrier to dispatch your vehicle, an initial deposit will be taken via credit or debit card. Then upon pick up or delivery of your vehicle, the balance will be paid directly to the driver via cash or certified bank check.  You will NEVER be charged prior to assigning a carrier under contract to move your vehicle and all transport quotes are always free!

When your vehicle is picked up by the transporter, they will complete an assessment of the general condition of the car with you, so you can both agree what state it is in before it leaves. On delivery, you will carry out a similar check with the driver, to a make sure there has been no damage during transport. It is never a bad idea to take photos of your car both before shipping and upon delivery. You can access our article “Mistakes to Avoid When Shipping Your Car” anytime at  our website  to read more on ways to avoid damage to your vehicle during shipping.

Ensuring you have completed a thorough inspection (with photos) of your vehicle prior to shipping will help significantly when processing any claims due to damage during transport. It is important to ensure all damage is notated on the final assessment done at delivery of the vehicle. If you sign off on the assessment without the damage notated then you are legally agreeing that the vehicle was delivered to you in the same condition it was picked up. 

Any claims to insurance will usually be processed via the carrier/driver’s insurance and not through the brokerage/auto transport logistics company. However, your transport broker/logistics team should be able to help you navigate submitting claims information. They can also provide you the contact details specific to the carrier that damaged your vehicle. 

Auto transport rates and details can vary significantly from company to company so it is important to ask the necessary questions to set you up for success! Taking the time upfront to gather the information you need will be a huge benefit in the event something occurs so you’re not scrambling on the back end. If you ask any of these questions to a company and they’re hesitant or resistant to discussing them with you then you can go ahead and consider that a giant waving red flag. Your vehicle is important to you so asking questions and covering your bases is absolutely welcomed and expected.

Happy Shipping!

Graham Family Auto Transport