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Are you moving across the country? If so, what will you do with your car because it’s clear you can’t drive it across the ocean unless you can turn it into a submarine or an aircraft?

This is where shipping a car would be the thing to do. We’ve created a brief guide that will detail what you need to know about shipping a car so that you can move forward with making the best decision possible.

across the sea

Do Your Research

The first thing you should do before shipping your car is to take the time to do your research. You need to ensure you hire a reputable company to ship your car because you don’t want to get to the place you’re going to be calling home and realize that you’ve now got to put thousands of dollars into repairing the damage that was caused when you hired the company to ship your car.

Make a list of the top car shippers in your area and do things like collect quotes for the cost of shipping the car. Places like the Road Runner car transport cost calculator can help you determine how much you will spend to ship your car and plan accordingly.

Of course, calculating the cost of shipping your car will come after you’ve narrowed down your prospective originations. However, cost should be used as one of the criteria that brings you closer to making your final decision.

Perform a Vehicle Inspection

Before you hand your car over to the carrier, you need to ensure you perform a vehicle inspection with them. The reason for this is to ensure that you both agree about any problems the car has or dents before it’s packed and shipped.

It also helps if, during this time, you take photos of the car and carry them with you so that you can use them once the car has been delivered to determine if any new damage has occurred. It helps if there is a document you and the carrier can sign confirming what damage existed prior to the car being shipped.

Inspecting the car together reduces the chances of you getting into a battle about what was there before and what was caused by the carrier. If need be, the documentation and photos are what’s needed to prove your case if you end up in court seeking monetary payment from the carrier to repair the damages.

Inspect Your Car After Delivery

As mentioned before, you perform an inspection before your car is shipped so that you can be on the same page with the carrier about damages that preexist your shipping date. After you receive your car, ensure you unwrap it carefully and then gather the photos you took during the inspection process.

Then you can walk your car again and document any damage that has occurred. You should also check the mileage of your car and ensure it hasn’t risen from the initial mileage that was recorded before being shipped.

This should be done before you sign the final sheet that is provided to you by the carrier. Please remember that if there is any new form of damage, you need to ensure you don’t sign the paperwork. If you sign the paper, even if there is damage that the carrier is responsible for, you won’t be able to take them to court to cover these things.

Take your time to complete the walkthrough, and don’t let someone rush you through the inspection.

Track the Shipping Journey

When your car is shipped, it’s understood you’re going to want to know where it is at all times. This is why you need to check the tracking information you’re given periodically, especially if the delivery is running behind.

Being able to track your car as it makes its way to your destination is important because you won’t know that it’s progressing the way it’s supposed to. If you check the tracking and your car has remained in one place for too long, it’s time you contact the company to inquire about what’s going on.

It’s best to catch problems as soon as possible in case there is something on the end of the carrier that needs to be taken care of before your car shipment can progress.

Shipping a Car: Things You Need to Know

When you’re shipping your car, there are some things you need to know. Ensure you check the shipment tracking to determine where your car is. It’s also important that you perform an assessment of your car before it’s shipped so you can note any preexisting damage and what happens after it’s been delivered.

Want to know more about shipping your car? Check out some of the other posts we’ve created.