Coast to Coast Auto Transport Guide

Given how large the United States is, shipping your car coast to coast can be challenging. Not only do you have to consider the amount of time it'll take, but you also have to factor in the optimal transport method for your automobile and whether or not you will need door-to-door pickup and delivery.

This all may appear to be a bit daunting of a task, especially if you have never shipped a car a great distance before, but it's not as difficult as many would think. It can be quite an easy process if you find the right auto transport company.

A-1 Auto Transport has significant experience in shipping vehicles in the United States to and from every state. The expertise of A-1 Auto Transport means that you don't have to worry about all of the challenging factors that can exist and, instead, you can better focus your energies on other more productive aspects of your life.

The following topics are all important to consider when engaging in shifting:

Prepare your Vehicle

Preparing your vehicle for relocation is crucial to avoid any unforeseen delays or complications arising at various steps of the process. Ensuring that these preparations are made now will save you stress later:

• Clean your vehicle of any personal belongings, including important documents, CDs, extra accessories that aren't built-in, and trash. Some of the items that you can leave are the ones that come standard with a vehicle, such as a spare tire and jack.
• Leave the gas tank at least 1/4 full and no more than 1/2 full.
• Ensure all the essential registration documents are included in the vehicle.
• Remove the car battery and place it securely in a mounting bracket.
• Examine the car with the company to assess its condition so that any future scratches, dents, and so forth can be compensated.
• If your vehicle is being transported to a cold environment, such as from San Francisco to New York City, in December, ensure it contains the necessary fluids, such as coolants for the engine and transmission oil.
• Provide a set of keys for every part of the vehicle that requires it, including the dashboard.

Length of Shipping Time

Regardless of your chosen method, the average time to move your automobile should take between a week to 10 days. Remember that this is often the "safe" number given by transport companies, as sometimes it can be shipped even faster.

However, companies will often play it safe by saying at least 7 days in not wanting to be held to specific time schedules. Furthermore, other unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather or breakdowns in equipment, can cause some delays.

Get Insurance

While carriers should have some form of insurance to transport any vehicle, as it's a requirement under the law, you should ensure they do anyway.

Here's what you should do:

• Make sure that they have carrier insurance. You can ask them to show you a copy before you arrange service or for the driver to show you it at the pickup point. However, it's recommended that you make them show you a copy of it beforehand. Many will even have it on their website.
• Ask about both deductibles you may have to pay and whether or not your car will be insured during the journey. If your vehicle isn't insured, you should consider whether your existing plan covers transportation.

Some important tips are:

• Any personal items that are contained in your automobile during the shifting trip won't be covered. That's why it's even more critical to ensure they're removed. Additionally, if you have many heavy items in your vehicle, this can cause the transport truck to exceed its weight limit, which will mean more added costs that you'd be responsible for.
• Note that any damage to your vehicle will be evaluated at the end of its arrival destination. You should make it a point to immediately check the car in front of the driver to see if any damage has been done to it that wasn't there before. You should file a claim as soon as possible, and the auto transport company's insurance will then contact you.

*A1 Auto Transport takes every precaution necessary to avoid having ANY damage done to your vehicle.

(Visit: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations)

Choosing the Right Method

To ship your vehicle, there are two main options that you can choose from, which are either:

Rail Shipping

Rail shifting can be the cheaper option, depending on the time of the year it is chosen. With rail shipping, there are two main methods: boxed hauling and open carriage relocation. While choosing the open carriage option is cheaper, since your vehicle is being transported coast to coast, it's probably a more intelligent decision to choose the boxed option. That'll ensure that the elements on the journey don't damage it.

Truck Shipping

Truck shipping can be the more expensive option, especially during summer. It can increase in price by a few hundred dollars around that time. However, if you choose the trucking option for relocating during the fall months or the beginning of the spring, it's cheaper than rail moving.

*Depending on the auto transport company, Door-to-door shipping options are usually available. However, some conditions may prevent this from being possible, such as living in a remote area or not easily accessible by a transport truck. If that's the case, a drop-off and/or pick up point that's close by will be arranged.

The total cost for shipping your coast-to-coast auto transport, no matter your choice, should be around $500 to $1200.

To check the legitimacy of a company, visit http://www.safersys.org/.

A-1 Auto can help you with the entire process and have your automobile transported coast to coast in the United States quickly and affordably! Contact us today!