How Much Paperwork is Needed to Ship a Vehicle?

Paperwork. A word which most people dread. It's associated with endless forms, documents, and applications, most of which seems like a waste of trees and a reason to keep people busy. After all, many government agencies have perfected the art of creating “red tape.” But with auto transport, you will refreshingly only need a minimal amount of paperwork in order to ship your vehicle. Keep in mind that this article is referring to domestic auto transport only. For international transport, you will need much more paperwork due to the particular country's customs as well as regulations that exist.

You Don't Necessary Need the Title or Proof of Registration

Many that have never dealt with an auto transport company before are under the false assumption that you will need the title of the vehicle or the proof of registration on hand in order to have your vehicle transported.

The reason why many auto transport companies don't always require them is due to the myriad of businesses and people who need to ship vehicles. They all have a wide variety of needs and sometimes they simply don't have these documents on hand. Take for example a company that specializes in taking apart “junk cars” or old vehicles for their scrap metal or for spare parts. They often obtain these vehicles after they have already been abandoned or sold to them in cash. Even though they don't often have access to the original title or proof of registration behind them, these companies sometimes still have a need to have them transported to a certain area.

So What's Needed?

Of course, some paperwork is required. What's mainly needed is the VIN number of the vehicle. The VIN number of a vehicle is its DNA. It consists of 17 different letters and numbers that are unique to the vehicle itself. It's a permanent number that doesn't change. If you visit a site such as CarFax, you'll be able to look up the VIN number of the vehicle and get a full history of it, including if it has been in any accidents. Visit http://www.carfax.com/company/vehicle-identification-numbers-vins to do so.

Auto transport companies require the VIN number to make sure that they're transporting the correct vehicle.

Other additional information that can be required is the sub model and license plate of the vehicle, as well as its color. All of the aforementioned information usually can be filled out on just one form.

Paperless Auto Transport

Now with the internet, many auto transport companies are going the electronic route. Electronic forms can often be filled out directly on the website, important documents can be scanned or sent via an attached photo in an e-mail, and so forth. You can even sign documents now with an electronic signature, such as through the website E-Signature.com. It's a vastly more efficient process that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

All of this means less waste, less hassle, less time demands, and an increase in savings for everyone involved!