The Most Common Issues In International Transport

Be Aware Of These Issues In Order To Avoid Them

When deciding to transport your vehicle internationally, you need to be aware of the most common, yet unexpected, issues that can arise. Considering the costs involved with international shipping, not to mention the value of your vehicle, you need to make sure that you don't endure any additional costs during the process. In addition, by avoiding many of these common issues, you will also avoid delays and other demands on your time that can add to an even more stressful situation, especially if you're currently going through a move yourself.

Your goals should always be to have your vehicle transported internationally in a way that is efficient, cost-effective, safe, and reliable, all of which A-1 Auto Transport can provide.

However, it helps to know of the issues yourself, rather than just depending on the auto transport company. These are the most common things that you may encounter:

Inaccurate Price Quotes

Many auto transport companies advertise instant, free quotes on their website. But, considering the many variables involved in international shipping, such as the location that it's being picked up from, the import fees that are associated with a particular country, and so forth, it can be quite difficult to obtain a price quote that is representative of the final amount. In addition, if the pickup or arrival locations aren't on common routes, this can cause further spikes in prices.

There's no doubt that many auto transport companies try their hardest to make sure that the price quotes are accurate, but still, there are a variety of issues that can affect it. This is even truer if the transport company isn't used to dealing with the particular destination country.

Delays in Delivery

This is an issue that is seen quite often. Even though many transport companies are good about providing relatively accurate expected delivery dates, many issues can affect it, such as:

• Forgetting documents that a country may require
• Extreme weather
• Mechanical issues, such as a breakdown in the trailer or ship
• Inefficiency of port officials in certain countries
• Language barriers
• Hard-to-reach locations

You should always be wary of a company that promises to provide you with an EXACT delivery date.

Vehicle Damage

With the long distances that your vehicle is traveling, damage can be an unfortunate occurrence. That's why you should always make sure to inspect your vehicle thoroughly before sending it off to be shipped. Once it arrives at its destination, make sure to look at the Bill of Lading and compare it to its present state.

If it does happen to be damaged, be sure to take photos of it and immediately report it to the shipping company. It helps to make sure that you have the relevant insurance to cover damages, which is why you should inquire about that before agreeing to use that transport company.

Lack of Communication

You will need to make sure that the auto transport company provides you with continual updates about your vehicle's status. For example, if it has already been delivered to the destination, but you aren't informed of it, this can cause some extra fees to arise, depending on the country, if it stays at the port for longer than usual.

Furthermore, if you're choosing a transport broker, they will need to communicate effectively with the shipping carrier and to provide them with all of the necessary information about your international vehicle delivery. Otherwise, delays can be the result if the carrier doesn't have the information that they would need.

Scams

Research the company that you choose. You can avoid scams by doing a quick Google search on the company. A good website to check is the Better Business Bureau, which is located at www.bbb.org. Another thing that you can do is to ask the transport company for their MC number, also known as their Operating Authority. You can visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website for more information (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov).

A-1 Auto Transport is aware of all of these common problems and will take every step necessary to make the process as smooth as possible. Contact us today!