Understanding Overseas Car Shipping Estimates

Getting an estimate for an overseas auto transport job is easy enough: you can just call or email a few companies and, with relatively little effort, get a couple competing for estimates in a few minutes. The challenge is finding a company that offers an accurate estimate, which is not always easy, especially based on just some basic information.

Unless your vehicle is already near a shipping port, there are two steps to having a car shipping overseas. The first is standard overland auto transport, typical done on a large carrier on the highway, which brings the car to the port. Once at the port, the car is loaded, either in a container or in a secured storage area on the boat, and delivered to its destination.

Here’s one of the catches: not all companies, even those that advertise overseas auto transport services, are experienced at it. More than in most cases, this matters when working with transport and logistics between countries. Companies that don’t regularly ship overseas don’t have a good understanding of cost fluctuations and you may be the one left holding the bill for their inexperience. Keep reading to learn how to tell the good from the bad.

Comparing International Auto Transport Companies.

One of the easiest ways to assess a company and their experience in overseas transport is looking at their website. Do they have options that include different locations or neighboring countries in the area? Do they have a section of the website devoted to international locations, or is it just a short paragraph on the front page? The answer to these questions are generally pretty telling.

One of the best ways to get a feel for a company’s experience and customer service is to call them on the phone. Granted, not everyone likes or has to do that in today’s world, but it’s a great way to get a more rounded picture of a company you’re going to trust with your vehicle. Have some questions ready and see how capable they are at answering them. You’ll be able to quickly eliminate the companies that are less experienced.

A word of caution tied to this idea: don’t automatically take the cheapest estimate. That’s not to say the most affordable option won’t be good, but use common sense in this regard. If one company undercuts all the others by a significant margin, you should have some questions for them as to why that is. Prices are often different, even for the same auto shipping job, but they should be in the same general neighborhood.

Do you need an accurate, no obligation estimate on the cost of shipping a car overseas? Contact us today at the number at the top of the page or use our online contact form to find out more about our services. All estimates are 100% FREE & given in real time call us today!