Volvo

How To Ship Your Volvo.

Shipping that Volvo should be a straightforward process. Unfortunately, the reality is that car shipment over a long distance almost always never goes as smoothly as anticipated. With this in mind, anyone looking to ship their vehicle over a long distance should arm themselves with the right tools. The worst nightmare often comes when one hands their vehicle over to scammers or unprofessional shipping companies who may damage one’s vehicle or take unnecessarily long. Here are some simple tips to help consumers search for an auto transport company.

The first step is to understand who is handling the vehicle shipment. Auto transport companies know what to say when looking for customers, so do not be swayed too much by their website claims. When shipping coast to coast, for instance, be wary of those companies that claim to ship their vehicles nationwide. While certainly possible, it is difficult to find a company with a large enough staff and truck network to handle shipping all across the country. Know whom the vehicle is remitted to for long distance shipment.

Car Shipping Process.

A lot of the shipment done in the auto transport industry is driven by brokers. The way it works is that brokers list available vehicles for transport, and the carriers come around and select them using various criteria. The first criteria is price, which is then followed by such factors as location and convenience. Drivers will always pick up the highest paying vehicles first. If one is dealing with a broker, then make sure it is one who provides all the details of the process upfront. Luckily, just like the car shipping companies, broker reviews are widely available online. Such websites as the Better Business Bureau are extremely helpful. Their reviews are accurate and can go back more than a year. They not only list reviews, but also determine whether complaints were handled in the right manner.

Cost.

Cost is another criteria with which to weed out the unreliable service providers. While everyone looks for bargains, be careful with those who offer unusually lower quotes. Lowest is not always the best; many such quotes often end up costing the car owner much more. Go for those companies that charge a moderate fee, and offer services compatible with their fees. Prices should include such details as insurance, door to door shipment and the ability to track one’s shipment from coast to coast.

Even though costs might seem fixed, there are many clever tips which could guarantee price reductions. For instance deliver the vehicle with only about a half a gallon of gas in the tank. Additionally, remove such accessories as spoilers and any unnecessary personal belongings. The less the vehicle weights, the cheaper it will be for the truck to carry. In fact, sometimes truck companies get fined for carrying a load above a certain limit.

Fast Delivery.

Finally, with all the hype in the industry about fast delivery, be realistic about timelines especially when shipping to or from overseas locations. With a tight schedule, it is always advisable to set the process rolling as early as possible.