The last thing you want is to hastily trust your car to the first trucking company you come across, sign a contract on faith, have your car picked up already that day, and then, in Paris or Pompei, have the shipment delayed and finally the vehicle delivered with damage you can never prove wasn’t there in the first place.
Good companies might inform you on how best to submit your property for transportation themselves, but it is best to be self-informed, save time by preparing your car beforehand, and make sure the busy clerk doesn’t forget a point or two: the responsibility for any overlooked issues will rest wholly with the client.
When your car is concerned, it is better to be fastidious than a careless slacker: occurrences of scandalous customer service involving expensive cargo are not uncommon. Before admitting a company clerk to you car, inspect it yourself minutely, with particular attention to the motor: it is better to be fully aware of the motor’s condition before shipment, so that later you will not have to wrack you brains about a bunch of wires you never before noticed and suspect conspiracy unnecessarily.
It is better to remove any removable customized accessories, radios, alarms, mirrors, etc. Make sure not to leave in plain sight inside the car any precious or even not so precious objects which might invite a break-in (some people think nothing of breaking into a car to steal a false Zippo). Check the tires for air and wear. Any damage that remains unrepaired upon submission should be listed in the agreement and signed by both parties. A company official will likely want to check the car himself in your presence, but don’t be afraid to nag them with a host of small detail – good carrier companies will only be glad to oblige their customers and a display of vigilance might deter bad companies from carelessly handling your property.
There are too many insurance policies insistently offered over the phone and by mail for a reasonable person to pay for all of them and you would be perfectly sane – despite what the agents would have you to think – not to insure your every body part and organ. But no matter how trustworthy the company is or seems to be, it is better to buy insurance from them against damage and theft.
Decide whether you want primary or excess insurance and inquire beforehand if the company offers the one you prefer. The primary insurance policy will cover damages independently of what is covered by your regular auto insurance. The excess policy covers only what your regular insurance doesn’t: make sure you know precisely what you are and aren’t currently covered against.
There are companies which specialize in shipping exotic vehicles, antiques or classic cars. Their carriers are specially designed to handle such precious property, but an insurance contract which will cover everything that is dear to you about the unit is still advisable.
It is good to take digitally-dated photos of your car prior to shipping, inspect the car with the truck driver no matter in how a shipshape shape the ship is, and to inspect the car for apparent damage immediately and it the presence of the driver/official at the destination, filing a claim immediately, if politely, in case you find any new objectionable damage.
Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.