Archive for the ‘Open Car Carriers’ Category

Special Car for Shipping Classic and Custom Cars

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

After quite a bit of work and a lot of heard earned cash, you finally have your classic ride tricked out and ready for the road.  Whether it’s a classic Bentley or a vintage Silver Shadow, you want to make sure that it is looked after.  Unfortunately you have to have your new toy shipped and aren’t sure exactly how to get started.  You probably don’t want to put hundreds, or even thousands, of miles on your classic hot rod so getting it shipped is probably the only realistic option.

Fortunately for you there are plenty of auto shipping companies ready and waiting to pick up you gem and ship it off to wherever it needs to go.  Your car that you love so much will be guaranteed to show up at its new home in one piece and as beautiful as the day it left your driveway.

The first thing that you should do is find the carrier that you plan to use.  Make sure that you seek out a carrier that has real experience.  Most of us have never been in a situation where we need to ship our car so it is often difficult to know who the best auto carriers are.  If you find yourself in this situation, hiring a good auto shipping broker may be the best option for you.

Like anything else, it’s best to shop around to find the best deal.  You also need to make sure that you fully understand all of the terms and conditions that the carrier works under.  Make sure that they understand that your automobile is not just a run of the mill car off of the lot.  It’s important that the shipping company knows that your car is a custom one of a kind car and that they can cover it under their insurance.

If you choose to go with an open carrier to ship your car, make sure that you are guaranteed a top spot on the truck.  Cars on the bottom are more susceptible to the top cars dripping fluid on them, rocks, vandals, and other hazards.  The down side is that the top cars will be more exposed to harsh weather such as hale.

Ideally you want to probably go with a closed carrier.  This means that your car will be in an enclosed trailer from start to finish and will not be exposed to the outside world in any way.  This will cost more money.  Its up to you how much you want to spend depending how comfortable you are with your car shipping in an open carrier.

Once you decide on your choice of trailer options you should begin to remove any external customizations that are not bolted down.  This will help the auto shipping company move your vehicle from place to place without the extra worry of breaking or losing any aftermarket products.

You should also make sure that your fuel tank is not topped off.  You want to have enough fuel to get the car on and off the carrier, but much more than that is unnecessary.  Its best to cut any excess weight and extra gas is just that.

Before you finally hand the keys over to the auto shippers, make sure to note any damage that already exists to the car and get everything in writing.  Accidents can happen and it is always best to make sure that you’re covered if such a thing were to occur.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Classic Cars, Enclosed Auto Shipping, Enclosed Car Carriers, Open Auto Shipping, Open Car Carriers | No Comments »

A Look At Open Auto Carriers

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Many issues must be considered before deciding upon one of the many companies available to provide a specific service, the most important are probably cost and reliability.  When looking for a reliable auto shipping company, many customers are not aware that there is more involved in their decision, that there are actually different carrier types within the auto shipping industry.  The trucks offered by most of the medium sized to large transport companies are not just the big trucks with big trailers that haul a bunch of cars.  The car owner who prefers not to endure the stress involved in driving his car long distances himself needs to educate himself on the more technical aspects of the auto shipping industry.

Since air and water shipment are a business unto themselves, we are not dealing with that here.  We are concentrating on domestic auto shipping within one country’s borders, usually over land, in either open or closed carrier transport.  When visualizing such a vehicle, the long, many tiered, open truck with trailer comes to mind.  This is the most commonly seen type of vehicle on the road today and is a safe and reliable means to ship a vehicle  requiring no special attributes.  Long distance transportation though is probably better carried out with closed carriers.  Cars in open carriers are exposed to the vagaries of weather, road dirt, and vandals, thieves and hijackers.  When looked at in this way, even with short distances the open carrier may be the right choice.  Of course, you have made sure that your vehicle is covered by insurance, preferably the company’s rather than your own.  But even with that, settling the claim you make because your 1928 Duisenberg was a scratched up pile of mud on arrival is not something to look forward to.

In fact, that Duisenberg owner probably shipped it in a closed carrier, like most owners of rare, expensive, or vintage cars.  But that shouldn’t keep owners of Fords and Chevys from considering this means of transport too.  Yes, it is more expensive than open carrier transport because the closed-type cannot carry as many vehicles, only 2 to 4 units, and is itself more expensive to buy than the open one.

The essence of open carrier shipping is its cost advantage.  Driving a car yourself a long distance to its final destination will probably cost you more than hiring it done by an auto shipper, because of the cost of gas, repairs on route, possible damage to the vehicle, and the differing traffic laws of states that are you not aware of.  The cost of shipping your car is at very least a known factor.

An open auto transport truck is hardly an uncommon sight which is testimony not only to its popularity but its reliability.  Such trucks are around 80 feet long by 14 feet high and are restricted to only those roads capable of handling them, those without low bridges, sharp turns, or overhanging tree branches.  Factories trust these vehicles routinely to transport their finished products to show rooms and lots.

Another advantage to the open carrier mode of shipment is it is apt to offer more flexible options in the way of time frames and perks.  A customer can specify where on the carrier he wants his car to ride, upper tier away from the bad guys, or even hauled behind away from possible damage by other vehicles.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Auto Carriers, Open Auto Shipping, Open Car Carriers, vehicles | No Comments »

Auto Transportation – Open Carrier

Friday, November 6th, 2009

A customer will often make a choice of services based solely on price and reliability being unaware of all the options available to them.  While price and reliability are certainly basic issues to consider in any selection of providers,  there may be several types of providers within the industry that are unknown to them.  Lets look at the auto shipping industry.  Most of these businesses, of course, have a fleet of big trucks with big trailers that haul cars over some distance.  The wise customer who chooses not to drive the vehicle himself hundreds or thousands of miles but elects for someone else to do this safely for him, needs to have some idea of the technical aspects of the industry in order to make the selection that best fits his situation.

We are not concentrating  here on air and water shipping as that is a different subject entirely.  The focus is on domestic shipping most commonly over land, in either an open or closed vehicle carrier.   The most common and least expensive type of carrier is the open one.  These vehicles carry about a dozen vehicles, are reliable and can be operated without any specialized training, keeping in mind that the exact reason and particulars of the transport are known to both carrier company and customer.  A better option for long-distance hauling is the closed-type carrier.  Cars on open carriers are subjected to dirt, weather conditions, not to mention vandalism and/or theft, which brings up the point that closed carriers may be the best choice for short distance hauling as well, else that gorgeous platinum Corvette may end its journey resembling pond scum.  Of course you are absolutely sure that your vehicle is covered by insurance, preferably the policy of the auto carrier, but even so, settlement is such a nuisance.

Naturally, owners of rare, expensive or vintage cars are more aware of the closed carrier option than those of us with normal, everyday cars.  But the folks with Fords and Chevys should also consider this as an option, even though a more expensive one.  The extra expense is partially due to the smaller capacity of the open carrier.

So, it boils down to cost, open transport being the more economical means of transportation.  Driving your car yourself can actually be more expensive than an open carrier, especially if you are driving a gas guzzler.  But also consider wear on the car, possible repairs, weather damage, not to mention differing state traffic laws.

It would be hard for anyone to miss the sight of an open auto transport truck, they are common road sites which is testament to their reliability and safety.  These carriers because of their size, approximately 80 feet long and 14 feet high, are restricted to those roads capable of accommodating them, roads without low bridges, sharp turns and low tree growth.  Goods are constantly being manufactured that rely on these carriers to get their wares to show rooms and stores.

The open transport method is likely to offer more flexibility in time frames and perks.  Also, a customer of an open carrier can specify where he wants he car located on the truck, whether top tier to keep it further away from ill-intentioned humans, or even towed behind the truck keeping it away from other vehicles.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Open Auto Shipping, Open Car Carriers, Trucks, car carrier | No Comments »

Open Auto Transports

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

It often happens that a customer avails himself of a service without realizing they had any choice about it. There may be so many issues to consider, the most vital of which is the estimated price and reliability, that you might never think of the existence of multiple carrier types. The trucks offered by any sensibly sized company are not merely great big trucks or trailers hauling a bunch of cars. The owner who would rather not drive endless miles by himself and who will have his car shipped safely had better have some notion of the technical differences between the various methods offered by standard companies.

There is air and water shipping which are a separate special subject. Within a country, cars are most commonly shipped over land, either in open carriers or in closed carriers. Open carriers are the more common, quickly operated, and cheaper type, though often through oversight than necessity. They accommodate about a dozen vehicles and are reliable enough to be used by anybody, as long as the precise purposes and circumstances of the transport are estimated. Long-distance transportation had perhaps better be done by closed carriers, since cars in open carriers are open to road debris, dirt, inclement weather, and plain vandalism or theft. In fact, even short distances are sometimes better traveled when sleet, sun, sand, or hail threaten to turn your car from that beautiful cherry red to patchy brown. Even if you have made sure any such damage is covered by insurance (preferably, the company’s), the resulting fuss in most cases is not worth the trouble.

Owners of expensive or rare vehicles prefer closed transportation, but the method is likewise popular among people who can afford to protect their ordinary Mazdas and Pajeros, even at the cost of higher prices. The price is made steeper by the closed carrier’s capacity to transport only 2 or 4 units.

Essentially, then, the advantage of open auto transport is its relatively economic cost. Even driving a car by your own means to a remote destination is likely to cost more, because of the gas prices, especially if your car has poor gas mileage. Driving your own car even across a single state may incur expenses and involve unforeseen damages which are otherwise easily avoided when shipping the car with a company.

Anybody has almost certainly seen an open auto transport truck and that only speaks in its favor as a reliable, well controlled means. They are about 80 feet long and 14 feet high, and are allowed only on roads built to accommodate them and keep them away from low trees and low bridges. Factories routinely entrust batches of new products to be shipped to stores and showrooms.

Open transport is likely to be more flexible in its options, offer convenient time-frames and perks. Open-carrier customers have the option of shipping their car on the top rack (further away from thieves and vandals) or even in tow behind the truck (perhaps further away from hostile natural elements).

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Auto Carriers, Open Auto Shipping, Open Car Carriers, car carrier | No Comments »