Posts Tagged ‘relocating’

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Avoid the Stress Associated with Shipping Your Car

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

It’s amazing how simple it used to be to relocate.  As a college student, you probably put all your stuff in the trunk of the family car, drove to your destination and unpacked in a jiffy.  A family member then drove the car back to its home and all was right with the world.  You graduated, found a job, a cheap apartment, put all your stuff into a duffle bag, and did it all over again.

Aah, but now you have established yourself with a family and a house and a houseful of furniture, a couple of cars and you or your spouse’s job requires you to relocate to a place a considerable distance away.  Your furniture, kids, big screen TV and appliances will no longer fit in the trunk of your car.  As a matter of fact, what are you going to do with that car(s)?  The cost of driving and maintaining the cars yourself while hauling a rent-a-trailer to move your stuff is heavy on both time and money, not to mention the stress of driving the overburdened car that will probably breakdown sometime during the trip.  The cost of doing so is probably greater than hiring an auto shipper to get your car to your destination.

Many people are unaware that they can hire a shipper to move their cars without going through the hassle of the self-transport themselves.  There are actually quite a few companies that offer vehicle shipping vehicle services, not a glamorous business, perhaps, but a very convenient one.  The auto shipper may also cost less to move your car than if you drove, fueled, and maintained it yourself.  No matter how attached you are to that sleek, racy car of yours, it is far less stressful to let the pros worry about moving it.

While your car is being transported, you and your family can be taking some form of public transportation while your worldly goods are on a moving van.  Once at your destination, you have the time and energy to unpack and set up your new home before getting on with your new job.  The time saved here could be translated into more money just due to the fact that you can start work earlier than if you did all the driving yourself.  Another savings of hiring an auto shipper.

The larger your family and the longer the distance to your new home, the more you will save.  Not to mention the benefits to your emotional and physical health of not undergoing the added stress of driving those cars yourself.  Come on now,  isn’t moving stressful enough already?

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Vehicle Transport, moving, relocating, vehicles | No Comments »

Saving Yourself Money and Stress While Having Your Vehicle Shipped

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Now that you have graduated from college, got married and moved to your first place, you are all settled for a while.  You probably made that move to your small apartment from college by packing all your belongings into a borrowed car and driving it to your new digs.  Life was simple then.

But now, you have a family, a bunch of furniture, big screen TV, and two cars.  And, you or your spouse just got a promotion and you need to relocate all of this to your new city, which may be a considerable distance.  Your first thought, is to do what you have always done; pack up your car(s) and drive off to your destination.  This will require you to drive probably two cars with a U-Haul some distance with all the associated fuel costs, maintenance costs, screaming children and all the stress and strain, let alone the cost this type of moving plan entails.

You have certainly heard of moving vans, but It is quite possible that you have never heard of the fact that you can save time, labor, and money by shipping rather than driving that car(s).  There are many companies that will perform this service for you.  You may not be aware of them simply because auto shipping is not a glamorous business, albeit, a most convenient one.  You probably turn first to your sense of self-reliance to get any job done, but this is a good situation to rethink that concept.  You also may think that hiring any service is more expensive than doing the job yourself.  Again, think this one over too.  Auto shipping is likely to cost you less than the cost of fueling and maintaining that car(s) for long distances.  It will certainly cost you less aggravation, energy and effort.

While the auto shipping carrier is getting your car to its new home, you and your family could be leisurely taking advantage of public transportation to get you to your new neighborhood.  Once at your destination, you have the time and energy to do your unpacking and start settling into your brand new home. This will have saved you time by hiring the auto shipping out and also saved you money in at least one way – you can start your new job earlier and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed from your very first day.

Just the health benefits of avoiding the emotional and physical stress caused by moving everything yourself can be worth the cost of the auto transport service.  The likelihood however is that it really did cost you significantly less than if you had paid for the fuel and maintenance to drive yourself to your destination.  The larger the family and the longer the distance, the more savings you will see.  Should a relocation ever occur to you and your family, do not forget that there are companies that perform this very valuable service.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Car Transport, logistics, moving | No Comments »

Auto Shipping – Okay, I’ve Packed My Bags, Now What To Do to Ship My Vehicle?

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

One of the first questions put forth probably thousands of times a day by auto dealers, wholesalers, collectors, and just plain folks who are relocating somewhere in the country is “What is the cost to ship my vehicle?  Cost is important of course when moving something as large and expensive as a motor vehicle of any type, but is it the MOST important item to consider?

Usually, a person will be dealing with brokers in the car transportation business.  These brokerage firms do not operate long-haul trucks of their own.  They act as agents of the trucking companies by taking an order to move a vehicle.  They make an estimate of what to charge a trucking company, withhold a percentage of this fee, which they will charge you for the task of arranging shipment.  They then broker out the job by posting on online load boards that are visible to car haulers that are in the business of operating trucks to move about the country.  If this posted quote is too low, it will not attract any of these car hauling truck companies and your vehicle will sit waiting to be relocated for a very long time.  Make sure that the price the broker is offering is reasonable enough in the industry to get your car from one place to another in a timely manner.  As with so many other costs, the lowest price is not always the way to go.

Insurance coverage on the vehicle and its contents is another very important cost item to consider.  Should some unforeseen accident occur that harms your vehicle while in-transit, you want it protected, just as you would any property that belongs to you.  The questions to ask of importance here are what coverage does the trucker’s insurance provide in case of damage or loss and also, the trucker may have brokered it out at least in part to another trucker and you will want to get a copy of that car hauler’s insurance certificate as well.  Always make sure, if at all possible, to have the carrier’s insurance certificate list you as the certificate holder.  Should some harm befall your vehicle and/or its contents, then you can file the claim yourself directly to the insurance company.

Since you are not in the daily business of transporting vehicles, you really don’t know much about the companies that do this for a living.  You must think about the quality of the business you choose to transport your vehicle and above all, the reputation of the company.  Do your homework.  Ask car dealers who regularly deal with auto transportation companies and find out who they use (and who they won’t).  The internet contains a world of information including reviews of auto transportation companies.  Look into them and while you are at it, look into a website called safersys.org operated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association.  This site can be an invaluable tool to assist you in finding the right vehicle mover for you.

Bottom line is you do not necessarily want the cheapest mode of transportation to bring your “baby” home to you.  You want a company that takes pride in the quality and timeliness of their transportation consignments.  So shop around and you won’t get burned.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Auto Shipping, moving, relocating | No Comments »

Shipping One’s Auto – Now That My Bags Are Packed, What About Shipping My Vehicle?

Monday, July 13th, 2009

One burning question that dealers, wholesalers, collectors, as well as people relocating for whatever reason within the United States ask thousands of times a day is “What is the cost of shipping my vehicle?  When moving any important item, like a car or other means of transportation, cost is a premier consideration.  What if I told you, though, that it may not be the MOST important question to ask.

Often, when shipping a vehicle, one is apt to turn to a transportation broker, which is either a company or some type of group that do not actually ship the vehicle but arrange for its shipment.  They take a percentage of the cost of moving the vehicle as payment for arranging the shipment of your vehicle.  They broker the vehicle out by posting on online load boards that are visible to those car hauling companies that operate trucks that move around the country.  If the broker posts too low a price on these boards, it will not attract any takers and the vehicle may sit there in anticipation of a move for a very long, uneasy period of time.  Be sure that the price the broker is quoting to the vehicle movers is reasonable enough to entice them to relocate your car.   Too cheap a price may not be in your best interest.

Another expense item to consider is the cost of insurance coverage on the vehicle being transported and that of its contents.  You never know when an unforeseen circumstance may arise and you wind up with costly repairs or replacements.  Accidents do occur and you do not want to be unprotected if one of these unforeseen events involves your vehicle.  A couple of important questions to ask are what kind of coverage will the trucker’s insurance provide in case of loss or damage to your vehicle, and should it be farmed out to another carrier, what is their coverage and how can you obtain a copy of the policy.  You must try to get a copy of the carrier’s certificate of insurance naming you as the certificate holder, not the car hauler(s).  In this way, should some harm come to your vehicle, you can file a claim directly to the insurance company on your own.

The quality and reputation of the auto transportation outfit that is handling the transport of your vehicle is also another concern of yours.  You really have no idea about the company or companies that are moving your vehicle unless you are directly involved in the daily business of transporting vehicles yourself.  Do some research about these companies.  Talk to a car dealer who undoubtedly ships vehicles on a regular basis and find out who they use.  Go online and read reviews about various companies to get as much information as you can before you start collecting bids.  Go to safersys.org, a website operated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association, and take a look at a company’s safety profile.  This site can be of invaluable assistance to you in seeking a reputable transport company.

Looking to get your car some distance from A to Z involves several considerations.  Not just the least expensive, but the safest and sometimes the timeliest way to get your wheeled friend happily to its new home.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Auto Transport, Cars, Trucks, Vehicle Transport, moving, relocating | No Comments »

Auto Shipping – My Bags Are Packed But How Do I Ship My Vehicle?

Monday, July 6th, 2009

“How much will it cost to ship my car”? That is a question that is asked thousands of times each day by dealers, wholesalers, collectors and people moving all around the United States. Cost is always a consideration when moving something as important as your transportation. However, it may not be the MOST important question a person might want to ask.

Many times, people deal with car transportation brokers, that is, companies or groups that operate no trucks of their own. These ‘vehicle transporters’ take an order to move a vehicle, hold on to a percentage of what they have charged and then broker the vehicle out on load boards that are posted online and visible to car haulers that have trucks operating and moving around the country. If the price has been quoted or negotiated too low, it becomes unattractive to auto transporters and the vehicle may sit awaiting transport for a long, uncomfortable time. So, an important question to ask yourself is, ‘what is a reasonable price to move this vehicle.’ Cheapest may certainly not be best.

Another thing to consider is insurance coverage on the vehicle and its contents should something unforeseen occur during transport. Accidents do happen and you don’t want to be on the unprotected side if one happens with your vehicle. Important questions to ask are ‘what kind of coverage is provided in case of damage or loss of the vehicle’ AND ‘if this vehicle is to be brokered out to another auto carrier, can I get a copy of their insurance certificate?’ Always try and get a copy of the carrier’s insurance certificate showing YOU as certificate holder. This way, if something unfortunate happens, you can file a claim on your own directly to the insurance company.

One more thing to think about is the quality and reputation of the auto transportation company. If you are not involved daily in the vehicle transportation business, you really have no idea about the companies that are. Ask around. Go to a car dealer that ships vehicles regularly and ask them who they use for car transport. Go online, look at reviews and get as much information as possible before you start calling for bids. There are places like safersys.org where you can look at a company’s safety profile. This website is operated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association and can be a valuable resource when trying to find a company to transport your automobile.

So, when you are looking at trying to find someone to ‘ship my car,’ there are several things to consider other than who can do it the cheapest. Do your homework and find a transporter that will take pride in moving your ‘baby’ to its new home.

Visit MetroGistics for all of your Vehicle Shipping needs.

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Posted in Auto Shipping, Auto Transport, Automotive, Car Shipping, Car Transport, Vehicle Shipping, Vehicle Transport | No Comments »

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