Shipping Options

For the actual transportation of the car, there are two things to consider: how the car will get to the shipping port and how it will be stored on the ship. Generally, it will save you several hundred dollars if you choose to drive the car yourself to the port instead of having the company pick it up for you. Most ports heading for Hawaii are off the coasts of California and Washington state. If this is a reasonable drive for you, definitely consider that option. If the drive is from the other side of the country, however, you can judge how well you can handle the drive.

There are two options for how your car will be stored on the actual ship. Container shipping is the more pricy option as it provides your car’s own space. The automobile is securely fastened in the container but the catch is that your car must fit in the container options provided. Any standard-sized car will be fine for most companies but bigger SUVs and mini-vans can face some problems. The other option will save you some money: roll-on/roll-off shipping is exactly as it sounds. Your car is rolled into the storage area of the ship with other vehicles, secured into a locked position, and is rolled off at the final destination.

Preparing Your Car Checklist

Preparing your car for its trip to Hawaii is your next big step. Read through the following checklist.

• Insure your car. This cannot be stressed enough—if your car is not already insured, it is essential that you do so as soon as possible. If anything bad should happen to your car such as severe external damage, you can only fix the problem with reliable car insurance.

• Check for any leaky fluids or openings. Go to a trusted mechanic to thoroughly check everything in your car that could leak any sort of fluid (battery, oil, etc.). If you have a convertible top, seal it to prevent humidity and moisture from getting inside.

• Disable any and all car alarms. Your car will arrive late in Hawaii if workers cannot get into your car if it is on lockdown.

• Remove all personal items and detachable parts. Anything loose from blankets to papers to the antenna should be removed from the interior and exterior of your car.
• Wash your car before dropping it off. You can immediately inspect it for any possible damage once it arrives in Hawaii.

• Leave only ¼ tank of gas in your car. A lighter weight is important with overseas shipping.

You can be sure to have a pleasant shipping experience when you follow and apply this basic checklist to your automobile. Take into consideration what the best option is for your car as it is shipped. Classic and more expensive cars should be shipped in containers while everything else should do fine with the roll-on/roll-off method.

A Few Things to Consider

This will be helpful for you if this is your first time dealing with auto shippers or if you had a bad experience with an auto shipping company in the past.

• Researching and comparing companies will take you a long way. Websites such as Transportreviews.com are great since they have countless reviews and comments from actual customers. Searching for a company by state is a good idea, but do not rule out a far-reaching national company.

• Finding a “cheap” company implies that the quality of delivery and customer service is low. Luckily this is not always the case. If the company is well-known and liked, it will have many shipments during all times of the year which helps lower prices.

• Buying only what you need will inevitably save you money. Door-to-door service is nice but tends to tack on a few hundred dollars to your bill. If it is possible, have the auto shipper drop off your car at its company base in the closest city near you. You can also save extra by declining a personalized inspection from someone in the company and by choosing the open-haul method of transportation.

• Consider shipping your car during the off-season. The majority of relocates move during the spring/summer season. Choosing your transport dates to fall during the autumn/winter season can save you at least a few hundred dollars.

• Ask about any possible discounts from your auto shipper. There might be a package deal if you are shipping two or more cars. If you are a college student or serving in the military there can be money-saving options for you as well.

• International shipping is pricy enough as it is. Drop off your car at the shipping company’s nearest port if you are able. Otherwise, you can ask for a discount if you request them to handle your automobile with both land and overseas transport.

How Budget Auto Shipping Can Help You

If you have been searching for an affordable auto shipper, consider this the light at the end of the tunnel. Budget Auto Shipping has been able to successfully survive through this economy because they realistically price their shipments for every customer. These low prices are for all times of the year while providing personalized door-to-door service. Communication is key when shipping your vehicle from one place to another, and Budget Auto Shipping will maintain close contact on the status of your delivery from pick-up to drop-off time. Much-needed discounts are given to college students and soldiers serving in all branches of the military. Budget Auto Shipping can also handle every step in your car’s transportation as they provide international services. Find this company at Transportreviews.com to get first-hand comments from actual customers.

Important Things to Look Out For

Before you get too heavily involved with any auto shipping company, you should look up any reviews or comments about that company. This will help you determine what kind of reputation they have. Is their customer service helpful and efficient? How involved was the company before and during the move? Do they do a follow-up on your car to make sure everything is all right? These are just some things to think about as you consider what company is right for your needs. The website Transportreviews.com has several reviews for almost every transport company. You can search by state or by company name which are listed in alphabetical order.

Ask any potential auto shipping companies more information about their licensing and insurance policies once you’ve narrowed down your options. They should have a federal license and not be bothered by showing you their information. Also ask what their insurance policies are. It is out of their control if a stone damages your windshield during transport but not if the truck driver decides to drive during a bad storm. Learn about what they consider to be “good” and “bad” driving weather.

A good shipping company provides well-rounded service and should present you with many transport options. Ideally, an auto shipper should offer the following options: open-haul, enclosed haul, and international. You will most likely not need all three choices, but it shows that the company can handle anything that comes its way. And if you ever need to transport your automobile again, you can use this same company or refer them to other people who have different needs from you.

Affordable door-to-door service is a hard option to come by. It usually costs a lot for the auto shipper to pick up the automobile from your house and personally drop it off at your new address. Although it still might cost extra than going to the next major city to pick up your car, door-to-door service is a sign from auto transport companies that they care.

What about Budget Auto Shipping?

According to reviewers from Transportreviews.com, Budget Auto Shipping has often gone above and beyond their expectations. The customer service is friendly and informative. One reviewer commented that Budget Auto Shipping was able to handle a sudden change in dates for his order. All cars of the reviewers have arrived at their final destinations in the original condition they left them.

Special discounts are provided for college students and soldiers serving in all branches of the military. Budget Auto Shipping knows how every precious dollar counts during these important times in your life and they are one of the few companies to acknowledge this. Through excellent customer support and transportation options, this auto shipper will not only provide any service you need in the immediate future, but also for anything that might come later on.

Generally when shipping car you likely used a broker as third party. In this case the person directly responsible is the driver. When your car was picked up you should have signed a three piece carbon copy bill of lading with a picture of a vehicle on it stating the condition of the car. At the delivery as well you should have received a copy. Hopefully you noted the damages on the bill of lading with a signature from the driver before signing and accepting the vehicle. If not your chances are slim of receiving any compensation.

Assuming you have taken these measures your first step is to got to two body shops and receive estimates to fix the damages done. Then present them to the company owner or responsible party. If you are met with resistance from the auto shipping company and they do not want to comply you must then call your broker and ask them to assist you. Your broker is required to have their drivers insurance policies on file. You may also ask your broker to mediate between you and the responsible company, sometimes the broker has leverage over the driver. If the broker can not help at least try and get the copy of the policy so you could proceed on your own with the insurance. If for some reason the broker fails to provide the insurance policy you may find more information about your driver by reading you bill of lading and finding the Motor Carrier Number and visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ and there you find all you need to continue your claim.
Camilo Jaime
Owner
Budget Auto Shipping
1-888-301-4285
info@budgetautoshipping.com
http://www.budgetautoshipping.com/