What to Know About Shipping Vehicles Overseas – 5 Tips & Tricks
Shipping cars overseas is an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming undertaking. Whether you are a dealer who ships cars to your customers or you are traveling to another country and want your car to be there before you arrive, the task ahead of you is not easy.
The problems are compounded by the fact that it is not easy to find reliable shipping companies. Luckily, with the right knowledge and experience, you can quickly ship your car to any destination. Here are some few tricks you need to know when shipping your vehicle to another country.
1. Research Before Shipping
Before hiring a shipping company, you need to conduct thorough research about the legitimacy of the company. Don’t get lured solely by the fact that the company is licensed and accredited to ship cars overseas.
You should go to the extra mile of checking whether the company has received complaints about its services. You should conduct extensive research before choosing the company to ship your car.
2. Check for Shipping Insurance
Auto shipping companies are required to have an insurance cover for the goods in transit. However, it is your responsibility to verify whether the company that you wants to choose has insurance coverage.
You should ask for proof and confirm for the accuracy of information with the authorities. You should make sure that the insurance policy covers the full value of your car and any other factor that needs insurance. For example, you should check whether the insurance covers your vehicle in its final destination before you can receive it.
3. Check for International Shipping Rates
You should expect to find different shipping rates from different companies. Majority of them charge depending on the type of the car you will be shipping. Others have a straightforward policy of charging higher prices for utility automobiles.
Although the cost is an important consideration, you should not choose the lowest rates as they may not be providing other services such as insurance. You should make sure that the money that you pay caters for everything.
4. Prepare Your Car for Shipping
You should make sure that your car has thoroughly been prepared for international shipping through the provision of all the necessary documents. You should also remove anything that is inside the car if you don’t want it shipped.
It is recommended that you take the photos of the current physical appearance and conditions of the car for claim purposes. You should also check the interior of the car and make sure that it has the same conditions.
At the final destination, check whether your car has everything in contact such as battery, toolbox, spare parts among others.
5. Time Variations
You might be shipping your car a long distance, which means that it will take several weeks, if not a month for it to arrive at its destination. Transporting a car for longer distances means that it will be passing at various ports, which could delay its arrival.
You should, therefore, prepare and ship your vehicle earlier so that it can arrive before you. However, this is not a problem for those individuals who are sending their cars over shorter distances.
You should use these tips and tricks to facilitate the shipment of your car to the final destination. You should select a car shipping company concerning its credibility and authenticity in the sector.