Auto Trader California 
If you need to ship your car, you probably know it is not as simple as heading over to FedEx or the Post Office. As more and more people buy their cars online, more and more businesses are offering dependable shipping options. More and more car shipping companies are popping up all over the country and the
7 Tips for Shipping Your Vehicle:
- Comparison shop. You probably do this with other goods and services that you buy, this should be no different. Ask for recommendations from friends and family about the ways they have had their vehicles shipped and for dependable shipping businesses. Look for online reviews of a few different companies. Their websites might have testimonials but also you can check Yelp and Facebook to get an idea of what people think about their prices and services.
- Make sure they have the right kinds of insurance. Ask the company about their liability insurance but verify anything they tell you.The majority of auto shipping companies have liability insurance for between $50,000 and $100,000 but some go as high as $250,000. If they give you a different answer from what you can verify, go to a different company. No dependable shipping company is going to lie about their liability insurance.
- Take pictures of your car or truck before you ship it. Wash your car and take a close look all of it. Document any problems or the lack thereof. Take pictures from each angle and of the interior of the vehicle. Save these in safe place like on your computer and a flash drive. Note the mileage and the condition of everything. Photos will help but they may not capture everything. Take the pictures in decent light.
- Follow all the instructions you get from the shipping company. They may have requirements about how much fuel should be in the gas tank. Some companies suggest there be no more than a half of a tank of gas while others say it should have no more than a quarter of a tank of gas. Many put these requirements on their website, many list these things there. Ask the company if any of the instructions they give are not clear. if you have an alarm, make sure it is off before you turn the car over to the shipping company. If the alarm goes off while the vehicle is being transported, it can cause delays in your receiving your car at your new home. Even if your car will be transported in a truck, prepare it the way you would if you were planning to drive it the entire way. Make sure the tires are all at the right level and that the battery has a full charge. As the shipping company if they have suggestions for what to do with a hybrid.
- Take your stuff out of the car. While shipping companies normally tell car owners to remove everything from the car before they ship it. Many do allow for between 50 to 100 pounds of extra stuff. Having said that, if you have items in your car that you do not want broken or stolen, you should remove them. This includes your satellite radio system, DVD players, GPS and any other media devices you have in the car. Many people have extra chargers and that sort of thing. If you have had bike or ski racks added to your car, you should remove them as well.
- Plan ahead. Your timing should include some flexibility. Your shipping company can provide you with a window for when you can expect your vehicle to be delivered. This is only an estimate. You need to be a little patient and realistic in terms of when you can expect your car to arrive at its destination.
- Schedule your car shipment for during the winter. It is often a lot cheaper to ship vehicles in the winter than during the summer. There are many reasons for this. The cost of gas normally goes up during the summer. You can expect to pay between $200 and $300 more during the summer months than during the winter.
If you are like most people, you love your car. You want to keep it safe by going with a safe, professional and dependable shipping company.
