Here in Texas, there’s a lot of ground to cover for anyone who wants to move or travel. Even if you’re selling a car, moving it to its destination can be a real pain. That’s why car shipping has started to soar in popularity, and it’s what we’ll be discussing today.
Now, the process itself isn’t a difficult one, but it is worth knowing what you’re getting into before you start. There are some details on this page if you’d like to get a primer before we begin, but we’ll be covering what you need to know.
One: You’ll Want to Gather Some Paperwork
The first “secret” we’d like to clue you in on is the fact that when a driver comes to pick your vehicle up, they’ll be asking for some documentation and paperwork. Why not prepare for that by getting everything ready, right? What might you need, though?
Obviously, having some photo identification is a good idea. That might be your passport or your driver’s license, but any valid photo ID will work. Additionally, make sure you have the car title, the registration, proof of ownership, and proof of insurance on hand, since any of them might get requested.
Two: Consider Your Options
Something that’s quite nice about car shipping is that we have a lot of flexibility in terms of our options, both for the Texas car shipping company and the type of transport we opt for. Whether you want a closed container or an open one, you have the flexibility to choose which company to work with. Start by researching the ones that are available in your area.
Compare the rates that you’d be offered. A lot of them will have a page on their site that lets you plug in your car’s information and will give you a rough cost estimate. Talk to the company and see what the timeline would look like as well. Finally, decide on the container you want, and you’ll be all set there!
Three: Think about Payment Options
Depending on the shipper you’re using, they might ask for different payment options. Most will accept credit or debit, but once we stray into cash or check territory, that might be a different story. Make sure that you ask ahead of time so that you aren’t caught off guard when you do go to make your payment.
In a similar vein, a lot of these companies will ask for a deposit fairly early on in the process. Decide if you’re comfortable with this, and don’t be afraid to ask for details as far as what the purpose is and what is guaranteed in said security deposit.
Four: Think about Your Schedule
Something that should absolutely play a part in this process is your general plan of action, no matter the reason for transporting the vehicle. If you didn’t know, there are certain times of year where you can save somemoneyon the overall cost. This is known as the “off-season,” and it’s usually the fall and winter months.
That’s just one aspect of this, though, and you can learn more about scheduling and choosing a company in turn here: https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-an-Auto-Transport-Company. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you will need to find a shipper that fits into your timeline. Don’t schedule things at the last-minute, because that could cause some delays in your schedule that you haven’t planned for.
Five: Prepare Your Vehicle for Transit
The last tip we’d like to leave you with is pretty simple: when you have everything planned out and you know when a driver will be coming to retrieve your vehicle, you should have it ready for them. What might this entail, though?
Naturally, you’ll probably want to take a visit to your local car wash. This should include cleaning the exterior and interior of your vehicle, bear in mind. Some folks wonder why the exterior is important, but that’s because the driver will be making note of the current condition of your car when they arrive. Having it clean eases that process.
For the interior, the reasons are a bit more obvious. No one wants to lose track of their personal items in transit, and that’s always a possibility, even if it rarely happens. It’s better to just remove everything you can from the inside of the car so that you don’t have to stress about that sort of thing.
On top of that, this will also help you save a bit of money. After all, many car shipping companies base their rates on how heavy a vehicle is, so every removed ounce counts.
Hopefully, this guide has given you a fresh perspective on how to approach car shipping. As we said, there are plenty of options here in Texas, so explore them!