What You Should Know About Car Shipping

In case you are looking to ship a car internationally but aren’t sure if the car transporter is a genuine car shipping company or just a broker attempting to take advantage of you, then don’t proceed without first reading through this brief guide.

You have to keep in mind that there are a lot of things that can go wrong when shipping a car internationally. For example, the car can get stuck at the port as a result of due to improperly filed paperwork. The vehicle shipping company can take possession of the car through a lien sale. It can be seized by customs on either country or even damaged.

There have been many instances of car shipping companies failing to release a customer’s vehicle until the customer has settled excessively high storage fees. There have also been many reports of containers stuck at the port because of negligence in the part of the forwarder or unpaid shipping charges.

You shouldn’t allow yourself to suffer the same fate. Avoid becoming a victim of vehicle shipping scams. Fortunately, A1 Auto Transport has provided some expert tips on how to find a reliable vehicle shipping company with a high safety record that is prepared to diligently serve you.

10 Important Steps to Take Before You Ship a Car Internationally

1. Confirm whether the vehicle shipping company you want to hire is registered with DOT for domestic auto transport.

You can find the DOT website here.

2. Make sure that the vehicle shipping company has proper and current cargo insurance.

Their minimum liability limit should be higher than the value of your vehicle.

3. In case you are looking to ship a car internationally, verify if the car shipping company is registered with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) as a freight forwarder or non-vessel operating carrier (NVOCC).

Additionally, you need to confirm whether the vehicle shipping company has a current bond and shipping license.

In case you don’t find the company listed there, then this means that the company is not allowed to legally offer shipping services. Hence, you should steer clear of that company.

4. Avoid hiring a domestic vehicle trucking company when shipping a car internationally.

A lot of trucking companies offer “package deals” that provide vehicle transport and international car shipping. They will often offer discounts and savings via their recommended car shipping companies.

Keep away from such companies at all costs. You have to keep in mind that international car shipping is a complex process, and even after paying the trucking company for the “full package”, you will most likely end up paying additional fees to the actual car shipper.

5. Before settling on a car transporter to ship your car internationally, ensure that you receive a written shipping quote.

Make sure that you carefully read and understand the fine print. A lot of car shipping companies will hide additional charges in it.

The quote should include the following details: origin (shipper’s port or door), destination (the recipient’s port, door, or warehouse). Additionally, the shipping quote should clearly indicate the services rendered.

This includes things such as door pick up, delivery to a particular location (export point, for example, the transporter’s port or warehouse), shrink-wrapping (boats), marine shipping insurance, crating for motorcycles, fumigation, loading, all relevant paperwork, customs clearance and so on.

6. Consider drafting a shipping contract between you and the car shipper.

The contract should cover all of the above mentioned in a more formal manner, on the shipping company’s letterhead, and authorized personnel should sign and date it.

7. Find out whether there’s someone (customs broker or an agent) who will facilitate customs clearance and unloading at the country you are shipping to.

In addition, do some research on taxes and customs duties that might be due to the country of destination.

8. Search for online customer reviews on a particular shipping company.

There are many websites that you can check out for this.

9. Ensure that you contact the car transporter’s customer service rep in person.

You can find their telephone number on their website. It should serve as a red flag if your calls go unanswered, or if you can’t get direct answers on transit times, shipping and arrival dates, and the requirements for shipping a car internationally.

10. Use your wits.

Be cautious of making advance payments through Western Union or cash, or forwarding crucial paperwork. This includes titles and payments through regular mail.