Shipping your car to another state or all the way across the country can seem like a daunting task at first. Even shipping your car within your state may seem overly complicated if you’ve never done it before. The good news is that it isn’t as difficult as you may think and as long as you have all of your paperwork in order, it is fairly simple.
Doing Your Paperwork
The first rule of shipping your car is to get everything in writing. There is a lot of paperwork that will need to be done in order to have your car shipped, but most of it is very easy to get access to. Here is a quick list of some of the more common documents you will need when shipping your car:
- Photo ID
- Proof of ownership
- Vehicle registration
- Vehicle title
- Lienholder authorization
- Proof of ownership
Keep in mind that these items can vary depending on your circumstances. For example, car shipping in Georgia may not require the same paperwork as car shipping in another state. Fortunately, speaking with a car shipping company will usually be more than enough to get a full list of all the documentation and paperwork that you need.
Consider Both Time and Money
When you choose to have your car shipped to another destination, you need to have a budget in mind for how much you’re willing to spend and also an idea of what kind of time frame you’d like to shoot for. This is because both the amount you spend and how long it takes for your car to arrive at its destination can depend on the type of service that you pick.
Open Car Carrier Service
This is the most common type of transportation when it comes to shipping cars. Your car will be carried with many others on a car carrier vehicle to its destination. This is the cheapest method of transportation but not necessarily the fastest since many cars have to be delivered. That said, this is a good option if saving money is more important than saving time.
Enclosed Trailer Service
The other method of shipping is to have your car entirely enclosed in a trailer. This can be the faster of the two options since there will be fewer cars in the trailer. In some cases, your car may be the only one allowing it to go straight to your delivery destination. Of course, this method of delivery does cost more. In fact, it can be up to 30 to 40% more costly in some cases. Regardless, this is the better method if an open car carrier can’t meet your needs.
Protection
Now that we’ve gone over the two types of transportation you get with car shipping services, let’s talk about protection. As you may have guessed, your car will be much better protected when using enclosed trailer services. This is because it won’t be exposed to debris from the road or to harsh weather conditions. It will also be out of sight, so it won’t attract car thieves or vandals.
On the other hand, open car carriers are less protected. However, they are still very secure, and the chances of your car being damaged are very low. In fact, these carriers are built in a way that even if there is a collision, your car will most likely suffer no damage. With that said, if you don’t want your car to have any chance of taking damage, an enclosed trailer is the better option. This is especially true if you’re shipping a classic car, luxury car, supercar, or some other special type of car that must be fully protected.
Being Prepared is The Key to Safe Car Shipping
More than anything else, the best thing you can do to make shipping your car an easy and stress-free experience is to know your needs beforehand so you will have an idea of what type of car shipping service is best for you. This will also help you to have a better idea of what paperwork you’ll need and what type of transportation will be best for you. Remember, if you’re having trouble figuring it all out, the best thing you can do is get in touch with a car shipping company and let them explain it to you personally.
