Researching Car Shipping Rates
Use Google to find the right information about various vehicle transportation companies and compare their services side-by-side. Before you hire any company, make sure that the company is registered with the US Department of Transportation (dot.gov). Also verify that the company has an active MC and USDOT number. When you are looking for car shipping rates, investing a few moments in doing research about the company will save you time and money.
In most states, interstate motor carriers with non-hazardous materials do not need a USDOT numbers; however, several states participate in programs such as People Responding in Social Ministry (PRISM), which requires that all interstate motor carriers must have a USDOT number, no matter if they carry hazardous or non-hazardous materials.
Please be aware that brokers and forwarders do not require USDOT number, but having MC (Motor Carriers) number is mandatory for them. Double check the company registration with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration fmcsa.dot.gov website, even if the company confirms that they have both of these numbers.
Apart from getting registered with the US Department of Transportation (dot.gov), the transport companies must also have cargo and liability insurance. This is vitally important for any legitimate transport carriers providing auto shipping services. Motor Truck Cargo (MTC) liability insurance helps getting legal liability coverage (LLC) for truckers (contract or common) at the same time as they are shipping property (cargo).
Car Shipping Rates
Researching companies before getting your free quotes and rates
Once you are satisfied with legal documents and insurance details, the next step to find the right car shipping rates is to verify company credentials from unbiased sources. The two most reliable review sources on the web specializing in automobile transporters are transportrankings.com and transportreviews.com. Go ahead and read customer’s reviews about a company you are researching on these review sites, it is definitely worth the time to check these sites to find out what other customers are saying about their transportation experiences.
However, it is also important to recheck the information you get from these review websites with Better Business Bureau (BBB), the unbiased organization that collects information on business reliability and alerts the public about frauds against businesses and consumers. It also offers information on ethical business practices and plays the role of a mutually trusted intermediary between business and consumer to resolve disputes. Before you opt for any car shipping rates, it is important to check if the shipping company has a BBB rating of A or A+. Its a good idea not to choose any company with less than B+ rating.
Verify the Shipping Details Thoroughly
Lastly, its a good idea to inquire about the exact shipping policies and methods of your chosen shipping company. Find out exactly how definite their schedule is and discover the exact methods they follow during assessment, pickup and delivery of your vehicle. Additionally, you should also find out if there is any specific limitation that you should be aware of. Hence, it is really important to get everything in writing and evaluate all the terms and conditions set by the company well in advance.
So, these are the most vital factors that you must check before getting a quote for car shipping rates from the transportation company. Your vehicle is precious and well worth the time and effort essential to choose the shipping company which is right for you.
