Car Transport Services Call: 832-886-2546
Car Transport has become a very common service now a days that helps people move their cars from one place to another without the hassle and expenses of a cross country trip with the family. No need to ask for days off, plan budgets or sleepless hours of driving and driving, plus it avoids the wear and tear of your car in order to transport it over 2000 miles.
These transportation services have helped many with their shipping needs and have grown in demand throughout the years. The car transport industry not only services dealers, auctions or government agencis, it has now expanded its reach to private owners as well. Due to this last one, there are a variety of types of services in order to accommodate every need. Each customer presents different needs and it is important that carriers present solutions to every one of them.
The easiest way to book a transport is through a broker, although many people advise against it due to the extra broker fees, it will be the easiest way as brokers provide the connection with the carrier. What many customers don't know is that carriers actually preffer to work with brokers as they don't have time to deal with customers and take orders as they are on the road most of the time, therefore it is easier simply to grab jobs from a broker. The fees at the end pay off as you get to enjoy a hassle free experience to transport your car.
Following are different types of car transport services than can be used depending on the customer's needs.
What is an open carrier?
An open carrier as its name states is a hauler with an open carrier on the back, meaning the cars are transported exposed to the environment and road conditions. These are the most common type of carriers and it is very likely you've seen these on the road.
Regular towing trucks are a type of open carriers, they service locally, however, they can only take 1 - 2 cars at a time, therefore it is not very cost effective for long trips.
Open carriers can haul up to 11 cars in a single trip and cross the country back and forth as many times as possible. They need regular low cost maintenance compared to other types of carriers and are always available as they are in extremely high demand.
What are the benefits of an enclosed carrier?
Any customer can request for an enclosed carrier, however they are mostly used to transport high end luxury cars, classics, convertibles or sports cars as they offer maximum protection for cars.
Another of the benefits of shipping a car via enclosed is that the drivers that are used to manage these carriers are considered the best drivers in the industry as they are trained to deal with these unique circumstances.
Due to the type of cars these carriers mostly ship, insurance policies for enclosed carriers are amongst the best as well.
Do we have to drop of the car somewhere or will it be picked up at my address?
One of the wonders of the car transport services is that the car not necessarily needs to be dropped of at a terminal in order to receive the service, unless the circumstances of the transport require it. Shipping companies offer a door-to-door service to accommodate customer's needs, this way customers provide their exact delivery and pick up address and meet the driver. Some cases however require a terminal as some customers may be on the move and need to catch a flight, have no one to hold the car for them, or in some cases simply don't feel comfortable providing their address. For these cases a terminal-to-terminal service can be scheduled, although it will have extra fees for storage, it will ease the transportation for the customer and driver.
How do I ship my motorcycle?
In order to transport a bike, customers must first do some homework and check if their model requires a special craddle or a specific safety measure in order to transport. For example, Ducati bikes need special manufacturer craddles in order to ship because of their form, most carriers won't take the bike unless it is mounted on the craddle already. Other carriers may provide the craddle for you for an extra fee.
Motorcycles need to be shipped via enclosed carriers, it is not a rule, however it is strongly recommended in order to safeguard it from road conditions, if a car can get scratched by a flying rock on the road, imagine all that can happen to an exposed 2 wheel vehicle.
Shipping overseas, how is that done?
If a car is located in the main land far from a port, it will need to be transported on a carrier to the neerest port and then shipped, It would be the same process if the delivery location is far from a port.
In case cars are being shipped to another country, customer will have to take care of all custom fees and paperwork before car is mounted.