How Do Car Shipping Companies Work?

by Jimmy on June 14, 2012

Car shipping is not some new shiny method of transporting vehicles from one place to he next. Auto dealers and other people that are involved in the auto industry have been using car shipping services for years. If the concept of shipping a car is new to you, then you most likely have quite a few questions about how the whole process works. Luckily for you, carshipping.org will explain the whole process in this article.

The basics of car shipping

Having your car shipped is not that much different from having a package shipped. It is just much bigger. It basically works on the same principals. Your fill out some paperwork, pay for the service, and like magic your car gets transported. That is the quick and simple version of what goes on. Deep inside the car shipping company something completely different is happening, and it is a complex process.

Understanding the paperwork

Once you have decided on a car shipping company, it is time to start filling out some paperwork. There will be multiple items that you will have to deal with. The most important will be the bill of lading. This is the contract that goes with your car during the entire shipment. Make sure that you fill out all of the paperwork properly.

You are not the only one with questions

The car shipping company will have a lot of questions for you. They will need to know a shipping date, a pickup and drop off location, and they will also need to know the make, model, and year of your car. All of these questions are for your benefit. Answer them correctly.

The car shipping company goes to work

Once all of the questions are answered, and all of the paperwork is filled out, the car shipping company goes to work. They will assign a unique number to your shipment, and they will schedule a pickup date and location. These two will coincide with the dates that you provided during the earlier questions.

A complex computer system tracks just about everything that is going on during the shipment. The car shipping company will know where your vehicle is at all times.

Once the auto shipping company picks up your vehicle, one of two things happens. One, your vehicle will be transported to a central hub where it will await shipment, or two, it will be loaded directly on a car hauler.

If your vehicle gets transported to a central hub, then it will wait for other cars to fill up the car hauler. Once it is loaded on the car hauler, the car hauler hits the road.

Your vehicle may or may not be the first one to be delivered, and it may not be delivered directly to your new location. It may be delivered to a central hub where it will require you to pick it up. Your vehicle could also be delivered directly to your new location.

There are several people that are involved in this entire process. The inner workings of a car shipping company is pretty amazing once you understand everything that is involved.

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