Car Shipping in Colfax IA

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Are you trying to figure out the practice of moving a vehicle from one place to another using an auto transporter in Colfax? In fact, auto shipping involves a car carrier company moving the vehicle from one location to another for a customer. Clients have the choice to choose between an open carrier, which is the most prevalent, or an enclosed carrier that better covers your vehicle. Typically, an open carrier is used to transport most vehicles unless they are expensive or collector’s vehicles. However, first you should understand the distinction between an auto transport broker and an auto carrier. Brokers don’t in fact ship the vehicle, but they behave as an intermediary between the customer and the service that provides the shipping of the vehicles. Below, we’ll review the difference between a broker and carrier, as well as other ideas that will help you make the best auto transport choice.

What is the Difference Between Auto Carriers and Brokers in Colfax?

Chances are if you’ve never utilized an auto transporter in Colfax, then you may be unaware of the distinction between an auto shipping broker and carrier. Basically, using either service will have the same end result, transporting your motor vehicle from one place to another, but it’s always a good idea to have a fundamental understanding of the two before making a final decision on which provider to do business with.

How an Auto Transport Broker Sets Up Car Carrier Options

When you’re searching for car transport in Colfax chances are you’ll end up calling an auto shipping broker. This means the customer, or shipper, does not actually deal directly with the auto carrier who will be in charge of picking up and delivering your automobile. The auto transport broker acts as a liaison between the shipper and carrier, which means they can shop around to find the most reliable shipping option for their customers. They’ll find an automobile carrier who journeys the route and is within reasonable mileage to your location, so it can end up making the entire shipping process quicker. The broker will be in contact with you, the consumer, throughout the entire shipping process until your vehicle is delivered at its final location.

How to Find an Auto Transport Carrier in Colfax

An auto carrier usually employs a large double deck truck to move multiple vehicles at once, which you’ve likely seen on the highways at times. It is driven by a professional CDL driver trained in loading, unloading and transporting vehicles. The driver may be the proprietor of the auto transport truck who decides on their routes to provide the most productive service. The truck driver is the person who is actually responsible for picking up and delivering your vehicle. Some larger carrier companies are authorized brokers as well which gives them the opportunity to broker out your order to another carrier. This means that even when you think you are working with a carrier in some circumstances you go through a broker service. Most of the time when customers deals specifically with a company, rather than an intermediary, they think they’ll be obtaining a better rate, but that’s not automatically true with Colfax auto transport. On the other hand, a broker already has established a network of carriers, so they can search multiple options to find the most effective choice for their customers.

Steps to Take Before Transporting Your Vehicle

Take any personal items out of your car.

Every Colfax auto carrier is prohibited from transporting anything that would be regarded as a “household item” due to polices from the Department of Transportation. This means you should get rid of anything that would be regarded as a “household good” from your motor vehicle before it is picked up by an auto transport service. For example, car seats, umbrellas and clothing should be removed from your vehicle before it’s loaded onto the trailer.

Only leave about a quarter of tank of gas in your car.

Before your vehicle gets loaded up with a Colfax auto hauler you should examine your fuel level to make sure you have around a quarter tank of gasoline. Some fuel is required to start your vehicle and drive it so that it can be loaded and unloaded from the auto shipping trailer properly. You don’t want to have a full tank of fuel either, however, as that can add extra weight to the trailer and complicate the process.

Before shipping your car, examine it for damages.

In order to better discover any scuff marks or dents on your vehicle it’s a good idea to clean it before inspecting the body. This will allow you to clearly see if there are any dents, dings or scratches that are already existing on your vehicle’s body, which means you won’t mistakenly believe the damage occurred during shipping. Simply taking pictures or a video of the condition of your car prior to shipping can help prevent any confusion at the time of its delivery.

What is a Bill of Lading?

When the Colfax car carrier comes to pick up your vehicle you will be given a Bill of Lading. This Bill of Lading contains the details of your vehicle transport agreement and will confirm that it is being placed in the temporary care of the auto transport company. Both parties can do an examination of the vehicle at this time to document any damages that are on the body. By doing this both the customer and driver are in agreement on the vehicle’s condition at the time of pickup. An additional Bill of Lading will be given to the customer once the car arrives at its destination, which will verify the condition of the vehicle matches what it was when it was picked up. If any new damages occur, they can be addressed at this time.

Understanding insurance liabilities when transporting your car.

Although the Colfax auto hauler should have liability insurance built into their service, it’s a good plan to check with your own insurance company as well to see if they would include any damage that occurs as a result of moving your vehicle. Normally, the auto transport service you’re using will already have insurance built into the cost of their services, so there won’t be any added costs involved. The typical liability coverage ranges between ,000 and 0,000 in coverage, which would be sufficient for the vast majority of problems that could arise. This coverage is usually provided by a third-party insurer employed by the auto transport service.

Getting the Best Auto Transport Service in Colfax

To make sure you’re getting the best car shipping provider in Colfax there are a few details you should acquire regarding your auto transport company. Customers should only do business with transporters who are licensed, bonded and insured. Yet another way to check their service record is by obtaining their MC number or USDOT and doing a lookup with the Better Business Bureau. Ensure to look over the terms and conditions of the shipping agreement and take some time to educate yourself on the overall auto transport process. It’s also a wise course of action to read any third-party testimonials of the company to see what past customers are saying.

Difference Between Colfax Auto Transports and Enclosed Auto Carriers

Typically, shipping a vehicle via open transport will save you the most money. There are more carriers of this type than an enclosed version, and you’ve probably seen them numerous times on the highway. The variety of these carriers and their popularity helps contribute to the cheap price tag. So, in general, this is the most inexpensive way to ship a car. An auto carrier that is going from your area and traveling through to your destination will take that vehicle and add it to a group of up to 10 others heading in that same direction. This lowers the cost of shipping as it is divided by the all the vehicles onboard.

Get the Most Out of Your Auto Transport Service

In order to choose the right auto transport method for your vehicle, think about how much security your car will require. The most common vehicles shipped using an enclosed shipping option are antique or classic vehicles. However, if you’re simply transporting an average car that you use every day for common driving needs, then an open trailer would likely be a good fit for you. As always, try to get at least three or four quotes for car shipping services so you can be sure you’re being charged an satisfactory rate. Simply put a little time towards researching the auto shipping process and the car carrier in Colfax that you’re planning to do business with, that way you know all your bases are covered.