Car Transportation in Chatham MA

Answers To Your Questions
Friendly straight forward advice

Do you have questions such as what size auto carrier do I need or how much does this cost? Call us now to get all of your questions answered.

Affordable Prices
Competitive pricing with no hidden fees

Unlike other vehicle shipping companies in Chatham, we never charge hidden fees. Our pricing includes everything that you will need to transport your vehicle from point A to point B – all at extremely competitive rates.

Dependable Service
On time delivery and pickup

Don’t settle for slow response or late deliveries. For over 10 years we have shipped vehicles on time, when and where our customers need them. Call today to see why we’re the best budget auto transport company in Chatham, MA.

Shipping a car or truck is not a very complex process, although it may seem that way from the outside, specifically if you’ve hardly ever done it before. In order to move a car, truck or motorcycle it’s really just a matter of having the appropriate information and contacting the right Chatham auto transport service to deal with the job. Sometimes, you’ll end up calling what’s called a broker rather than an actual auto carrier. Both of these businesses essentially make sure your vehicle is shipped safety and speedily to a new location. No matter where in the country you’re shipping your motor vehicle, the process is essentially the same. You’ll want to make sure you have your vehicle’s details handy, such as the make, model and year, as well as the exact location you wish to ship it to. It’s also important to have a general time schedule in mind if you’ll need your vehicle shipped by a certain date. Initially, as a customer you should know the difference between an auto carrier broker and the actual shipping company that owns the trucks.

How to Tell the Difference Between Chatham Auto Carriers and Brokers

Odds are if you’ve never utilized an auto transporter in Chatham, then you could possibly be unaware of the difference between an auto shipping broker and carrier. Essentially, using either service will have the same end result, transporting your automobile from one place to another, but it’s always a good idea to have a fundamental understanding of the two before making a final choice on which provider to do business with.

Auto Brokers and Their Role in the Auto Transport Market

A person or group acting as an auto transport broker will not own the fleet of trucks used for shipping. Brokers facilitate auto transportation by hooking up customers, referred to as “shippers”, with the carriers that offer the specific services requested. The benefit of using a broker as opposed to a carrier is that you have much more options because of their active network of auto carriers. Dealing with a single carrier means they may not run the route you need, have the necessary equipment or the appropriate licensing to transport through the states required to get your vehicle where it needs to go. Essentially, a broker does the leg work of acquiring a carrier that meets these set of guidelines and can sometimes get a more competitive price by creating competition between carriers on behalf of the shipper.

What Is An Auto Transport Carrier?

A car hauling carrier is usually a double deck truck that can load up to ten automobiles at a time. It is driven by a professional CDL driver trained in loading, unloading and transporting vehicles. The driver may be the owner of the auto transport truck who decides on their routes to provide the most efficient service. The truck driver is the person who is actually responsible for picking up and delivering your vehicle. Occasionally a carrier may also act as a broker, so if they’re not able to transport your vehicle, then they will find a different driver who can do the job. So even if you think you’re dealing directly with an auto carrier, you might be choosing a different carrier service in the end. Normally you’d think dealing directly with a carrier means you’ll get a better price, but that’s not always the case when it comes to auto carriers in Chatham. A broker shops numerous auto transporters and is already organized to contact all these vendors, so they’ll already know the ideal option for your auto transport needs.

Preparing Your Vehicle to be Transported

Secure your personal items outside your car.

Auto carriers are prohibited from moving anything regarded as a household good, which is a law mandated by the Department of Transportation. This means auto transport in Chatham will not be allowed to deliver vehicles with your personal objects inside of them. This includes things like GPS systems, DVD players, CDs or other third-party goods that you have placed in your vehicle.

Do not overfill your gas tank.

You should always ensure that there is about a quarter tank of gas left in your vehicle when shipping. Your Chatham auto carrier will probably have to drive the vehicle on and off the trailer during the shipping process, and since it will be at a sharp angle it’s a good idea to keep at least a quarter tank of gas in it. But, you don’t want to overfill your tank or leave your car with a full tank of fuel during shipping. A full tank would add lots of weight to your vehicle, which could result in problems during the transporting process.

Document any body damage on your vehicle

In order to record the condition of your car before turning it over to a Chatham auto carrier, it’s a good idea to take photos of any scratches, dents, dings or other damage present before to shipping. Cleaning your vehicle first will make it a lot easier to identify any dents or dings. Next, take some pictures of videos of your car in order to offer proof of its condition if needed later on. That way you have records of its condition in the event any problems arise during the vehicle transport process.

Learning about your Bill of Lading.

When the Chatham car carrier comes to pick up your car you will be given a Bill of Lading. This Bill of Lading contains the details of your vehicle transport agreement and will validate that it is being placed in the temporary care of the auto transport company. Both parties can do an evaluation 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. The customer will receive one more Bill of Lading during the delivery process, which will again examine the condition of your vehicle. Any new damage that may have occurred throughout the transport process, although rare, can be determined easier this way.

Understand your insurance coverage.

Your insurance company may have protection built into your policy that provides for damages that may happen in the auto hauling process. Auto transport Chatham companies should already have liability coverage built into their services, which usually covers anywhere from ,000 to 0,000 worth of damages. The cost of this insurance is built into the overall price of your vehicle transportation and is provided by an outside firm that the car hauler does business with. Typically, this is enough to cover any problems that could occur during the transportation process, but it’s a good idea to check with your insurance company as well.

Make Certain You Select the Best Car Shipping Provider in Chatham

You can find out quite a bit about the auto transporter you’re thinking of using by carrying out some online research. There are loads of auto transporters in Chatham to choose from, so how do you know which one is the best? First, you can obtain the company’s MC number or USDOT number. The auto carrier should always be licensed, bonded and insured. You can also look up their solutions on the Better Business Bureau’s website to find out what people are expressing about them. Finally, review the terms and conditions of the auto transport services you’re receiving and it’s also a good idea to do a bit of research on the auto transport process in general. By doing a bit of research you’ll make sure you’re getting the best deal and service around.

Difference Between Open Transport & Enclosed Carriers in Chatham

Shipping your vehicle by using an open carrier solution is often the most inexpensive and common. There are more carriers of this type than an enclosed version, and you’ve most likely seen them numerous times on the highway. The abundance of these carriers and their reputation helps contribute to the cheap price tag. So, in general, this is the least expensive 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 minimizes the cost of shipping as it is divided by the all the vehicles onboard.

You Can Get Fantastic Auto Transport Deals in Chatham

Prior to deciding on whether you utilize an open trailer or enclosed trailer, first think about how much protection your car really needs. 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 typical driving needs, then an open trailer would likely be a good fit for you. A good game plan is to get many quotes from car shipping carriers or brokers, that way you know you’re receiving the most fair rates. By putting in a bit of time to research the Chatham auto transport company, the process being auto transporting and the rates involved in your service you can guarantee you’re not only getting the best deal, but also the best service.