The auto shipping process may be a bit overwhelming for some, but it doesn’t have to be if you know what to expect. The auto transportation process can have some pitfalls that can cost you time and money, so be careful about who you choose and why you choose them. Our aim with guide is to explain what one can reasonably expect out of auto shipping and to examine what we believe are the reasons that customers fall prey to some of the auto shipping process’s pitfalls.

There are limits to what auto transport companies can do for you, and it is important to understand just what these limitations are. Pick-up times, delivery times, and shipping rates are aspects of auto shipping that are more or less fixed amongst all auto transport companies in the business. Of course, there can be some slight variations here and there, but for the most part, most good auto transporters can offer you roughly the same services.

Pickup times are one aspect of auto transport that is more or less fixed. It will almost always take between 3-5 days for your vehicle to be picked up once it is ready to go. Although your vehicle MAY be picked up sooner than this, it is not something that can be expected without paying a premium. Thus, one pitfall is that some companies will assure their customers that they can have their vehicle picked up extremely quickly for no extra charge. If you’re working with an auto transporter that guarantees you a pickup a same day or next day pickup at no extra charge, then the chances are that you’re going to wind up disappointed. Remember that same or next day pickups require either a good deal of luck or a good deal of money.

Delivery times, much like pickup times, are roughly congruent throughout the auto shipping industry. Truck drivers are mandated by law to only be allows to driver between 8-10 hours a day, and this will necessarily limit the speed with which your vehicle can be delivered. There are often times when customers will wait until the very last minute to make their auto shipping arrangements and will need an impossibly fast service to have their vehicle arrive on time. There are some unscrupulous auto transporters who recognize this and exploit it, making them feel as though they can perform the service or even blatantly lying to them and stating that they can. It is quite important for the consumer to use their good common sense about what is and is not possible; there is no company that can ship your vehicle from coast to coast in 3 days, so don’t fall victim to your own wishful thinking!

Another aspect of the auto transport industry that is more or less fixed is pricing. Pricing is fairly standard amongst auto transporters, because expenses are relatively standard amongst the entire industry. All transport companies have to pay for insurance, taxes, maintenance, etc.., so prices should all be within $100 or some dollars of each other. Many customers, however, are only interested in the lowest price, and this has lead to some auto transporters offering lowball prices. It is important for customers to use their common sense when deciding on what kind of service to use. If one or two auto transporters are offering rates that are hundreds of dollars less than what other companies are charging, you should be a bit suspicious. Again, it’s about common sense; if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Another thing to look out for as a customer is auto shipping without a contract. There are a few particularly nefarious auto shippers who do not provide contracts on pickup. This is perhaps THE single most important thing to avoid during the auto shipping process. When your vehicle is picked up, you MUST have a contract or you may face some serious surprises. For instance, you might hypothetically work with a company that will make a verbal agreement with you for a price. Let’s say this price is $500 dollars. Keep in mind that you don’t have a contract, so this agreement is purely based on trust. The driver will come and pick up your vehicle without incident, and you most likely won’t be worried in the slightest. This twist, however, will become apparent once the driver has come for delivery. Although you had a verbal agreement for $500, the driver now wants $700. At this point you have two options, either pay the extra $200, or give your vehicle to the driver. Needless to say, this is a sad and vexing experience. As a customer, it is important that you always have a contract before your vehicle is picked up so that you don’t run into a problem like the one described above.

With that said, it’s important to know what one should expect from a good auto transport company. A good company will be honest about what it is that they can do for you rather than leading to you believe what you want to believe. American Auto Transport believes that auto shipping companies have the obligation to be responsible with information. We feel that the buyer-seller relationship should be built on trust, not empty promises, and this is why we focus so much of our efforts to explain the shipping process to you.

So when you select an auto transport company, it is extremely important to use an open, honest, and straightforward company. American Auto Transport aims to be the kind of company that you can trust to do the job the right way. We pride ourselves in being open and honest about auto shipping, even if that means that we lose the occasional job here and there to dishonest companies. It is our opinion that integrity is our most valuable asset, and we work hard to maintain it. So if you want to have your vehicle transported, do it the right way. Choose American Auto Transport for all of your auto transport needs. Call American Auto Transport at (954) 745-8950 and speak to one of our auto transport experts about shipping your vehicle the right way today!