It is natural that if you ever want to transport your car across States or international borders you will be contacting specialized car transporters and not driving down. But in this case, too, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that you have to do. This is simply to ensure that your mean machine gets to the location without damages and in the same condition that you initiated the shipment.
For the purpose of this post, there are two angles that will be studied in some detail. The first is fixing a date and choosing a transporter and the second is preparing the car for shipping.
Choosing a transporter
What is your role if you want to say ship car to Canada from the USA?
- Decide a date – Fix a date that you want the car to be shipped. Generally, transporters are quite flexible in such issues but it is always advisable to give them seven days notice. You can also utilize this time to prepare your car for shipment.
- Know about the car movers – Ask around and you will surely get people who have shipped cars cross-State or cross-borders some time. Get references. For more information about car movers and best practices search the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- Research the companies – Once you have shortlisted a few companies, call them or ask for online quotes. Be specific about your requirements. Just don’t say that you have to ship car from Canada to the USA. Be definite about the cities in the two countries too. Charges for shipment will depend on it.
- Contact your insurance agent – Inform your insurance agent about the upcoming move. Check whether the existing policy covers the move too and any damages caused by that. If necessary, you might have to take a fresh supplementary policy for the move.
- Finalize a car moving company – After you have researched the transporters, got the quotes, and talked to your insurance agent, select the moving company and tell them the date of the move. You might have to pay upfront before so be ready for it.
After you have finalized these aspects, you have to carefully prepare your car for shipping.
Preparing for shipment
Here is a list of things that you need to do before the car is picked up by the shipping company.
- Clean your car thoroughly –Dirt and dust hide scratches and dents. By having a clean car, you will be able to easily notice if any additional scratches or dents have occurred during the journey. Photograph the car from every angle after washing it and date stamp the photos. It will help you in claiming insurance later in case of any damage.
- Check the interiors – Ensure that you remove all loose items and accessories inside the car as they might get tossed around inside on the journey. Remove all electronics and supporting chargers or cables. Disable the alarm too so that the truck driver is not disturbed by it going off.
- Drain the tank – Keep just enough fuel in the tank to drive to the nearest gas station at the destination. Having a full tank is not only hazardous but adds to the weight of the car.
- Check for leaks – Check the undercarriage. If you have major and noticeable leaks, have them repaired. Not only would the transporter refuse to ship the car, but oil from the leaks will also drip on to the car below when you ship car to Canada or from it for example.
- Lock the car – When your car is loaded onto the transport vehicle, lock the car. It will reduce the risk of threat during shipment.
Finally, you should be at the destination when the transporter delivers your vehicle. After it is off-loaded from the truck, carry out a thorough inspection to make sure that it has not been damaged during the move. If you have any doubts, photograph the car again as before and date stamp the photos. In the normal course, the driver will give you a copy of the contract to sign, one for your records and one for him. This should only be done after you have thoroughly inspected your car. Otherwise, the shipper will be off the hook for any damage during transport.
Follow these few tips for safe and secure transport of your car regardless of whether you ship car Canada or anywhere else.
