Auto Shipping Mistakes to Avoid

There are a lot of articles out there about how to make sure your car shipping experience as pleasant as possible. Auto shipping mistakes are also something that we need to focus on. What you will probably do and what might cause you a huge amount of stress. In order for your shipment not to turn into a disaster, we need to make sure that you know what can go bad. Down below we have listed the main mistakes people make when they are shipping their car and what to do to avoid them. Let’s check it out.

Picking the first company you talk to is the best way to make auto shipping mistakes

Among many common mistakes when shipping a car, this is probably the worst one. The number of negative reviews that start with “I should have done a lot more research” is really high. This comes as a surprise to most people, but some just do not have the time to research properly. Perhaps they are generally a trustworthy person and just pick the first option no matter what they are doing. In our personal opinion, this should be on top of every article about things to avoid when shipping your vehicle. It’s also one of the worst ways to pick moving services of any kind. Please people, do your research. Have at least 3 companies that you explore between making your pick. A few things can go wrong if you fail to do research:

• Your vehicle can not get picked up at all
• It can arrive way later than it’s supposed to
• Damage can happen and insurance will not be there to cover you
• Theft happens sometimes as well as a result of auto shipping mistakes

You should be choosing from a whole pallet of companies. Not just one color.

Assuming your vehicle will be insured when shipping your vehicle

Again, an assumption is the mother of all troubles. Wondering what to look out for when shipping a car? Stop assuming that anything is guaranteed. Insurance specifically. Look at the documents that you get from auto shipping companies. See if insurance is involved and how much is it. It’s the first thing you should know about all the moving contracts. On the first call, always ask if the vehicles are insured and for how much. Asking for anything that interests you is the best way to avoid car shipping mistakes.

Trusting Website reviews above all other reviews

If a company has great reviews on its Website, that does not mean it’s a great company. Why? – Because they control the content that’s up there. Do you really think a company would allow nasty reviews on their Website for people to see? Some might allow few, but it’s incredibly rare. Among many things to avoid when shipping your vehicle, trusting content that the company puts out is probably the one that has the least amount of sense. Website reviews are not credible. They just are not.

Choosing a broker instead of an actual carrier

I’m not saying that all brokers are bad or that all actual carriers are good. That’s simply not true. The area is a lot more gray then simply white and black. On the other side, it’s a fact that most bad companies are brokers and most good companies are actual carriers. That’s also a fact. Brokers can achieve a high quality of service but at the end of the day, most things are not in their control. And you pay more by choosing them. It’s one of the weirdest moving assistance options you can find. If you like two companies the same and one is a broker and the other one is a carrier, go for the broker. You’ll be right in most cases. You can check out if a company is a broker or a carrier on the official Department of Transportation Website.

There are many good brokers out there, but the majority is bad.

Thinking shipping a vehicle is going to be cheap

Also, one of the most common mistakes when shipping a car. A lot of people are surprised when they get the first estimate from the company. Why does it cost so much they ask? If you want to go with a reliable company, you have to pay more. Premium quality costs premium money. It’s just as simple as that. If you look at the reviews of 5-star companies, they mainly say they thought the price as a little high, but it was worth it. And that’s what your reasoning should be as well. If you want everything done in a proper and timely manner, you have to be willing to spend more.

Assuming they will deliver the vehicle at your doorstep

The door to door service is always tricky when shipping a vehicle. Also, one of the main car shipping mistakes that people make when dealing with a particular company. Not all companies guarantee door to door service. And they do not even mention it. As a result, many of times at the pick up/drop off conflict happens with the driver and the customer. This is something that most people forget while moving or shipping a vehicle. To be completely honest, sometimes it’s just not possible for them to reach your exact location. An 18 wheeler cannot reach you in Manhattan, it’s not going to happen. If the door to door service is something of high value for you, make sure to ask the company rather than assuming it’s guaranteed.

Treating the referrals that you get as if they are 100% the truth is the best way to make auto shipping mistakes

Just because your friend had a great experience with a particular company, that does not mean you will too. Most of these companies are a hit and miss. Sometimes they knock it out of the park with their quality of service and sometimes they drop the ball. Have this in mind next time when someone tells you what a great experience they had. How to counter this? Look at reviews. Your referral was just one person in the sea of previous clients. And it might not be the best fish to talk to when asking what not to do when shipping a vehicle.

Not looking at reviews at all is the worst of all auto shipping mistakes

I can’t believe I have to write this. People, please look at reviews. What better way to see what is the level of service a company provides than to read what other people say about them. This is the most valuable resource you can get and the best way to see what not to do when shipping a vehicle. If you look at the right place that is. Out of all platforms, Yelp stands out as the best one. It’s an independent platform with strict rules that really cares about customer satisfaction. It’s also the most credible one and the reviews are, generally speaking, true and the best way to avoid auto shipping mistakes.

Feedback from previous clients should crucial when choosing a company.