7 Tips to Protect Your Car When Using Car Shipping Services

One of the biggest questions we get on a weekly basis is the question about protecting a vehicle from damage when using any car shipping services.

So today we’ll pull all the stops and give you 7 smart pieces of advice on saving your vehicle from road damage, especially when on a long-distance transportation job.

1. Don’t Ship a Car During the Summer

The first thing you need to be aware of is that summertime is the busiest time of the year for most car shipping companies and so they tend to be in a hurry. Being in a hurry makes it more likely to make a mistake, so try a less busy time.

If you can avoid it it’s best to leave the shipping of a car for a different time of the year, like spring or autumn, winter works too but road conditions might cause a delay in delivery.

2. Choose a Better Location for the Pickup

By choosing a batter, more easily accessible location, you not only make it easier for the transporter to find you, but you also reduce the chance of any damage being caused to your vehicle upon pick-up.

Choose a level location with good road conditions in order to make it easier for the trailer to pick up the car. This is especially true for low-riding vehicles with lowered or modified suspension.

Choosing a better location for the car pick-up would save you some money because carriers generally don’t like to stray too far from any major road networks.

If you live in the middle of nowhere and you book shipping from your address the cost will increase simply because you are too far from major highways.

3. Don’t Book Expedited Vehicle Transportation

Expedited shipping is one sure way of increasing the costs and risk of damage to the vehicle.  If your main goal is to protect your car from any sort of damage being dealt with it, it’s best for you to simply choose a later date or postpone the transportation of the car.

Choosing expedited shipping generally means that car shipping companies have to make a quick delivery. Every service which relies on the speed of delivery is generally known for being more prone to making mistakes.

If you’re having an expensive vehicle shipped, it’s best to avoid expedited shipping altogether.

4. Use a Car Shipping Finder

Car shipping service finders are generally run by professionals from the industry who understand the needs of a customer. Some services have a specialized service for no-damage guaranteed delivery.

Services like USTrans.com specialize in finding the best possible conditions for a shipping job, so if you don’t know how to vet companies, this service would be of great help to you. They also don’t charge that much, so what you save on the cheap shipping is not canceled out by their fees.

5. Long Distance Shipping is More Dangerous

If you could avoid it, don’t ship long distances because those generally are more prone to causing damage to the vehicle. It’s a statistical certainty that longer distances increase the chance of damage being done to the vehicle.

In cases where long-distance shipping cannot be avoided, it’s best to cover the vehicle with a dust cover to at least protect it from road chips.

The good thing about long-distance, cross-country shipping is that if you are having more than one vehicle transported at once, you might get a discount, it really depends on the carrier you are using.

6. Book Enclosed Shipping if Your Budget Allows it

Booking an enclosed vehicle transportation trailer is by far your best bet if you won’t have your car shipped safely. These types of trailers, although more expensive to rent, pretty much fully enclose the car from the elements and road chips.

These services are used to transport exotic cars. Many of these trailers don’t use ramps to lift the vehicles, but rather use built-in elevators which reduce the chance of the car’s belly being scraped.

7. Call Proven Professionals

Using a truly professional service, like USTrans.com, to ship your vehicle anywhere in the US, gives you a virtual certainty that your car will be transported absolutely safely.

They provide budget-friendly car shipping solutions, as well as services for the more exotic car variants.

While all carriers tend to be extremely cautious with vehicles when transporting them anywhere in the continental US, it’s best to specify in your order that you want to have the car delivered scratch-free.