If you are relocating for whatever reason, your car has to go where you go. Whether you drive it yourself or ship it through a professional auto shipping company, it’s going to cost you. The price of gas and auto repairs being what they are, it can cost you the same whether you undergo the stress and strain of driving your car long distances by yourself or entrust it to one of the many reliable auto shipping firms. One cautionary note about auto shipping, you must research the various companies diligently and in detail.

Research auto shipping companies with utmost diligence and in minute detail. Your car may mean more to you that just the money it costs to ship it. That car may be vintage, rare, expensive or just may be your personal friend. Whatever the case, you must investigate several auto transportation companies before you zero in on the best one for your needs. Following are some steps to take to help you in your research.

You are researching the auto shipping companies to find a dependable, professional firm and a good way to start is with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area given that the region you live in is large enough to have local vehicle shipping companies. The BBB offers customer testimonials, reviews, raves and boos on many firms under consideration. You can also find out how they handled the negative comments and what they did to prevent such instances from recurring.

If you are the type of person who enjoys networking with people, ask your friends, co-workers and acquaintances about their experiences. You might also call several reputable car dealerships and auto parts stores to find out what companies they either use in their business or who they would recommend. These are preliminary steps, let’s move on to the more particularized sources which will aid in your final decision.

Researching any complex subject is difficult. There are, however, third party agencies such as Transport Reviews to assist the researcher in demystifying the maze and put him on the right path to review rankings, ratings and brokerage critiques via an unbiased source. Firms like Transport Reviews do double duty as overseers of the auto shipping industry to ensure just practices and integrity of their constituents and throw in some informative insider information to boot to allow competent decision making.

Don’t overlook the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to give yourself the opportunity to search a database giving company descriptions and much relevant material regarding domestic motor carriers. They can give you a rundown on the current licensing and insurance status of the companies registered to give customers driving assistance of various sorts. The FMCSA is monitored by the United States Department of Transportation. This group is devoted to making certain that large trucks and auto transporters are up to their safety standards and have earned their approval to drive the domestic roads.

I hope you are convinced that shipping your car is not like sending a postcard. Your car deserves to be handled with care and arrive at its destination on time and in the same condition it was in when you put it on the carrier. Auto transportation does require a set of specialized skills, so make sure the carrier of your choice has the necessary talent, equipment and reliability to satisfy your needs and that of your friend, your fine machine, your car.

Author Bio: To read more about Auto Transport or Auto Shipping please visit MetroGistics.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: auto transport, auto shipping, car shipping, vehicle transport, automotive, logistics