For most folks, shipping an automobile or other vehicle can be a daunting task.  Why, you ask?  Simply because like most things we have never done before, we really don’t know our way around the task.  Not many people have had reason to ship a vehicle on many occasions.

But, it’s not something you need fear.  The industry is tightly regulated by the federal government and it’s competitive enough that the really bad guys tend to get washed away over time, like most industries.

The auto transport industry is peopled by mostly great folks.  Honest and hard working, this is what they do and for the most part they do it very well.

But, like all areas of business, there is a way of getting around and a language to speak.  That is what this article is all about, sharing information on how to do those things and do them as inexpensively as possible.

The very first thing you need to do is get some pricing so that you will know what to expect.  The way to do that is to go to your computer, do a google search for auto transport or car shipping.  This search will produce

the usual organic material in the center of the page, but more importantly it will show you the little rectangular text ads along the right side of the screen.  Look for one that says something like “Free Quotes” or “Get 10 Free Quotes”.  You are looking for an ad that will provide you with pricing from more than one trucking company or broker.  When you click on it, you will be asked to provide the basic information on your shipment as well as some contact information on yourself.  Go ahead and provide what they ask for and within a short period of time (usually just a few minutes) you will not only see several emails with complete quotes attached, but also you will probably receive a couple of phone calls from the more ambitious ones.  If you provide your phone number you learn, if you don’t then you miss out on the education provided by conversing with the experts.  You choose.

Just a word here, if you want to ship your car safely and inexpensively, you are simply going to have to communicate with the folks that want to do business with you.  They can’t read minds, and the only way they are going to know what you want to do is by communicating.  A lot of people these days don’t want to be bothered, but a little bother is certainly worth the safety and cost savings a little comparison can accomplish.  Once you have made your selection of companies, simply request that the other companies stop contacting you.

So, what are you looking for in the quotes?  Price is right up there at the top of my list. Make sure the companies you talk to are licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and have all of the proper insurance and bonding.  One way to accomplish this without doing it yourself is to simply select an Auto Transport Broker.  They do all of this background checking for you at no extra cost, and then they hire the trucker.

Once you have had a chance to talk with a few companies, and listened to their sales pitches, you will be well armed in the search for the company that can please you.  A good place to get lots of competitive quotes is www.best-transport-quotes.com.

More on hiring Auto Transport Brokers vs Carriers later.