September 3, 2008

Extending the life of your car

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When it comes to extending the life of your car, there are some things that can help both during shipping but also during day-to-day use of your vehicle. Put these into practice and you’ll sure to keep your car in top shape for a lot longer.

  1. Remove accessories. During shipping, you’re better off taking extras, such as roof racks or special antennas, off your vehicle to prevent breaks and scratches. During everyday life, loading your vehicle with these things will increase the total weight, which in turn will increase the amount of gas you spend and the pressure on your tires.
  2. Check tire pressure. Too little air can result in extra load on the motor and can eventually damage the car. During shipping, tires that are not properly inflated can result in difficulties loading the car into the shipping container.
  3. Make sure the battery works properly. If the shipping company has trouble starting your car, they may choose to tow it onboard the container, which will result in additional charges. During everyday life, a battery that is not working properly can increase the chances of engine burnout.
  4. Don’t overload the car. Some shipping companies allow you to leave items on the trunk of your car, but the insurance will not cover theft or damage. Excess weight takes a toll on the life of your car, so get rid of anything in the trunk or the back seat that you don’t really need or use.
  5. Wash your car regularly. It will prevent debris and dirt from scratching the surface. Before a shipping inspection, a good wash will uncover any imperfections so they can be noted on the insurance bill.



Be sure to check out our other vehicle shipping resources or find discounted
car shipping rates from dependable auto transport companies.

September 2, 2008

International car shipping tips

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If you’re shipping your car internationally, there are a couple of important things that you will want to know. First, you will have to drive your vehicle to the proper port location. Secondly, you will be fully responsible for arranging for your own transportation from the port location after you’ve dropped off your car. The majority of car shipping companies DO NOT provide transportation.

Next, someone will have to be available for pickup once your car is delivered to your specified destination. If no one is available for pick up at delivery, your car will be placed into storage. To avoid this from happening, make sure that you make arrangements ahead of time because if your car is placed into storage, you could be charged additional fees.


Be sure to check out our other vehicle shipping resources or find discounted
car shipping rates from dependable auto transport companies.

August 8, 2008

The Bill of Lading - Some Auto Transport Contract Advice

The bill of lading is a contract between you and the car shipping company that shows you both agree on the sending and receiving condition of the vehicle as well as the price rates and other terms and conditions. Watch the video for more information.


Be sure to check out our other vehicle shipping resources or find discounted
car shipping rates from dependable auto transport companies.

July 11, 2008

How to search for a good car transporter online

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earching online in the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN is the easy part. The more challenging part is finding a reputable car transporter. So, what makes a good car transport website?

1. Finding the car transport contact information should be easy. A user web form is great but a contact page should have the company’s physical or mailing address and a workable phone number.

2. Finding answers to your questions should not be like finding a needle in a haystack. A car transport company should at least have a FAQ page, About Us page and a Contact Page.

3. Avoid websites that haven’t been updated since the New Millennium New Year’s Eve ball dropped.

4. Type in the website name in the search engines to see what other people are saying about your car transporter. You can find out if a company should be avoided at all cost. Many customers will voice their opinion about a company on the Internet.

5. Take a visit to www.bbb.org. You can do a quick background check on your car transport company. You can review any complaints that may be listed on the Better Business Bureau website.

Hopefully these quick car transport online searching tips will be helpful in your search in finding a good car transporter.


Be sure to check out our other vehicle shipping resources or find discounted
car shipping rates from dependable auto transport companies.

March 5, 2008

Procedures of importing a vehicle

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Do you want to import your personal car or do you want to start your very own auto importing business? Well, there are certain requirements that are standard to importing a vehicle.

The U.S. standard includes certain vehicle characteristics such as the car bumper, emissions test and other safety rules. Since the United States has its own rules and specifications, that means cars outside of the U.S. do not conform to these rules and must be conforming at the time of import. So you have to make sure that each individual car meets the U.S. import standard and specification.

If you are importing cars from Japan, for example, to the U.S. they have to meet the required safety rules as indicated by the DOT Safety1966 Safety Act. This Safety Act was revised in 1988 to include the control of air pollution as well as to the standards of the vehicle’s bumper as included in the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act of 1978.

 


Be sure to check out our other vehicle shipping resources or find discounted
car shipping rates from dependable auto transport companies.