Although you may be anxious to receive your vehicle after shipping, there are a few things that you should do before accepting it. Check for cosmetic or mechanical damage. The driver will compare the damage to the information that was noted on the condition report. Make sure that the driver doesn’t leave without signing the report! Try to schedule the shipping dates during daylight hours; it is never wise to accept a motorcycle at night if you can help it. If you can only accept your motorcycle at night, make sure it is in a well lit area.

Motorcycle Shipping Tip: If there is apparent damage to your motorcycle, a reputable shipping company should be more than willing to reimburse you for the damage. That’s why its recommended that you invest in motorcycle transport insurance.

Door-to-Door shipping is not just for cars. If you own a motorcycle, you can have it shipped to your place of business, office or another location. So, that means that the truck driver will travel as close to your requested pick-up or delivery location as possible. If you live in a rural, suburban or urban area that prohibits large trucks from entering, the driver will make arrangements with you for other pick-up and delivery locations.

Motorcycle shipping companies have easy payment terms. Keep in mind that it’s not unusual for a shipping company to ask for a payment in advance with the remaining balance due upon delivery. Some companies require a percentage of the total cost of your shipping order such as 15-25%. Remember, if you are paying the remaining balance upon delivery, you will have to present the driver with a cashiers check (not a personal check) or hard money (cash). Some trucks come equipped with credit card terminals and some are not. Most car transport companies accept major credit cards such as: Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Make sure you contact the vehicle shipping company in advance if you are paying via credit card.

Whether you are shipping a motorcycle, boat, truck or a car, on average, it normally takes up to 24 hours for you to receive a quote. See, this is what will happen after you fill out a form for a vehicle shipping quote, a representative will contact you via email or telephone. Depending on how busy the company is will determine how long it will take for someone to get back to you with a quote. That’s why its so important to contact at least 3 to 4 companies rather than waiting for each company to contact you before contacting the next company for a quote. If you need an immediate quote, simply contact the car shipping company directly during their regular business hours. Some companies even offer online chat where you can speak with a representative instantly from your computer.

Important Tip: Make sure that you have all information such as the size, make and model of your vehicle. Remember to tell the representative if your vehicle is inoperable. And don’t forget that the rep will be giving an estimate - not the final cost of your car shipping order.

So, you’re finally ready for your car to be picked up and delivered to your requested destination. One of the most important things that you will want to do is be on time to meet the car transport driver. As mentioned in my previous articles about truck maneuvering restrictions, if you live in a residential area that restricts trucks from entering, your car will have to be picked up in another location. Hopefully, you live close to a shopping center or vacant parking lot where trucks can easily load up your vehicle. But, if your car is inoperable, this could present a problem for you. You will have to make arrangements to have your car towed to a location that will allow large commercial vehicles to enter.

And lastly, make sure the car transport company gives you all the paperwork that you need such as an original inspection report. This type of report contains vital information such as your car’s current mileage and info about the condition of your car at the time the driver picked up your car. Remember to keep this document because you will need to use it when your car is delivered. If someone else will be picking up your car, simply fax or mail them a copy of the report prior to the day of arrival.

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In other words: Should you hire a professional car shipping company or Joe Schmoe’s Car Shipping Company?

An amateur car shipping company may have the best prices in town but you know the old warn-out adage …you get what you pay for. Perfect example, my father in-law hired a Joe Schmoe car shipping company; someone that he thought would be reliable because he was the neighborhood handyman - a Jack of all trades. My father in-law hired him to ship his car from his home to another state. He offered to do it next to nothing.

On the day of pick-up, my father in-law called to confirm. Joe Schmoe, the driver said: “Cool, let me splash some water on my face and I’ll be there in 60 seconds.” Well, Mr. Schmoe never showed up. After calling him several times, he finally answered the phone and my father in-law rescheduled for the next day.

During pickup, Schmoe actually did a good job of loading up the vehicle. My father paid him the car shipping fee and Schmoe was on his way. Transit time should have taken only 2-3 hours. Ten hours later, Schmoe-Ann, Joe Schmoe’s wife called. She told my father in-law that her husband got arrested for DUI and they impounded his truck, and yes, you guessed correctly – along with my father in-law’s car.

$250 down the drain. My father in-law had to wait a whole week to get his car back. I asked him was it worth the hassle – absolutely not was his answer. He was better off hiring a professional car shipping company. It may have cost him $600 - $800 but at least his car would have arrived to his point of destination safely.