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First-time car shippers may find the process of shipping a car rather confusing. Despite it never being easier to ship a car, doing something new always comes with some added stress. Like taking a vacation to a new place, you want to make sure you’ve brought everything and you’re as prepared as can be. The same correlates to car shipping. You want to make sure your car is safe on the trip and that it will arrive on time. If you want to make sure that your car arrives in the best condition possible, there are some things you should be aware of. The bill of lading and the insurance terms are two documents you may want to spend a little extra time going over. These two documents could save you some serious headaches in the future.
Insurance Terms
Some shipping companies may not be so transparent with their insurance. Some even go as far as to leave their insurance out of their quotes to make their prices look cheaper than they really are. If your shipping company does this or doesn’t even include insurance, run for the hills. This is a terrible practice and could leave you in some serious hot water. That’s because your regular insurance probably won’t cover your vehicle while it’s shipping. That means if anything goes wrong, it’s all coming out of your pocket. More often than not, everything will be fine, which is why many shipping companies just glance at their terms to spend time on more important things. However, if things do go awry, you’ll be glad you took the time.
The biggest thing is to make sure that your shipping company has enough insurance to cover your vehicle. At first glance, it may appear that they have more than enough. However, the thing to realize is that their insurance has to cover every vehicle on the trailer. This could be as many as ten other cars. So they need to have enough insurance to cover your car times ten. Plus, if they’re transferring any classic or exotic cars, make sure that their coverage limits are higher than you need, and you should be fine.
The Bill of Lading
The bill of lading goes hand in hand with the insurance. It may be presented to you as a receipt for your shipment, but it’s so much more than that. If you’ve never shipped a car, you may not be familiar with what a bill of lading is. However, if you’ve ever rented a car, you kind of know how this document works. When the driver picks up your car, they’ll do an inspection. In that inspection, they’ll note any prior damage or dings and mark that on the bill of lading. When your car arrives, they’ll ask you to sign, but don’t sign just yet.
This very important document is what insurance companies will use to determine if any damage occurred while in transport. If you sign immediately, you’re essentially saying that the car arrived exactly as it left. So before you sign, make sure to do your own inspection. Check inside and out for any scratches or scrapes that might have occurred during the shipment. Once these are marked on the bill of lading, you can then sign. That way, when you file a claim with their insurance, the insurance company can see clear as day what the issue is.
Important documents only work if you know how to use them.
Most shipping companies ship hundreds of vehicles, and they all go off without a hitch. There’s never a need to go into the insurance terms or check the bill of lading. Things just worked out, and those important documents are just part of the protocol. That’s why most shipping companies will hardly ever explain to you what they are. They’re just not worth the time. But if you know, you can use them as the tools they are to give you peace of mind when you ship.
If you’re still looking for a shipping company, call Car Transport Chicago for an instant today. They include industry-leading insurance coverage right there in the quote. Not to mention, they have a team of dedicated shipping pros who will walk you through every step. No matter if it’s your first time shipping or your hundredth time, Car Transport Chicago has you covere
