Moving a car from one place to another sounds like a difficult task, but careful planning and choosing the right car courier company is essential to a successful transport.

Choosing a car transport Service

As far as car transportation is concerned, there are 3 main options as below:

1. The car is driven to its destination on trade plates

2. Transporting the car on a single car trailer

3. The car is transported on a multi-car trailer

Having the car driven to its destination, by a driver on trade plates can be the cheapest option.. However, there are disadvantages. It is more likely to be damaged en route, as is actually being driven on the road (although a good car transporter will of course be insured). Secondly, it will increase the mileage of the car, which may be significant for longer trips.

Probably the most personalised and expensive option is to have your car delivered in a single car trailer, since you are the only one who pays for the transportation cost. However, there are many car transporters who offer this type of service so you can find one very quickly.This option is suitable for expensive and valuable cars, those which you want to arrive safe and sound with the least risk of being damaged.

Muti-car trailer is a very commonly used way of transporting cars, since the cost is shared between customers and the cars are transported and not driven. There are many car transporters who operate this kind of service so it doesn’t take much time to find one. However, door to door delivery will be unlikely – with this method, the car transporter will generally deliver the car to a nearby hub, from where you can collect the car.

Compare prices

Calling around for a few quotes before accepting one is a good practice. Family, friends and your local car dealers are good resources which can recommend you a car transport company. Feel free to have a look at Yellow Pages as well as online resources.

Insurance

It is absolutely important to make sure the car transport company you are using is fully insured. You should check not only the type of damage catered for, but the financial level of damage covered.

It’s worth checking if your current car insurance covers the car whilst in transport already, as some policies do. If not, you might be able to insure the car whilst being transported with a small fee. Your own insurer may be more reliable than the transport company, so this is worth considering if only for your own peace of mind.

Whether it's car transport, transport de voitureor transporte de coches - you will always have to make sure the insurance is correct.

Car transporter trustworthiness

It is very important to make sure that the car transport company are reliable and can be trusted with your car. Whilst problems seem to be rare, they can occur – so it is important to prevent them at the earliest stage. Ask them for their previous customer reference or Google their company name.

Payment Terms & Conditions

As soon as you decide which car transport company to be used, you should agree on payment terms. 25% deposit requirement is a common practice in car transport industry.

Read The Small Print

It is important to make sure that any promises, payment terms or "what happens if it goes wrong" details are written down and signed, so they can be enforced as a contract if need be. If you don’t agree with any contract terms, ask the car transport company to edit them.

Preparation of Car Transport

Although the car transport company normally provide tips and guidance, it is important to prepare your car before transportation

1. Fully wash the car.

2. Make a note of any chips, dents or any other damage already done to the car.

3. Take dated photographs with a written record of any damage (and of course lacks of damage) done to the car.

Any personal items should be removed from the car as they are not insured whilst in transit. Besides, such items make the car heavier which means it’s more likely to get damaged en route.

It’s also important to make sure the car is working to avoid delays – although it will be driven little (if at all), mechanical failures can cause substantial delay.

1. Check the tyres are fully inflated, and batteries charged.

2. Top up all mechanical fluids in the car, and if possible drain the petrol to all that is needed to save on weight.

3. If there are any leaks, be sure to let the car transporter know. If the leak is non-dangerous, it will be solved by putting your car at the bottom of a multi-car trailer.

4. If the car has a soft or retractable roof, ensure that it is securely down, retract the antenna and move in any wing mirrors.

5. Check whether the car is alarmed and if yes make sure it’s turned off for transportation.

What’s next

As described above, any damages should be recorded before handing your car. Ask the car transport company to do the same and sign an acknowledgement document.

The car mileage should be checked and recorded – although it may increase very slightly as it is loaded and unloaded, there should of course be no major inconsistency.

Upon arrival

Upon delivery, check the car carefully. Ensure that there is no extra damage before signing the job off. Make sure roof and bumpers are checked for damages. If any damage is found, ensure that the car transport driver signs an acknowledgement document.

Should damage in transit occur, you should follow the normal procedures with the transport company, to ensure the fastest possible resolution. You might also want to let your car insurer know about this as well.