In every industry, myths and truths exist about the quality of service and expectations and the car transport industry is no exception.
Myths are common misconceptions that people believe in simply because other people do. When we hear something from someone else, we naturally assume them to be true. Assumptions are not based on facts, so rather than assuming, we should do some research and ask car transporter providers questions that specifically relate to your situation and your vehicle transport needs.
Here we will debunk some common myths and misconceptions about car transport.
Myth #1: Depot-to-depot car transport is less expensive than door-to-door
If you've never had to ship your car, you can't know for sure what would be the most cost-effective car transport option. Yes, it is true that it does require extra driving and handling to transport your car to your door and this should ultimately cost more.
Despite the fact that depot-to-depot car transport saves petrol and money to the carrier, some depots may charge an additional fee to keep your car. This extra charge could raise the final cost of shipping your car and will cancel the expected advantages of depot-to-depot transport.
Myth #2: Shipping to and from a depot increases the chance of transportation delay
Depot to depot car transport should not increase the time for car delivery because it depends completely on a customer's availability to pick up their car.
Myth #3: Avoid car carriers and deal directly with auto transport brokers
It would be ideal if a car transporter were both a carrier and a broker but this is an ideal situation.
Many brokers provide a competitive environment in which car carriers compete against each other to win your business. Sure, this may seem great from a price standpoint but be very careful.
If you have contacted a broker only, you may want to reconsider that.
Often, dealing with car transport brokers, you will be faced with the challenge of no customer relations department to update you on your car delivery. As soon as your booking is complete, you're often solely reliant on the carrier to keep you abreast of any situation that may arise.
This may turn your car transport exercise into quite a challenge when you don't know where your car is on the road and you have no easy way of finding out.
A reliable car transport provider will arrange for your car to be collected up at the most convenient for you time, while offering customer service department that will answer all your questions - no matter how silly they may appear.
They will help you with terms and conditions of the auto transport, whereas a broker will simply take your money and rely on the carrier to do the rest. Consequently, since the reputation of car transport providers depends entirely on their customer relations, they will offer more attention and do the best to accommodate their customers.
Myth #4: Car transport costs depend solely on the distance
Car transport cost does not depend only on the distance. There are several major factors affecting the car shipping cost and certainly, distance is one of them.
Vehicle size, if your car is running, whether you choose open or enclosed transport option, accessibility of final destination and flexibility in dates all contribute to the final cost.
When charging for shipping, car transporters may consider the distance as major factor, but it's not the only one. If shipping your car to a rural, more difficult to access location that would cost you more since the carrier has to go off the main route.
If your shipping dates are not flexible, that also may increase the cost because the car transport companies may have to make additional arrangements.
Therefore, car shipping costs depend on many factors.
Myth #5: It takes more time to transport than to drive the car myself
People often think that it would be easier, cheaper and faster to drive their car to the new place than to trust it in the hands of a car transport provider. It may be true sometimes, but it depends on the situation and the car transport company you have chosen.
This is why it is good to work directly with the car transport company and tell them your requirements so they can better accommodate you.
If you are on a time schedule, and need your car moved fast, you may want to consider an express or priority car-shipping service instead of driving with your car across the country and risking delays and hazards of traveling long distance.
Myth #6: It is expensive to have your car transported
Cost may of course be one of the most important criteria when deciding how to move your car. Many people believe that it is an expensive service that they would not like to pay for.
However, in most cases it is less expensive to have a car transport company ship your car rather than you driving it all the way to the new location.
If you need to ship an expensive or prestige car, you will certainly want to save on kilometres, petrol and accommodation, which are likely to cost you much more than if you were to have it shipped.
To get competitive quotes from over 30 reliable and trustworthy Australian companies, get in touch with AutoMove today to find out more about how we can help you easily solve your auto moving problems.