All posts tagged: Car Shipping

The Most Effective Method to Choose an Auto Transport Company

We know that your auto is essential to you. It gives a method for transportation to you and your family. This is the motivation behind why picking an auto transport organization can be a long and challenging assignment. There is a broad measure of work that goes into picking the correct organization to send your vehicle. It requires a lot of research to guarantee that the business offers the administrations you require and has the best possible qualifications. Hunting down the best organization requires a ton of time and vitality. When you locate the correct one for you, you should put final trust into another person with one of your most prized belonging.

Since we know how much your auto means to you, we have amassed a rundown of features, qualities, and values that you ought to search for when hunting down an auto shipping organization. In addition, we have created a step-by-step process on searching for a business to ship your car. Lastly, we have put together a few reasons why National Dispatch is so great to show you how we compare! Before diving into your search, we recommend you review the list of common terms used in the auto transport industry to prepare you for some of the vocabulary you may come across.

10 Terms Used in the Auto Transport Industry

A vital initial phase in inquiring about any industry is understanding the language. In spite of the fact that you might be acquainted with a hefty portion of the terms already, a portion of the terms you may go over in your inquiry might be unfamiliar to you. Therefore, we have listed a few of the most commonly used terms in the car shipping industry.

Here are 10 basic terms utilized as a part of the auto shipping industry:

  • Auto Transport Company: This is the organization that you contract to dispatch your vehicle. They claim their own trucks, which you most likely have seen while driving down the interstate.
  • Auto Transport Broker: This is an organization that goes about as a go-between amongst you and the auto transport organization to facilitate how your vehicle will be transported.
  • Auto Transport Carrier: This is a particular truck expected to transport your auto from its pickup area to its goal. Contingent upon the organization, the auto transport transporter may include various levels, equipped for pulling eight vehicles or more.
  • Door-to-Door Service: This service includes the pickup and drop off of a vehicle from a client’s home.
  • Terminal-to-Terminal Service: For this sort of service, the driver transports the auto to a storeroom, where it will be kept until the client can come lift it up.
  • Encased Auto Transport: With this service, your auto will be sent in an encased auto carrier. This shields your auto from earth, clean, grime, and components of the street.
  • Open Auto Transport: This is the most well known type of auto delivery. In open auto transport, your auto will be transported in an open carrier.
  • Co-Loading: This alludes to stacking more than one auto on an auto shipping transporter at one time.
  • Diversion: This is the term used to describe when there is a change in the route. A change in the route could be due to weather conditions or other hazardous road conditions.
  • Bill of Lading: This is a legal document between you and the car shipping company, outlining the shipping arrangement. The document summarizes the vehicle being shipped, as well as the destination it is being transported to.

These are just a few of the terms that you may see when you are looking for an car shipping company. By reviewing this list, our hope is that your search will go much smoother. Now that you have gained some more knowledge of the industry, let’s check out what exactly you should be looking for in a car transport company.

What Should You Look for in an Auto Transport Company?

It is not about the item, or for this situation, the service, that the business is offering. Rather, it is about how they are pitching that support of the general population. Each auto shipping organization in the business is offering a similar general administration, so it is significant to pick up a more profound comprehension into the organization’s image.

Here is a rundown of a couple components to search for in an auto transport organization:

Concentrate on quality over amount. Never construct your supposition exclusively with respect to cost. Have you at any point heard the expression, “You get what you pay for”? All things considered, it is the same in the vehicle transport industry. Rather than searching for the least expensive choice, search for the organization that offers quality services at a value that you can bear.

Search for an organization that addresses your issues. Limit your decisions by barring organizations that don’t offer the services that you require. These services may incorporate terminal-to-terminal service, door-to-door service, open auto transport, or encased auto transport.

Check for proper registration. All car shipping companies are required to be registered through the United States Department of Transportation. Check to see that each transport company you are considering has MC and US-DOT numbers. You can do a quick Google search with the company’s name to retrieve this information.

Ensure that the business is credible and trustworthy. Go to the company’s website. Check to see if there are any obvious spelling errors or grammatical mistakes on their homepage. Dig a little deeper. Is it a company that you would want to work with? Is it a company that you can trust with your vehicle?

Searching for a car transport service can be stressful if you do not know what to look for. Focus on your needs. What can the company offer you, in terms of quality of service and types of service? How does the company portray their brand?

After the company passes this initial screening, you can begin to request quotes, speak with representatives, and ask questions. Let’s see how to go about these next steps in the search process.

The most effective method to Narrow down your Search

After you have picked your top organizations, the time has come to begin narrowing down the decisions to the one that will dispatch your auto. It might seem, by all accounts, to be a broad, overwhelming procedure, however with our well ordered guide, it ought to comfort your psyche.

Here is a rundown of ventures to help manage you in narrowing down your hunt:

Ask for a quote. Discover an organization you are occupied with, go to the organization’s site, and round out a commitment free quote. You ought not put your own data into a cluster of different quote number crunchers, unless you are not kidding about the organization. Additionally, you may get visit messages or telephone calls from the organization in the event that you put in this kind of data. By and by, don’t concentrate exclusively on cost. In any case, it is decent to have this data before you when settling on an organization.

Explore the organizations you are thinking about. You did some examination as of now when at first searching for an auto shipping service. You concentrated predominantly on the organization’s site. Presently, read other individuals’ encounters, including the great, the awful, and the terrible. Look at the organization’s web-based social networking outlets and blog entries. Evaluating this substance will help you in finding the organization that fits you best.

Call and address an agent. You presumably have many inquiries with respect to the organization and transportation an auto, by and large. Although the website may feature a FAQ page, you may gain more from speaking to a representative with the company. Not only will you get your questions answered, but you will gain insight into what the staff is like. Are they willing to help their customers? Are they friendly?

Here are a couple questions you ought to consider inquiring:

  • How would you ensure nothing happens to my auto?
  • What services do you offer?
  • What amount is it to deliver my vehicle? (Completing a quote calculator will answer this question.)
  • How long will shipping take?

Settle on an auto shipping organization. Pick your top decision by contrasting everything that each organization offers regarding nature of administration, sorts of administration, believability, cost, and neighborliness of delegates. Subsequent to thinking about every one of these variables, the time has come to choose an auto transport organization.

After you have invested hours evaluating sites, asking for quotes, and addressing agents, you are likely prepared to settle on your choice. We might want to disclose to you what separates National Dispatch from different rivals in the business. We should investigate.

It’s Time to Ship Your Car

Now, you should be well-informed and ready to finally make an educated decision. It is time to choose the company you want to ship your car. Remember, choose a company, not only for the services that they offer, but because they are a company they you can trust with your vehicle.

JonGThe Most Effective Method to Choose an Auto Transport Company
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Spring is in the Air

Now that the weather is warming up, snowbirds will start making their way back to their summer homes. But the journey back isn’t necessarily going to be an easy one. Going back to your summer home will require just as much planning as leaving for the winter did. Hopefully you took the necessary precautions to ensure your summer home will still be in good shape when you get there before you left, but now that you’re heading back, you’ll need a new checklist of things to make the move easier.

Taking Care of Your Winter Home

Before you left your home, you probably prepared it for the time you’d be gone. One of the best things you can do before you leave your winter home is to arrange with someone to take care of your property. Although you don’t need someone to check up on your place every day, it’s good if you have someone who can maintain your house and take care of any emergencies.

For safety’s sake, it’s also best if your house still looks like it occupied, even if it isn’t. This means that the person you left in charge should help you remove snow after storms so it appears as if everything at your place is still being maintained as usual. Your property manager should also collect your mail and any other packages dropped off at your property. By making your place appear as if there’s still someone there, you’re deterring burglars – who might see your absence as the perfect way to break in without the risk of being caught.

You’re also helping to keep strangers out of your mailbox, which could help if there are any mischievous kids in your neighborhood who might steal mail for fun.

Renting Out

If you have a reliable property manager, one of the smartest things you can do is to rent out your summer home during the winter while you’re gone. A website like Airbnb is perfect for this, as most tenants will only want to stay for a short amount of time. However, renting out your summer home will mean you can’t switch off the water, which will mean extra maintenance for your property manager, so be sure you can get enough guests while you’re gone to make it worthwhile.

Remember, your place might not look special to you, but if you live in a small town, there might be many people who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city over the holiday season.

Arriving Home

Once you arrive back at your summer place, you’ll have plenty of work to do. You’ll have to go through your house and check that there isn’t any maintenance that you’ll need to tend to. Check that the pipes are in order, that all your lights still work and that there aren’t leaks in your roof. Also check the walls to see that there are no areas where paint is chipping off that appear wet.

If no one was staying in your house while you were gone, test your freezer and refrigerator before filling it up. Only put a few things into your fridge and freezer and leave it for a few hours or a day to see that it’s still good.

Once you know that everything is still functioning properly, you can go to work cleaning away and dust and other dirt that built up in places while you were gone.

Getting Back Home

Hopefully you know what you should have done to ensure your home is still in good shape once you get back. And hopefully your house will feel just like home again within almost no time after you get there, but before you can think about everything you’ll need to do once you get home, you first have to plan how you’ll get there.

By this time, you probably have a set time for your return. You can return to your summer place either by driving back, or by shipping or car.

If you ship your car, you’ll need to book a flight. Use a website like Skyscanner to help you find the best time to fly back. By comparing different dates, you can save a lot on flying. Often times, flights that are only a single day apart have a large price difference.

However, if you were planning to drive back, it’s advisable that you check the weather in advance. Although the likelihood is far less, you might still get stuck in a snowstorm driving back north during April. If the weather isn’t playing along, it will be best to have your car shipped and book a flight.

An while you won’t be able to know what the weather will look like a month from now, staying up to date with what’s currently happening can help you make an informed choice. If you see a lot of stormy weather on the way you’ll be driving, it might still be the same by the time you’re planning to head back.

Remember, driving the distance most snowbirds travel is a long and tedious task, not to mention the mile you’re putting on your vehicle. Don’t get your feathers in a bunch with the stress of getting your vehicle home, let Suncoast Auto Transport return your car for you.

JonGSpring is in the Air
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Life-sized LEGO Batmobile unveiled at Detroit Auto Show

Chevrolet unveiled its LEGO Batmobile, which the company said in a news release was inspired by Batman’s vehicle in the soon-to-hit-theaters The LEGO Batman Movie. Of course kids there could hardly contain themselves, some adults too!

“Look at Batman!” 10-year-old Malachi Julian, of Washington Township, said once he spotted LEGO Batman hanging out on a wall near the soon-to-be-unveiled LEGO Batmobile. Malachi, whose uncle works for the company that designed and built the booth for the exhibit, was front and center as 17-foot-long, nearly 1,700-pound LEGO Batmobile was revealed.
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JonGLife-sized LEGO Batmobile unveiled at Detroit Auto Show
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America’s Best Road Trips

There are places in the country that are perfect for a road trip. This article goes over the top ones that you should add to your list right this moment.

From L.A., drive north to the town of Lancaster via Route 14, better known as the Antelope Valley Freeway. Golden poppies bloom throughout the Mojave Desert region in March, but the 1,760-acre Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve claims the finest concentration of California’s state flower—not to mention glorious showings of fiddlenecks, cream cups, gold fields, and tidy tips starting in late March.
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18 Road Trip Hacks That Will Actually Make Your Trip Awesomer

Many factors can go into making a road trip the best time ever, or your worst nightmare. Making sure you have proper pier planning, can ensure that your road trip to come will be a good time.

If you’ve got a time limit (as most road trippers do), it’s smart to plot out which city you’ll sleep in each night before setting off. Plan so your driving time is eight hours or less per day, but don’t plan anything more than that. Then watch as your days become hilarious sagas of driving, wandering, and following your wild road trip whims.
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JonG18 Road Trip Hacks That Will Actually Make Your Trip Awesomer
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New Year, New Car

Between the New Year and tax season, it’s car buying season. By allowing yourself to sear across the nation you vastly expand the likelihood of finding the perfect car. But when buying any secondhand car there are a number of things you should look out for. So, before you can start your long-distance search, it’s important to understand the advantages of buying secondhand, as well as the potential disadvantages and to avoid them.

Why Buy a Used Car?

Few things excite avid car enthusiasts like buying a brand new car. New cars even a distinct smell – and to car lovers, this smell is better than even the best French perfume. Unfortunately, buying a new car straight from the manufacturer has its disadvantages, especially when it to finances.

Sure, novelty of buying a new makes it seem exciting, but here are some reasons why used cars often make for a better investment:

  • Used cars cost less. If you wait just a year before buying a new car model you’ve been eyeing, you can pay up to 19% less for a car that’s basically still brand new.
  • Your car’s value won’t depreciate as fast. Cars cost about 19% less after one year, and you’d be the one losing that money if you bought new instead of used. The first time you drive your new car, its value will depreciate by approximately 11%. While used cars also lose value, it will be more gradual.
  • Avoid dealers. Sometimes you can buy a pretty good car from a private seller, this will further lower the price you pay for your car, as you won’t have to worry about added fees dealers might charge. But keep in mind that buying from a private seller can complicate paperwork somewhat.
  • Registration can be cheaper. In some states, your annual registration fees will be more expensive if your car model is newer.
  • Used cars can be just as good. Buying a used car might not feel like something to brag about, but being smart is definitely better than being ostentatious. If your used car can get you from point A to point B and you don’t need to sacrifice on luxury or fuel efficiency, what are you really missing? But new cars cost thousands of dollars more, and you’re sure to miss that.

Obviously, buying used is the thrifty way to go. So although used cars are better for any occasion, they’re especially better if you want to a low-budget option that will be reliable. This makes used cars perfect for when you’re buying a car for a teenage driver, as you can pick something with safety benefits without blowing the bank.

Used Car Checklist

Don’t buy a lemon! Buying a bad car might lose you all the money you saved by not buying new, so to make used car buying worthwhile, the car you buy should be in tiptop shape.

Here’s what buyers should look for when buying a used car:

  • Check that the width of spaces between panels are equal. If the spacing between panels vary from place to another, there’s a good chance the car was in an accident. When buying a car long-distance, asking for photos of all the spaces can help. If the seller has nothing to hide, the photos will be taken from good angles, allowing you to easily see whether they’re equal all over.
  • Avoid rust. While it can be difficult to spot rust on photos, a car is more likely to have rust if it comes from a city or town that’s right next to the coast.
  • Is the color consistent throughout all the panels? If one panel looks repainted, the car was almost definitely involved in an accident.
  • Ask for photos of the tires. If all the tires are worn about equally, the wheel alignment won’t cause problems, but look out if one if worn significantly more than the others.
  • Ask for photos of the engine. The engine should be clean, a dirty engine can be a sign that the car was neglected.
  • Ask for a video of the car idling. This will help you to hear of there are any strange noises coming from the engine.
  • Ask for photos of the interior. You want the interior to look clean, well-maintained and good as new.

Buying long-distance complicates things somewhat, but it’s completely possible to find a great car, even if you buy it from the opposite side of the country.

A great tip is to focus on car listings that already have a lot of photos. Also check that the information in the description fits the car on the photo. If the description says the car is blue, but the one in the photos is black, it’s either because the seller made a mistake, or the listing might be a bit sketchy.

Apart from the checking the specific car that you’re buying, it’s also good to check up on the make and make and model you want to buy. The US Department of Transportation has an online lookup tool where you can easily see if the car you want to buy has any recalled parts. If so, you’ll have to add that onto your list of things to consider when looking at a specific car you want to buy. Of course you can still buy a car with recalled parts, but you’ll need to check that the seller of the one you’re buying has replaced them.

JonGNew Year, New Car
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Some Of The World’s Scariest Roads To Drive

Road trips can be really fun, touring the country is an exciting experience. But there are certain roads that, even if you are on a road trip, are daunting to drive. Of course that doesn’t mean we don’t think you should explore them, just use caution.

Driving on any sort of road can be a harrowing challenge on a regular old road trip. It’s easy to get preoccupied with dodging other bad drivers or pedestrians, but still, those scenarios get a little trickier when the roads themselves involve pretty beautiful scenery, but also pretty terrifying conditions.
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JonGSome Of The World’s Scariest Roads To Drive
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Autonomous Driving Faces Big Questions In 2017: Here Are 5 Of Them

Autonomous driving has been in development for a little while now, and there have been many strides in that direction. But there are still many factors to consider before they are ready for large scale testing on the roads. Do you share any concerns with this article?

Autonomous driving has come back from the future, and is now firmly entrenched in the present. But just how much is this automotive revolution still leaving to the imagination? While some people eagerly await fully autonomous transportation, there are sobering reminders that the technology still has a ways to go.
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JonGAutonomous Driving Faces Big Questions In 2017: Here Are 5 Of Them
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Here’s Which Manufacturers Had Good, Bad Years In 2016

As 2017 opens up, everybody is reflecting on the highs and lows of their year. Well, for automakers, 2016 had lots of both.

Almost all automakers are now focused on developing alternative powertrains and autonomous cars, and it showed. Manufacturers made large strides in both areas, including the development of affordable long-range electric vehicles and multiple demonstrations of fully autonomous tech on public roads.
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JonGHere’s Which Manufacturers Had Good, Bad Years In 2016
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From Pickups To Minivans, These 5 Models Upped Their Games For 2017

Seeing the new cars that each auto company produced through the year can be exciting. Sleeker models, quitter engines, better gas mileage. Some vehicles have potential, but the designers JUST missed the mark. This article goes over the Models Upped Their Games For 2017

Walking around the New England International Auto Show in Boston we have seen lots of new vehicles, but there were five that really upped their game for the 2017 model year.
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JonGFrom Pickups To Minivans, These 5 Models Upped Their Games For 2017
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