California is the 3rd largest city in the world and home to some of the largest cities in the nation. It is also home to Hollywood, which is in Los Angeles, a county in California. From the above, you can deduce that human traffic is high in the state which also means that commercial activities will be high. Thankfully, there are great road networks to support the level of commercial activities that take place in the state.
A cosmopolitan state such as California is sure to experience migration to and from the state. There are many reasons for which people make inter state or city moves. These include business, career, health, family, or personal reasons. Whatever the reason, California experiences its fair share of these back-and-forth movements. You can visit this site: https://www.california.com/ for more fun facts about California.
When people are moving from one state or city to another, they are certain properties that they move with; one of these properties is their car(s). Oftentimes, shipping a vehicle from one location to another can be quite stressful especially of one does not know how to go about it. This article therefore will share some tips on how you can move your vehicle to or from California.
Tips for Finding the Best Car Shipping Company
When looking for a company to haul your vehicle from one location to the other, there are factors to consider and things to do to ensure that you get the best value for your money.
Find below some tips to help you out:
Get Referrals
This is by far the most convenient way of getting a good service provider. A satisfied customer will always be glad to recommend a brand to their friends, family, or acquaintances. So, look for people who have shipped a vehicle in recent time and find out the company they used.
Carry out Thorough Research
Even though one could almost swear by referrals, it is still very important that you thoroughly research or investigate options that are presented to you. Visit their website to know the company that you intend to hire. While you are on their site, look out for the following:
Customer Reviews and 3rd Party Ratings
Most companies will show you their ratings on independent review sites such as Angie’s list, BBB, Yelp, and the likes. Check out those ratings and what customers have to say about the company on those sites. This in addition to customer reviews on the company page will give you a solid idea about the company you want to deal with. Click here to find out how to evaluate reviews.
Type of Carriers
Find out the type of carrier that the company use. The two types of carriers are enclosed and open carriers. Some companies are more efficient with open carriers while others are more efficient with enclosed carriers.
Find out their Experience
Ensure that you find out how experienced a company is with car shipping. The longer a company has been in operation, the higher their likelihood of having garnered more experience. The long years of operation would help them to know what works and what doesn’t. They would also have built networks that will enhance their efficiency.
Check their License and Insurance
Car shipping is a high-risk venture because people entrust their vehicles to be moved from one location to the other. Anything can happen to the vehicles in transit and if there is no proper insurance, the customer can lose out entirely as they will be left to bear the brunt of whatever unfortunate incident occurred.
It therefore behoves you as the customer to ensure that you are working with a company that is duly insured. In addition to insurance, you must be sure that the company you want to hire is licensed to operate in California or wherever they are operating from. This will save you from falling prey of illegitimate companies and fraudsters.
How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping
When you have gotten the best company to work with, you have to prepare your vehicle for shipping. Most companies that offer car shipping in California would give you a guideline of how to prepare your car for shipping. However, in the event that you find a company that meets all your criteria but they do not provide a guideline, we have curated a few guidelines below:
- Wash the car properly before shipping. This would help reveal the actual state of the vehicle
- Document the condition of the car before shipping so that you can compare after shipping.
- Remove loose items from the car.
- Remove toll passes and tags
- Unless your vehicle is being shipped in a container (enclosed shipping) do not stuff the car with personal items.
- Ensure that the car battery is completely charged.
- Leave about a quarter tank of fuel for moving the vehicle on and off the ramp.
Conclusion
Shipping your car to or from California does not have to be stressful. All you need to do is bear the above tips in mind and follow through; you are sure to have a hassle- free shipping experience.
