5 Things to Consider When Shipping Your Car
Moving from one place to another may be exciting at the onset, but once you start to realize the amount of work you need to do to facilitate the moving process, you can feel overwhelmed. All the more if you have to move to a different country. Aside from the physical demands of moving out, you also have to consider the costs involved, like freight costs for goods and car shipping.
The situation would get more complicated when you also need to ship your car to your country of destination. Every country has different shipping rules, so it’s best to acquaint yourself with these specific car shipping policies. On top of that, most countries also have varying tax rates for foreign, local, shipped, or land-traveled cars. This is also another area that you should acquaint yourself with. You can visit aci-logistics.net. They offer a variety of transportation services, including road freight, ocean freight, warehousing, and customs brokerage.
Here are five simple tips suggested by experts to make your overseas car shipping and transfer smoother and hassle-free.
- Clarify shipment rules from the country of origin and country of destination
Check the rules and regulations for cross country car shipping of the destination country. Check the process on how you can clear your personal properties at customs. Also, check if you need special permits before loading your car and other cargo. Ocean shipping and freight rules can be fiddly.
Some countries require specific documentation so that you won’t have to pay taxes again. In other countries, there are particular items they prohibit you from bringing. Take some time for research regarding this information. Alternatively, you can seek the services of a broker in that country to help you verify these pieces of information.
- Get an extended warranty for your vehicle
Shipping your vehicle is the best time to renew your car’s warranty by purchasing an extended warranty. Why? Simply because you don’t know what kind of accidents or force majeure your vehicle might encounter while in transit. Without the warranty, you’ll be paying for the cost of repairs out of pocket.
On the other hand, if your car is covered by a warranty, the warranty provider will be dealing with the cost of repairs and other incidental expenses.
- Ensure that your car is safely loaded
Like ordinary cargoes, you have to ensure that your car is safely loaded. While the shipping company must keep your vehicle safely loaded and transported, you also need to exercise due diligence to ensure that you can prevent accidents leading to possible damage.
Make sure you safely tuck your car inside a car shipping container. If your shipping method is roll-on and roll-off, ensure that your vehicle is parked somewhere safe and free from possible damage. When shipping containers are loaded, the shipping company moves them swiftly, so if the cargoes and shipments are not secured in place and anchored well, there is a very high chance that the same will be damaged while in transit.
You can also request your shipping company to secure other cargoes on board with cargo straps as an extra precaution.
If you want to ensure the safety of your vehicle when sending it overseas, it’s practical and logical to take photos of it before shipping. If you need to file for an insurance claim or seek redress for damages, you can use these photos as proof.
As soon as the car arrives in the country of destination, make sure to document its state as well. This makes things easier for you when you have to assert material and actual damage. Failure to take photos before and after would render it difficult to support your claim that there’s negligence on the part of the shipping company handling your shipment.
- Make sure that your car is complete with the necessary documents
You’ll need your identification card with a photo, your car’s notarized bill of sale or title, and vehicle registration. If you’re only leasing the car, you also need to include travel consent from the lienholder. Ensure that your vehicle comes with complete documentation to avoid problems while on transit and arrival.
- Ask for a price quotation ahead of time
To avoid overspending on ocean shipping freight, you can coordinate with your mover or the shipper and ask for a price quotation on the car you will ship. Maximize every space you have in your moving boxes and cargoes so that you can save on the freight cost. By knowing the price ahead, you minimize overspending.
Moving your car overseas can indeed be very stressful and costly. But once you have everything planned, from documenting to costing and actual moving, you lessen the stress and the cost by leaps and bounds.
