How to Ship a Car Made Easy: 5 Tips to Keep in Mind

Published on: 05 March 2019 Last Updated on: 15 April 2021

If you’re trying to move a car transnationally or overseas, you need to know how to ship a car. Without the right advice, it can be a complicated and expensive endeavor.

Whether you’re moving overseas, trying to buy a car, or receiving a gift, you’ll need to do some research to figure out the best way to ship your vehicle. Many people prefer the convenience of shipping a car to the mental and physical cost of driving it yourself.

It may seem like shipping a car can cost more than driving it yourself. However, when you drive it yourself, you have to consider gas costs, hotel costs, exhaustion, and potential mechanical failure.

To figure out how to ship your car, check out the guide below.

How to Ship a Car:

In the past, shipping a car was quite difficult. Now, you have endless assistance and services at your fingertips. Follow these steps to successfully ship your car.

1. Do Some Research:

The first step to shipping your car is to research the companies you’re considering. You can check the best auto transport companies with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to make sure they are legitimate.

2. Call Your Insurance Company:

Check with both your insurance company and the shipping company’s insurance to determine what kind of coverage is available for your vehicle. They should offer $500,000 to $1,000,000 in coverage.

3. Plan It Out:

Make sure you leave enough time for your vehicle to be shipped, as it is a time-consuming process. You may need four to eight weeks to complete the delivery. Then, decide what exact location you want your vehicle shipped to.

There are only two types of carriers: covered and uncovered. A covered carrier costs more than an uncovered one, but it also offers more protection.

4. Do an Inspection:

Both you and the shipping company should inspect it before sending it out. They will take note of any damage. Make sure to get a copy of this document so you can hold the company accountable should any additional damage happen to your car.

5. Clean It Out:

Although it may sound like a nice idea to ships items inside your car, it’s not the safest. These items can imbalance the car or limit the view through the windows. Make sure to get everything out of the car before you ship it.

The only thing you need in your car is a little bit of gas so the carriers can load and unload the car without concern.

More Guidance:

Although shipping a car costs about $0.40 to $1.00 a mile depending on how far it’s going, it’s about more than the cost. Shipping a car is convenient and allows you to relax while you wait for your car to come to you.

Figuring out how to ship a car involves some research, but it’s much easier today than in the past. Make sure to use this guide to help you with your car’s journey.

For more helpful articles about travel and beyond, don’t forget to stop by our page.

Read Also:

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

6 Quick Tips for RV Beginners

If one is just starting out with an RV, you need some tips to avoid costly mistakes. It may sound like a little issue but having a well-equipped RV requires good knowledge of what you need and how to go about it. The most important RV parts are the car and what you put in it. No matter the length of your trip, here are some tips to start you off. 1. Renting or buying Whether you want to rent an RV or own one is entirely a subjective choice. If you want to try out the RV experience before going all in, you can rent one. This option will save you some money especially if you rarely go on RV trips. If you are the bird on the road, buying one with save you money in the long haul. The option is entirely yours as you can buy one then rent it if you are not a trip person. 2. Practice makes perfect Actually, only perfect practice makes a perfect skill. You need to know that driving an RV is far much different compared to a normal car. So, take one and take it for a drive on different types of terrain to know how you can keep the drawers shut and the glasses from breaking even on right terrain. 3. Have a solid plan Most people make the mistake of going on a trip with only the departure and arrival locations marked out. You need to plan the exact route, your expenditure, the locations on the route you will be visiting, camping grounds and other areas. This way, your trip will be easy to handle. You can have a little fun along the way but avoid deviating too much from the primary plan. 4. Familiarize yourself with the RV It does not require you to be a mechanical engineer to know how to take care of a car. The issue is that this is not your common everyday vehicle. You need explicit instructions on how to handle the car including the most common mistakes and issues one is likely to run into. Whether you are hiring or buying the RV, these skills will save you from the pain of incurring unnecessary costs. Read also: TIPS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE IN A CAR 5. Be equipped Equipping yourself for the trip will go beyond packing enough food and clothes to include spare parts for the car. Ensure you have packed enough spare connectors, fuses, bulbs, spanners, screwdrivers, nuts, bolts, jumper cables and many more. Keep in mind that if you do not have a specific part and your car breaks down, you may have to wait for days before it is shipped to you. Read also: How To Shop For A Car With Your Teen Driver? 6. Prepare for the campground The campground is one of the most involving areas when going on a trip with an RV. Make sure that ground has no obstacles such as branches hanging low or boulders. Find the sewage, water and electricity systems to know how you can charge up yourself for the next trip. Once you have chosen your spot, chock your wheels to avoid any crazy situation of your home running off. Make sure you correctly connect your rig to the sewer and electrical lines. If you are not sure of how to go about it, ask for help. These tips will make you a bit of an expert before you start your first trip in an RV. While your focus is on the fun and experience of going about with the RV, staying safe and within the law will make the whole experience far much better than you can ever imagine.

How To Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

The catalytic converter is an important part of the car that turns the pollutants made from the car into a harmless gas. The converter can take many harmful things like platinum, palladium, and rhodium and then turn them into different gases. While you might not think about this simple part of your car, it’s actually a target for thieves because they can sell it for a large amount of money. If you no longer need your catalytic converter for any reason, Core Masters buys catalytic converters. This guide will cover how to prevent catalytic converter theft as well as explain how to know if your converter has been stolen. How Do I Know If My Catalytic Converter Has Been Stolen? Most of the time, you cannot tell your converter was stolen just by looking at your car. You will probably be able to tell once you start the engine though as the car might make weird noises. When the converter has been removed from the car, the vehicle makes a constant loud roaring noise that becomes louder as you push on the gas pedal. If you drive the car, you will notice it cannot drive smoothly and it will make a weird sputtering noise. Here are some of the other things you can look for when it comes to driving without your converter: Loud roar as you start the car that becomes louder the more you accelerate More exhaust fumes than usual and weird exhaust smells You notice there are missing parts under the car especially the ones that lead to the muffler Acceleration that is sputtering or uneven The check engine light is on or your car fails an engine inspection Read Also: Simplify Parts Pricing With A Comprehensive Solution Why Do People Steal Catalytic Converters? There are many reasons why people choose to steal catalytic converters. While sometimes you can only get $50 for a converter, there are some that can be sold for thousands of dollars per ounce thanks to the precious metals that are found in them. People that are used to stealing converters can take them in just a few minutes making them easy to steal and get away. It’s an easy way to make quick cash for some people so they take every opportunity they can to ensure they take them. Catalytic Converters also cannot be tracked like other parts of the car. So people that steal it easily get away with it and the person who’s now missing it from their car has no way of getting it back. Are Certain Cars Targeted For Catalytic Converter Theft? Any car that is made after 1974 has a converter so there are many cars out on the road that thieves can target. Most of the time, thieves prefer to steal from taller cars like SUVs and trucks because they can easily go under the car and take the converter. Hybrid cars are also another target because the converters are made with more metal and more precious metals which means they can get a higher value for them when selling. The more precious metals there are in the converter, the more money the thief can get for it so they often go for cars they know that have converters best for selling. Ways To Protect Your Car Against Catalytic Converter Theft Worried about your car’s catalytic converter being stolen? There are plenty of ways you can ensure this doesn’t happen. Most are simple tricks that can be done for free. Know If You’re A Target As stated before, SUVs, trucks, and hybrid cars are all easy targets for catalytic converter theft. If you own one of these cars, you need to ensure you always follow all safety tips because you know your car’s converter can be stolen easier. Knowing that your target makes it easier to keep yourself safe and be aware of the signs that your converter has been stolen. Put Your VIN On The Converter There is no way to track a catalytic converter, so if yours is stolen it’s almost impossible to retrieve it back. This is why some people choose to put their VIN or their license plate number on their converter. This way if someone goes to sell it, the person buying it might check if the person trying to sell it to them is the original owner. If they are not, they can contact authorities and say they think the converter has been stolen. Park In Well Lit Areas Every time you park your car or go somewhere, make sure you park near the street lights. You should also try and park as close to the entrance of places as possible. If you park in an apartment complex, try to park in different areas every time so that people do not target your car as being in the same place. Install Cameras If you can, put cameras in your parking lot or outside your home. This allows people to know you have surveillance and they will be deterred from stealing the converter because they know they can be caught more easily. You can also install motion sensor lights so that every time someone walks by, the light turns on. This makes people feel like they are being watched and they will not want to get too close to your car. Paint Your Converter This often deters buyers because it makes the converter less valuable. Painting is also known as a common technique for avoiding theft so if a person tries to sell a painted converter, it looks more suspicious. Some police departments even let you go into their station and paint your converter for free. Catalytic Converters And Thieves Unfortunately, converters are easy to steal making them an easy target for those looking to make a quick buck. When your converter is stolen, you can even spend up to $3000 replacing it. This is why it’s very important to use the tips in this guide to prevent your converter from being stolen. You also need to ensure your car is insured against catalytic converter theft so that you are never stuck paying for a new out-of-pocket. Read Also: Selling Collectibles: A Guide to Selling Your Memorabilia at Auctions Here’s What Makes Package Units Better than the Other ACs

Tips About Mobile Car Detailing to Avoid Any Costly Maintenance

Mobile Car Detailing : Most people have spent warm summer afternoons washing their cars with soap, water, and a sponge. It was a good way to get wet and kill some time while some kids do it to earn some money. With time, you should have learned that keeping a car clean requires a lot more effort than what you believed as a child. It’s something you need to create time for since your clean car is simply like living in the clean house. You will certainly feel better driving around in a clean car. Even better, clearing the dust from your car makes it easier to sell it to a private buyer or get a better trade-in amount at the local car dealership. You should consider detailing your vehicle during the warmer months. Here’s what you need to know. What Are The Right Products For The Job? With the right products, you can save time and avoid costly damage to your vehicle. There are numerous places to find car cleaning products. You can visit your local auto parts stores, grocery stores or numerous online vendors. You should choose a dedicated car washing product, rubber cleaner, wheel cleaner and wax from any of these sources. If your car is dirty, you can always rely on bug and tar remover for the best results. All these products are simply for your car’s exterior. For the interior, you should get a carpet cleaner, wipes, glass cleaner, and leather as well as vinyl care products depending on the material used in the interior. You will not be forced to break the bank on high-end products for your car’s detailing needs. You also need a soft sponge, chamois, microfiber towel, bucket, vacuum cleaner, plastic bag and cotton swabs to use together with these products. Interior Mobile Car Detailing : It’s always prudent to start with the interior, especially if you haven’t cleaned your vehicle in a while. You will find a lot of dirt has accumulated in the foot wheels as well as other types of debris. If not cleaned thoroughly, the debris will settle on the body of your car, especially if it becomes airborne. Start by removing the floor mats and collect any miscellaneous wrappers lying on the floor as well as other garbage such as receipts, coffee cups and much more. Next, you should vacuum the floors, the seats and any other spaces found inside the vehicle. Note the spaces where food remains might creep into or spill and vacuum there too. You can skip the carpets in your vehicle if they are clean. However, you can clean them using the carpet cleaner. Clean your dashboards using the cleaner wipes. You can use the cotton swabs to remove the dust found in the small crevasses such as the air vents as well as the spaces found between the buttons in the middle console. Slide your front seats to the back and find out if there’s any trash hiding underneath it. Even better, you could find some of those lost possessions you couldn’t access before. Don’t forget to wash the floor mats but don’t use the washing machine for that. Rather, you should pressure wash them or consider scrubbing them depending on your preferences. With all these interior detailing tips, your car will look brand new every time you’re on the road. Finishing Touches Of Mobile Car Detailing : Now you can hose the car down and wash it thoroughly from the top to bottom and go around it using your sponge. Repeat the process, especially if your vehicle is covered in dust, mud or road salt. Rinse it thoroughly for the best results. Don’t let the car air dry because it will leave terrible watermarks, regardless of whether you have parked it in the sun or shade. Rather you should use a chamois for the drying. Yes, it is more time-consuming but your car will look good for it. Next, you should apply a thin coat of wax evenly after your car is completely dry. Remove the wax residue using a microfiber towel. Put the equipment down and you can inspect the car to make sure you didn’t miss a spot. Mobile Car Detailing keeps your car looking brand new. Read Also : Washing Your Car: 7 Dos And Don’ts Tips For Reducing Car Insurance Costs 5 Signs Your Car Needs A Tune Up

How to Ship a Car Made Easy: 5 Tips to Keep in Mind