Oftentimes, when people decide to ship a car for the first time the process can be confusing. Most car shipping companies understand this and try to help their potential customers along the way. At Montway, we want to be sure you know how the process works so there are no surprises when you finally decide to ship your car.
For starters, you should know the difference between a carrier and a broker. One is not better than the other, but they both influence the car shipping time frame. If you are working directly with a carrier, you are dealing with a company that has their own fleet of trucks so they don’t really have to depend on anyone else. When working with a broker, at times you need to be a bit more flexible because the company depends on carrier companies to ship their orders.
So let’s just get down to it and give you the tips you need to schedule your car shipment with ease.
1. Understand the Pick Up Window
The pick up window is the amount of time it takes for a car shipping company like Montway to find a truck to haul your vehicle. When you place an order with us, you have to let us know when your car is first available for shipping. That means that if you pick July 15 as your first available pickup date, we will look for a truck that can pick your car up by that date. However, it may take a couple more days to find someone to take your vehicle where it needs to go. That amount of time is called the “pick up window.”
The pick up window is usually 3-5 days.
2. Location Matters
One thing many customers don’t know is that location plays a big role in your vehicle transport schedule. To help, you can think of it in terms of airports. If you’re traveling to a huge city like Chicago, New York or Los Angeles you are going to have a ton more flights to choose from than if you’re flying into a city like Wichita, Kan. Of course, there is Wichita Mid-Continent Airport and you can get a flight, but there are going to be way fewer flights going there than to cities like Chicago and New York.
The same can be said for transport routes. If you need to ship your vehicle to NYC, it will be much easier to find a carrier going there than if you are shipping to somewhere like Lebanon, Mo. When you understand that it takes more time to find a carrier to ship to a remote area than a populated, urban area, you can better prepare and avoid any issues or confusion.
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3. Pinpointing Exact Dates and Times Isn’t Easy
It can be difficult for a company to guarantee an exact shipping and delivery date right when you schedule your vehicle transport. Even if you are shipping to a large metropolitan area, factors such as weather, traffic and other transport loads can influence the pick up date as well as the delivery date. If you are not shipping a classic car or an exotic car, chances are your vehicle will be shipped on an open transport truck. That means your car will be on a truck with a few other vehicles. Those cars need to be picked up too, and things such as traffic and loading issues can delay your pick up.
4. Being Flexible is Key
The key to a stress-free and easy vehicle transport is to remain a bit flexible. That doesn’t mean you should have to wait two weeks for your car to be shipped. It does, however, mean that you should be prepared and flexible when it comes to shipping your car. If you know your vehicle needs to be picked up in at least two weeks time, you should contact the car shipping company right away to set up your order. That way you have a cushion of time to fall back on, and if it takes a couple days to find a carrier to haul your vehicle, you will be safe.
However, if you are booking a last-minute car shipment you do have options with Montway…
5. Getting a Guaranteed Pick Up Date
If you need to ship your car in five days or less and are worried a pickup window will damage your travel plans, you can go with the premium car shipping price to guarantee your vehicle is picked up and delivered on specific dates. At Montway, we always like to offer our customers the fairest and reasonable price. If you really cannot afford to be flexible though, you can always pay a bit more to ensure you get exactly what you need. When you pay a bit extra, we can offer more money to the carriers so they agree to hauling the order in such short notice. This works with both shipping to rural locations and shipping in tight schedules.
If you need your car picked up tomorrow, you can pay a bit extra to guarantee a trucker will be there at your door the next day loading your vehicle onto a truck.
We know better than anyone that the auto transport industry can be a bit difficult to navigate sometimes. However, with the right information and the right tools you can navigate the industry like a pro!
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Read what our customers say about their experience with Montway at Montway Auto Transport reviews.
