Make sure that the company is licensed and bonded, and carries adequate insurance. Any shipping company which is operating legally and above board will be licensed and bonded with the appropriate entities. They will also carry robust insurance which protects both you and then in the event that something happens to your car, either through their mishandling or via an act of God. If the company that you deal with is not licensed nor bonded, and does not carry an adequate amount of insurance, that is a deal breaker. Leave right then.
Typically, the only driving should be the truck driver moving your car on and off the trailer, and may have to unload and re-load your car occasionally during transport to optimize space on the trailer. This unloading/reloading should be kept to a minimum. Your car should not be driven otherwise. Odometer discrepancies should be noted on the delivery receipt and signed off by the driver.
You will want to have the quote offered by the car transporter in writing as this will have a lot more traction than a verbal agreement. Read the fine print - many car shippers will hide extra charges behind it. Make sure the quote includes the following: origin (shipper‘s door or port), destination (consignee‘s door, port or unloading warehouse). Also, typical car transporting quote must clearly outline services tendered - door pick up, delivery to a certain place (point of export, be it transporter‘s warehouse, port or dock), marine shipping insurance, shrink-wrapping (boats), crating (motorcycles), loading, fumigation, container drayage, all necessary paperwork, customs clearance, export declaration, bill of lading, etc.
You may ship your car with Amtrak, but only between Washington D.C. and Sandford, Fla. Amtrak is one of the few railroad shippers that deal directly with customers. You must travel with your car and buy a ticket for yourself in addition to the shipping costs. The advantage is you have easier access to your vehicle as you arrive with it. The disadvantage is there is only one route. Most railroad companies do not deal with the public, so other than he one Amtrak Route, your only other option is to work with an automobile shipper. That shipper may use a train, but the method of shipping is generally up to the shipper.
Leave your mobile phone number with the driver in case he needs to contact you during the shipment and see if you can get his number as well.
The quality of a company‘s website and social networking credentials can be a good indicator of the quality of service you will receive. The auto transport industry is still in its infancy and has no real standards of how to ship vehicles.
