Below you will find information and articles for Shippers...
Included will be advice and on how to choose your Hot Shot Hauler, Transporter,
or Owner/Operator for all of your hard to ship items.
You Made the Right Choice with ReadyShipUSA.com
No matter what you’re shipping – your car, your boat, your motorcycle, household items or a whole house, your prized possessions, your horses, your cattle, your pigs or other farm items or heavy equipment – ReadyShipUSA is here to help you connect with qualified transporters for the job.
As the Shipper You Have Complete Control
ReadyShipUSA.com is an open marketplace that connects you with transporters. We are like a dataing site for shippers and transporters. To keep shipping costs as economically friendly as possible, You as the shipper, make all of your own arrangements, as well as, control all costs and timing of each shipment. (Please be sure to ask questions of your transporter and get every detail in writing!)
Choosing Your Transporter, Hot Shot Hauler or Owner/Operator
To help you make an informed decision, ReadyShipUSA has created a Transporter Profile Page for each registered transport provider. The profile contains driver/operator experience, history, pictures, and more. We recommend spending some time looking over the Transporter Profile before committing to accepting a quote.
Get It In Writing
Once you decide on a Transporter and the time and place of pick-up, you should outline all of the details of your agreement and both parties should sign. Be sure to include all details about the item to be shipped, where and when to pick up and deliver, the condition of the item(s) at time of shipment and delivery, and all contact information necessary to maintain contact with the driver at all times your item(s) are in the possession of your transporter.
Payments
All negotiations and money transfers for shipment payment are handled directly between the Shipper and the Transporter.ReadyShipUSA will never ask you for any payments and we do not hold payments for transporters, thus avoiding all fees associated with third party payment systems.
Conclusion
Be sure to ask questions of the Transporter you chose, put everything in writing (no detail is too small), be sure to check background and credentials of the driver (using your own methods and the Transporter Profile), put all monetary agreements in writing within the shipper/transporter contract you’ve created, and always, always, always, listen to you inner voice…if something doesn’t seem right, it most likely isn’t!
Shipping a car across the country or overseas can be an expensive and risky proposition.
Still, loading your car onto a carrier may be your only option if you’re relocating for a job, sending a car to a relative, or receiving a car you’ve purchased from an out-of-state dealership or private seller.
But if the idea of your vehicle going off into the sunset without you gives you anxiety, here are seven tips for shipping a car that can bring peace of mind to the process.
Research the Company
Research a few carriers, and then head over to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which lets consumers check a shipping business’ license, insurance record, and complaint.
“The first, and most important, step when shipping a car is finding a trusted shipper,” says Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Kelley Blue Book. “I have heard too many horror stories about people buying high-end cars at auction and then trying to save money with second-rate trucking companies that don’t special in vehicle transport. It’s a great way to ruin a new investment.”
When you’ve found a reputable company, start asking for rate quotes. Sometimes the best rates are in the winter when fewer people transport cars.
Check Insurance Coverage
Check your own insurance policy to see what coverage you have, and ask the shipping company about its liability insurance coverage. Most reputable carriers will have $50,000 to $1,000,000 in coverage, but it doesn’t hurt to double check.
“Damage during shipping can occur, even with a high-quality shipper, but if it can be documented as occurring during transport the shipper’s insurance should cover repairs,” says Brauer. “Confirm what type of insurance the shipping company offers before you ever agree to use them.”
Leave Enough Time
Shipping a car is not the same as shipping a package. They’re bulkier, more expensive, and slower moving. Domestic deliveries can take four weeks, while sending a car internationally can take up to eight weeks.
You’ll need to plan well in advance to find a carrier and determine the timeframe required for loading and delivery. Unforeseen delays are common, so patience is crucial. If you won’t be waiting for it on the other side, make sure a trusted representative is available to receive the vehicle when it arrives.
Pick Your Location
Generally, a shipping company will contact you when it has a truck with an open slot that’s headed toward your destination. Before the transporter arrives, study whether you’ll have enough space on the street or in a parking lot to load your car.
Similarly, find out where the company will leave your car once it reaches its destination. Stipulating an exact pickup date, rather than agreeing to a
Covered or Uncovered?
Then you’ll need to decide whether or not to cover your car during transit. Keeping it uncovered is cheaper, but it also leaves the sheet metal susceptible to dents and debris.
A covered or enclosed carrier provides the most protection but can cost roughly 60 percent more. Buyers shipping classic, vintage, or luxury vehicles will want to order an enclosed trailer or have their vehicle top-loaded, a slightly pricier option that allows your vehicle to travel on the carrier’s upper deck, away from road debris and auto fluids that could leak from other cars. window, will cost extra with some services. Note that delivering between two major cities can cost less than shipping between smaller towns.
Inspect the Vehicle
A shipping company will usually check a vehicle for damages such as scratches and dents during a walk-around evaluation before the car is loaded onto the truck. Make sure you inspect the car and agree with the assessor’s report. You may want to take pre- and post-shipment photos as evidence in case you need to file a damage claim.
Upon arrival, a member of the shipping company will do a detailed examination of the inspection report, called a Bill of Lading, and inspect the vehicle for any damage. If you agree with the assessment, you will both sign that form and you should receive a copy.
“You should always do a full inspection of the vehicle before it ships and note any damage in the presence of the shipper’s representative,” says Karl Brauer. “Document this inspection and have both parties sign it. A close inspection after the vehicle is unloaded should match the condition of the vehicle when it started its journey. If it doesn’t note any variances immediately and s
Empty Your Vehicle but Leave Some Gas
Empty your vehicle before it’s loaded onto a carrier. Carrying extra items can compromise the shipment’s safety. Goods inside may become jarred and damaged; loose items can also impede a clear line of sight during the loading and unloading process.
“Of course anything of value should be removed from the car given how many potential people will have access during the process,” says Brauer. “If the car isn’t going to be shipped in an enclosed carrier, which costs more than an open trailer, you might consider putting a protection film on the front of the car or even a car cover, assuming the latter can be securely tied down.”
The only item you should leave in your car is a quarter tank of fuel so that your car doesn’t run out of gas and get stuck when it’s time to leave the carrier. Some carriers may also ask that you disconnect your battery.tart the process of repair — at the shipping company’s expense.”
Before you can begin preparing your construction equipment for transport, you’ll need to select the trailer on which it will ride. You can prepare your equipment properly once you know which type of trailer it fits. Sometimes, to make your equipment fit on a less expensive type of trailer, you’ll need to remove pieces from your machinery.
Height usually is the problem. Flatbeds are about five feet off the ground. Most states allow you 13 ½ feet of total clearance. That leaves you with 8 ½ feet or so in height for your equipment, a little more in some states. Step-deck trailers, which have middle sections that ride lower to the ground, offer maybe another two feet in clearance.
If your load is too tall using a step deck trailer, you can gain more clearance by replacing the step-deck trailer with a lowboy trailer. You can get another foot or so in legal height by switching to a lowboy trailer. Lowboys cost more than stepdecks, so you only want to use a lowboy when you need it.
Once you know which type of trailer you’re using, you can begin preparing your construction equipment for transport. Position any booms properly, retracting them so they don’t affect height or length. Remove attachments that might make you oversized. In some states, it’s illegal to ship your equipment with a bucket or scoop attached. Ask your transport representative for any special rules in the states your cargo will travel.
Avoiding Wide Load Designation
Only your largest pieces of construction equipment travel as wideloads. Off-road dump trucks, cranes, excavators, dozers, graders and scrapers – all are candidates for oversize designation. Most other types of construction machinery should fit within dimensional regulations.
Remove attachments from bulldozers and wheel loaders to make them fit within regulations. It’s often cheaper, and more efficient, to ship the attachment separately rather than travel as an oversize load. Tips for avoiding wide load designation include:
Overheight: Retract, or even remove, the boom or the bucket. Sometimes it’s worth another load to avoid wideload designation.
Overweight: Shipping the body separate from the attachments reduces the weight. Anything over 40,000 pounds is pushing the limit.
Overwidth: Not much you can do here. Most construction equipment runs on tracks, not tires. It’s not worth the effort to remove the tracks.
Overlength: Most states give you 53 feet in length, usually more than enough. If your machine is too long, remove something or wideload.
Do everything you can to avoid a wideload load designation. It can double or triple your cost, depending on how much oversized your load is and whether or not you need escort vehicles. As much as you hate to tear your machine apart, reducing its size to fit within dimensional regulations is worth it.
Prepare Your Equipment for Transport
Check your equipment owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to prepare your machinery for transport. Look for anything that might break off during transport and wrap it with bubble wrap. Levers, knobs or gauges, it’s a lot cheaper to wrap them than replace them.
Do you want the driver to drive your equipment onboard the trailer? Most drivers know how to operate construction equipment. They make their living hauling heavy equipment. But if you’d feel better with one of your guys doing the loading, make sure you schedule it.
Tips for preparing your construction equipment for transport include:
Cover the stack. Prevent unwanted debris from floating down the smokestack on your machine by covering it before transport.
Disconnect the battery. You want your equipment to start when you arrive. As a precaution, unhook batteries so they don’t get drained.
Latch the doors. Doors will flap in the wind if they’re not properly closed. If the door latch won’t work, zip tie the door shut.
Wash the machine. Dirt and debris can obscure handholds and tie-down points. Also, hard to notice new damage when it’s dirty.
If your equipment is traveling as an oversize load, you’ll need safety banners, lights and signs. Check with your transportation agent, they should be prepared to provide everything needed. Ask for photos of the transport that shows all the safety equipment has been deployed.
