Shipping your company cars should be a smooth process. But this is only sometimes the case. Many business owners encounter a lot of anxiety and stress when moving company cars. Usually, this is because of the type of shipping company you choose for the job. You won’t have to worry much when working with a reliable transportation service. But, if you hire a shady shipping company, you’re most likely in for a hard time. The following are some hacks that will make your car shipping for your company a lot easier.
Get To Know Your Options
The first tip is to find out the alternatives you have. Get to know which shipping companies are available. Before you settle on the first company you hear about online, take your time to come up with a few alternatives. Narrowing your options down becomes much easier once you have some variety.
You need to start your search online. Thanks to Google, you can find any company near you without a hassle. However, knowing how to search for the service provider on Google will get you faster results. Start by typing your search query on the Google search bar. When doing this, be sure to include your location. For instance, when looking to ship a car, including your location such as New York, as your query, you will immediately get local results. That way, the search engine can help you identify the nearest alternatives.
Companies know that customers are searching for them on Google. As such, you can expect to find ads and even blog posts pointing you to possible options. With tools like Google for business, you will have several options. Once you identify these alternatives, create a list. Doing this will help you when crossing off the companies that don’t work for you. It helps to have at least three different companies to compare.
Getting Reliable Recommendations
If you are in a hurry to ship your vehicles, you might not have time to compare different car shipping companies. If you have friends that already use a shipping service, start with them. Always start with those using a shipping service. When someone uses a service they love, they never hesitate to tell others about it. If they get quality service, they should happily share what’s been working for them.
Only seek recommendations from reliable sources that you can trust. You’ll have to do more homework if you don’t know the person recommending the shipping service. Social forums and platforms like Facebook are also excellent when you need suggestions. Always pay attention to the names that come up more than once. If you notice a company name is getting recommended multiple times, it may be a great option to try.
Reading Online Reviews
Before you make a final decision, you should learn from the experiences of others. Learning from your own experience in such a case may cost you too much money. Thankfully, with reviews, you can learn a lot about the shipping company before you make any payment. Online reviews help you know the merits and cons of hiring a transport service. That way, you get into the agreement fully aware of what to expect.
As you read through reviews, try to look at the company’s general rating. There’s always going to be one customer that didn’t have a good experience. Ratings help you know how well the shipping service generally performs. That way, you can ensure that you won’t make a clueless choice. A review will reveal the quality of the service to expect.
And you will also get to learn more about the nature of the services offered. Once satisfied with what you’ve seen in a review, you can decide what works for you. But be careful when reading reviews. Sometimes companies cook them to enhance their brand appearance. Thus, you must be thorough and keen when using such online tools.
Learn The Company’s History
The best way to learn about the shipping service is by visiting their website. The lack of a professional website should be an immediate red flag. You can learn a lot about transportation services by browsing through their site. One of the things to look for is how long the company has been around. A seasoned shipping company is worth considering. If they’ve been serving customers for a while, then people trust them.
Also, check the website for testimonials from previous customers. These will help you know whether they have real customers willing to vouch for their services. You may gain confidence in the company while reading the reviews. And this is what you need to help you make your decision.
As you browse their site, look out for any awards and accreditations. If the company is BBB accredited, you can be sure they’ll handle your cars well. Get all the necessary information on the website because it will help if you have questions.
Ask The Right Questions
Many people shy away from asking a company critical questions. But in business, try to make final decisions once you’ve got all the answers. Start by setting up a meeting with the company to have them explain more about themselves to you.
During the meeting, ask how many cars they can ship and also how much it will cost you. It helps to have this information because you will use it to compare your alternatives. As you inquire about the cost, find out about the payment methods. That way, you can pick what will work best for you
Also, ask about their insurance, bonding, and guarantees. All shipping services must have insurance. You don’t want to be the one paying out of pocket if anything happens to your cars during transit.
Lastly, ask for a copy of the agreement and read it well. Don’t sign anything without first looking at the terms and conditions. Many business owners have lost most because they failed to read the fine print.
Whether you’re looking for a one-time shipping option, or whether you’re looking to move your entire fleet seasonally, it’s important to take the time to thoroughly vet your options and requirements for your auto carrier. Time spent making a good decision is never time wasted. With these tips, you should easily find a reputable shipping service.
