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Shipping a car for the first time can be a daunting task. It’s hard to know if you’re getting a good price and that your car is in safe hands. However, there are a couple of documents to make sure that, no matter what happens, your vehicle is taken care of. Many shipping companies will glance over these documents because most of the time, you’ll never need them. However, if you take a moment to understand what they are, you can save yourself a huge hassle down the line. If anything does go wrong with your shipment, you can always refer to these two very important documents. These are the insurance terms and the bill of lading.

The Insurance Terms and Conditions

Some shipping companies don’t include their insurance in their quote. This is to make it look like their prices are more competitive than they are. Some don’t include it at all to keep costs down. If your shipping company does either of these, run away as fast as you can. This is an easy way to spot a scam or an unscrupulous company. You may think that your personal insurance can cover your car, but that’s not always true. When your car is on the back of a trailer or tow hitch, your insurance company doesn’t always cover that. This is why tow truck companies have insurance for the vehicles they tow. Your shipping company should also have insurance for your vehicle as well as their truck.

To see your shipping company’s insurance terms, all you have to do is ask. You can see how much they cover, and it should be a lot. It should be able to cover every vehicle that’s on the trailer at any given time. This can be up to ten vehicles. In other words, the insurance should be able to cover the cost of your car times ten. It should maybe be even higher if you have a classic or luxury vehicle or if you can find out if they’re shipping any high-end vehicles on your trailer. However, knowing that they have plenty of insurance to cover any issues will give you peace of mind and guarantee you’re in good hands.

The Bill of Lading

This important document goes hand in hand with the insurance policy. It may be presented to you as a receipt for delivery, but it’s so much more than that. You may not be familiar with the term, but if you’ve ever rented a car, you already know how it works. When the driver picks up your vehicle, they’ll perform an inspection. They’ll check the current condition of your vehicle. They’ll check for any prior dents, dings, or damage of any kind. Then they’ll mark this all on the bill of lading. When your car arrives, they’ll ask you to sign the bill of lading to confirm your car’s arrival. However, don’t sign just yet. Now’s the time to conduct your own inspection. Make sure there aren’t any new scratches and everything is in order. This is because the insurance company will see the bill of lading as proof of the condition of your vehicle. Since you signed the document, they’ll assume you got it back in the same condition. If you find something days or weeks later, it will be much harder to claim.

Important Documents only matter if You Know How to Use Them.

Shipping a car has never been easier. With so many choices of shipping carriers, online quotes, and live customer service representatives to walk you through the process, you really can’t go wrong. However, these shipping companies deliver hundreds of vehicles. Insurance and the bill of lading are so rarely used that they may not even mention them unless they’re asked. However, if you need them, you’ll be glad you did.

If you’re still looking for a shipping company, give Columbus Auto Transport a call. They offer industry leading insurance right there in the quote. Their customer service team of friendly representatives can help walk you through every step of the process. Give them a call today and see what they can do for you.