BEFORE SHIPPING A VEHICLE. GUIDE AND TIPS

The circumstances in which it may be necessary such a service are different, and concern both individuals and companies. Before shipping a vehicle or any other type of goods, it will be advisable to analyze them thoroughly.

Vehicle transport is a professional service, offered by specialized operators who, according to customer needs, make use of vehicles and qualified personnel to transfer one or more vehicles from one place to another.

The former, in fact, may need to have a car bought at the dealership delivered to their home or to have their car delivered to a holiday resort (so as to avoid many hours of driving). Not to mention that "professional" transport can be recommended, especially to prevent any damage, when transferring one or more vintage cars, or supercars, or when moving a car park while the move is in progress.

For what concerns companies, when the latter turn to a specialized transporter, they need to move one or more vehicles, generally they are small commercial fleets of cars or light commercial vehicles.

In such cases, the ideal solution is represented by transport by car transporter.

WHY IS PROPER PREPARATION NECESSARY BEFORE SHIPPING?

Transporting a car may seem like a simple operation, so simple that it immediately leads you to choose the cheapest solution, but, often, a possible series of unforeseen events are not considered.

Damage to the vehicle can often occur during transport, both on the car body (scratches, dents, etc.) and on the mechanics (suspension systems, braking system, etc.).

That’s why, when you decide to resort to such an operation, you must rely on professionals and companies with proven experience and expertise in the sector, with equipment and means that meet your needs, to avoid unpleasant inconveniences.

However, there are some small advices to recommend to the users of the service themselves in order to minimize the risk of running into unpleasant situations. Here is a detailed list:

• Remove all accessories and valuables from the vehicle
• Check that the battery is charged and that the tires are inflated
• Notify the carrier of any leaks
• If the vehicle is convertible, close the hood and secure it well (it is also advisable to cover the top of the car with a tarp, fixing it carefully, to further protect the car during the journey)
• Turn off and deactivate the alarm systems

What must be done before the transporter picks up the vehicle?

For your own benefit and for that of the specialized transporters, who will take charge of the shipment of the vehicle, the latter must be carefully prepared before being assigned for transport and regardless of the length of the journey. It is therefore good to pay attention to some details.

Wash the car

Washing the car body thoroughly is essential before giving the car to the transporter.

You can do it alone or by relying on a car wash. This operation is necessary to check the state of the car body and check for scratches or dents, the presence of which will be detected during the taking charge of the vehicle by the appointed staff.

Before delivering the car, therefore, it is good to make sure and check the condition of the external surfaces. It is advisable to take photos that unequivocally testify the condition of the car that you intend to entrust to the operator. This will allow, at the time of delivery, a quick assessment of the condition of the vehicle and will avoid disputes at the end of the transfer. To this regard, it is good to read the transport conditions and, in particular, the agreements relating to responsibilities in the event of damage to the transported goods.

Empty the car

Another essential precaution is to remove any valuables present inside the passenger compartment or trunk. The transporter is not required to open and check the housings, even more so if closed or sealed, of the vehicle to be transported. Therefore, it will decline any responsibility in relation to the customer's personal effects inside the vehicle.

Consequently, the advice is to put everything else in the side drawers, in the dashboard, in the glove compartment and in any other compartment inside the car.

Tank and documents

While not exactly an obligation, it is good practice to deliver the car with the fuel tank almost empty. This will reduce the weight of the car, facilitating both transport and loading and unloading. As for the car documents (vehicle registration document and insurance coupon, where displayed), you can act in two ways. The first is to leave them inside the car, possibly in a compartment that is not easy to access or is locked. Alternatively, you can leave a copy of the documents in the car, and keep the originals with you, to have them available at the time of delivery. Of course, it is good to check that the vehicle is in compliance with the insurance coverage before it is collected by the carrier, as this is an indispensable condition for the car to be transferred correctly.

SEA, SKY OR LAND. USEFUL ADVICE BEFORE SHIPPING

The main types of transport currently used all over the world are air, sea and land. Each of which has specific characteristics that make it more suitable for certain transports rather than others.

Sea transport: who stays on the vehicle?

Maritime transport has been, for many hundreds of years, one of the favourite goods handling systems for import-export. Even today, it is one of the most popular transport systems for shipping large batches of goods, mostly of a commercial nature.

One of the advantages of organizing shipments by ship is undoubtedly that of convenience. For this type of transport, in fact, special means are used (cargo ships) made with the sole purpose of transporting goods in boxes and containers.

A valid, but certainly more expensive, alternative to the transport of vehicles on a car transporter is represented by the possibility of shipping a vehicle by ship, especially if the destination is international or intercontinental.

Sea freight is suitable for non-perishable goods. In fact, it is generally true that it is a cheaper type of transport, but it is also slower. The time can vary from a handful of days to months, depending on the distance and the resources involved.

Surely many have already tried the experience of embarking with their car on some ship or ferry to reach the holiday resorts, but perhaps few know that "unaccompanied" cars can also be embarked.

A positive aspect is that with this type of transport it is possible to move very large quantities of vehicles compared to the methods by land and by air, which have much more limited possibilities. Increasing difficulties, on the other hand, are given by finding, once the vehicles arrive at the port of destination, an adequate network of connection with the hinterland. Therefore, relying on a company like Trasauto Logistica, which has been dealing with integrated logistics for over forty years, allows you to take advantage of the dense network of relationships and partnerships that allow the timeliness and effectiveness of connections between different carriers.

In sea transport, especially for small routes, the presence or absence of the driver plays an essential role. If, at the time of boarding, the driver of the vehicle remains on board, the transfer will be traced back to a vehicle transfer. If, otherwise, the car was to be embarked without a driver, the absence of the passenger would imply that the vehicle will be treated as common goods.

The adoption of one or the other solution will entail a difference in the calculation of the transport tariffs in the presence of higher costs for the connection of the means and resources to be used in the subsequent road transfer and for the movement to the terminal both for the day of departure and for the collection of the vehicle upon arrival.

Further "safety" provisions also impose restrictions according to the type of power supply. Therefore, all LPG-powered vehicles will be crammed into a special area of the ship. Yes, it is possible to contain and promptly intervene in the event of accidents due to gas leaks.

The pros and cons of shipping a vehicle by air

For what concerns air freight, the big advantage is speed. A product, a commodity, can reach the other part of the world in a very short time, usually within a maximum of ten days considering the technical organizational times.

Air transport can be defined as the flagship of the international transport sector. In fact, it represents the safest type of transport (as the percentage of accidents is really minimal) and fast, since it allows you to cover large distances in a short time.

Due to these peculiarities, air transport is generally express transport, that is, of goods that must arrive at their destination in the shortest possible time.

As with everything, however, even this most avant-garde mode of transport has limitations.

The first limit is the cost. In the logistics sector, speed and safety involve a price to pay and, often, it is more than expensive. The use of air vehicles, the vast geographical coverage and the low accident rate determine the overall cost of the air freight service.

Therefore, before shipping a vehicle, using air transport, we recommend its use only if you have a proven need that forces you to comply with a short and strict deadline or if you need to ship vehicles of great value.

Land transport: Immediate, flexible and for short distances

Land transport is certainly the oldest, the most flexible and the most used for short distances. Especially in the XX century, thanks to the speed and convenience of asphalt and the advent of highways.

This type of transport has become ideal for both short and medium distances and, compared to other types of transport, offers a "door to door" service. However, at the same time, land transport can be the most tiring and expensive system if the recipient lives in a distant place which is difficult to reach.

Basically, it is recommended for short or relatively short journeys. It is rather inadvisable if you need to transport a vehicle thousands of miles away. Moreover, the efficiency of road transport systems ensures an ideal service even for small and large companies.

The only flaw, if we can define it this way, of this type of shipping service lies in the greater risk of inconvenience. In fact, moving on the road, shipments could be subject to force majeure phenomena more frequent than those that could occur with other shipping systems, such as vehicle breakdowns, bad weather, road accidents.

Another limitation of land transport, which has arisen as a result of climate change and the measures implemented by governments, consists in the need to increasingly respect the established parameters aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, before shipping a vehicle by opting for road transport it is necessary to consider that this modality, today, also discounts these measures and it is for this reason that it will gradually take on more and more residual and limited character.

THE MOST TRANSPORTED VEHICLES IN 2020. SOME PRECAUTIONS BEFORE SENDING A VEHICLE

The consistence of the vehicle fleet (including all vehicle categories) over the last ten years (2010-2020) has increased by 7,7%, with a maximum reached by the motorcycle category of + 9,4% (Source: Ansa).

Consequently, the demand for services dedicated to the transport of this category of vehicles has also grown proportionally, placing companies in the sector facing the need to develop dedicated services. Because, very often, a motorcycle has not only an economic value but also an emotional value. And it is, above all, delicate, it fears impacts, its engine could suffer damage even of considerable entity, following an unsuitable and improvised transport, like its own metal components that fear corrosion.

Furthermore, there are precise international provisions for the transport and packaging of motorcycles on a ship or plane. Provisions, the non-observance of which, can determine the vehicle block and impediment to the transfer even before departure. This is because motor vehicles are treated as dangerous goods and their transport is subject to specific regulations.

Therefore, before shipping a vehicle, given a rather regulated handling, it is required to comply with some precautions:

• The petrol tank must be empty, or with a maximum of 2 litres of petrol;
• The battery must be disconnected, and the connectors must be taped and insulated to avoid sparks;
• Rear-view mirrors, as well as fairings (the best would be to remove the handlebar), must be disassembled, wrapped in bubble wrap and fixed to the saddle;
• The top case must be removed (it can be placed on the ground) while the side bags can be left mounted;
• It is advisable to deflate the tires to about 1,8 bar and remove the front wheel, as it saves kilos in the volume calculation (usually a common formula for calculating the cost of transporting the crate is length x width x height in cm3 divided by 6 = weight in kg);
• It is better to soften the suspensions (so that the motorcycle can be fixed with the straps to the crate or pallet);
• The motorcycle must be cleaned; any loss of fluids must be prevented. As some countries have restrictive regulations regarding the environment, insect and plant contamination.

It is clear that for the owners of a motorcycle, the need to use the transport service of a motor vehicle can arise at any time. Moving home and having to choose to include your motorcycle among the objects to be transferred, wanting to transport the passion on two wheels on vacation, or buy a motorcycle that is on the other side of the world, are just some of the situations in which to rely on those who dealing with shipping vehicles is a must.

Undoubtedly, in these cases, it is necessary to rely on companies that have staff with adequate experience and means at their disposal. But how to choose who will have to take care of the transport of your vehicle? And above all, do we want to proceed by land, by air or by sea?

Clearly, only after having answered this question, we at Trasauto Logistica, will select the carrier that will have to take care of transporting the motorcycle or scooter to its destination.

Let's start with the air transport of a moped

Choosing this solution means having your vehicle with you quickly, despite significantly higher costs. In fact, carrying a scooter or motorcycle by plane generally means spending the same fare as a passenger in the cabin. Not to mention the preparation of the vehicle from which all the fluids must be removed (and the disassembly of wheels, forks and handlebar is often required to limit the overall dimensions).

Air shipping is naturally faster and generally more reliable than shipping by sea, and customs clearance is also quicker.

And what about the transport of a motorcycle by ship?

The transport of motorcycles by sea must be carried out in a container, which can be "rented" exclusively (more expensive) or shared with other goods in shipment. Inside the container, the motorcycle must be caged and anchored. In addition, it is necessary to be present at the time of loading and unloading the container.

In this case, the solution has average costs, but the shipping and moving times of the motorcycle are quite long (up to 30 days).

BEFORE SHIPPING A VEHICLE, IT IS BETTER TO RELY ON SPECIALIZED OPERATORS

Thanks to Trasauto Logistica, it becomes possible not only to receive the car purchased online at home, but also to move a car to have it at your disposal when you are preparing to leave for a holiday location.

The service can also be useful for those who have to change cities for work or study reasons and need to have a car for their travels, but also to transport vintage or historical models in a safe manner.

In short, before shipping a vehicle, the options available to customers are numerous and allow them to satisfy multiple needs. We, at Trasauto Logistica, take care of every detail, offering you clear and transparent assistance at every stage of transport.

The convenience of choosing Trasauto Logistica. The incidence of costs

Why choose Trasauto Logistica? Simple, it offers numerous advantages. First, it guarantees a certain speed of service, flexibility of collection and delivery locations but not only. All transporters are certified and guaranteed.

For our company, arranging a vehicle transport is quick and easy. We have 40 years of experience behind us and our priority is the best service in the shortest possible time, all while avoiding unnecessary complications.

The coordination of the company activity is characterized by the commitment to the constant process of training and technological updating, in order to guarantee the customer a high-level service that can satisfy every need.

Efficiency and punctuality in car transport guarantee services and solutions in line with the highest quality standards in the reference sector.

Our team coordinates transport operations ensuring that all procedures take place in the maximum safety of all those involved and the cars used, using safe and innovative monitoring systems.

Before sending a vehicle both in Italy and abroad, it will be sufficient to fill in the relevant forms and obtain an identity document (valid), the registration certificate, number plates and the certificate of ownership. The transport will be covered by warranty and insurance.

To find out the costs of shipping your vehicle, you simply need to fill out the form to receive, in a short time, a personalized quote.

It should be specified that the costs will depend on several factors, which must be made explicit at the time of the request.

Since, just as when any other goods have to be transported, even for vehicles of any type, the primary impact factor remains the distance to be covered. The longer the route, the more the cost increases. However, there are also other factors that can lead to a price increase.

When requesting shipments abroad, the first thing to consider are the regulations and agreements between the various states. In countries where customs procedures take a lot of time and work, the prices are higher. On the other hand, in countries where customs clearance procedures are not required or are made easier, prices will remain lower.

Another factor of impact is the place of collection of the vehicle and that of destination. If the area is difficult to reach, isolated or with reduced viability, the price will be higher than that required for a well-connected and easy-to-reach area. This is not a minor detail. The pick-up location and the destination can cause a price increase far more than the distance itself.

Finally, the last factor that affects the cost of shipping is that relating to timing. If you have the possibility to adapt to the carrier's timing, it is advisable to accept those provided without imposing any restrictions.

For any type of urgency, it will be necessary to be prepared for extra disbursements which will largely depend on the different programming of resources aimed at satisfying the specific request. Incidence that is applicable to any type of shipment and for any mode of transport for both national and intercontinental transport.

Fill out the contact form and request a free quote.

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Or, for personalized assistance, you can call the offices in Italy at: +39 (0)828 1818150

or request more information also by e-mail: info@trasauto.com