J. Patrick Sutton Cases & Issues Blog

The Perils of Auto Shipping

It's easy to arrange interstate and international shipping of automobiles on the web, and it's easy to have a bad result.
It's easy to arrange interstate and international shipping of automobiles on the web, and it's easy to have a bad result.
First, it's a bad idea to get a lowest-priced bid from the "discount shippers" out there. They are usually just brokers. For a modest amount more, you can usually get better peace of mind with a shipper with its own trucks and drivers. The discount shippers seem less interested in the quality of which independent hauler they locate than in simply securing the commitment and hoping for the best. Once your car haul is assigned, good luck with that. You'll be dealing directly with the truck or trucking concern that the discount shipper selected, whether it's a one-man operation or a distant company you've never heard of.
Second, demand insurance for the full value of your car and get the proof that you're insured. Pay whatever it costs to insure your vehicle against a total loss. Particularly in the case of international shipping, you may end up being shown a contract (bill of lading) that says, in essence, that even though the shipper you selected took your car in, it's not responsible for anything that occured after that. Your car is at the bottom of the ocean? Too bad -- the bill of lading relieves your shipper of any obligation to pay for it. You want to take them to court? Open your wallet: you'll be in federal court because of the application of federal maritime & admiralty laws.
Finally, take lots of pictures of your car at the point where you release it to the control of someone else. If it's damaged at the pickup point, find a way to get lots of detailed pictures immediately and time-stamps that match up with your delivery paperwork.
While the best way to ship a car is with lots of insurance, the headache of dealing with a damaged car is worth avoiding if you can.
J. Patrick Sutton Cases & Issues Blog