Brutally Honest about choosing an Auto Transport Company

Posted on by High | Posted in 5 tips for choosing an auto transport company, Auto Auctions, Automotive News, Blog, car shipping, Exotic vehicles, F Class, Go Green, How do i ship my car, How to choose and auto transport company, Luxury Vehicles, Mercedes- Benz C Class, Mercedes-Benz, Miami, Miami Heat, Nascar, NBA, S Class, should i buy a new car, South Florida, tips for transporting my car, Trade-in, Transport News, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

5 Easy Honest steps on How to choose an Auto Transporter

When that first thought crossed your mind that you needed to ship your car, you probably thought I have no idea where to begin.  Little did you know there are thousands of auto transport companies.  There are brokers, carriers, carriers that pretend to be brokers and brokers that pretend to be carriers and then there is always the guy down the street with a tow dolly that will be more than happy to drag your car behind his truck to wherever the blue skies take him.  Where do you begin!

  1. NEVER get 10 auto transport quotes for free!  Unless you have self destructive behavior, enjoy Chinese water torture or are confined to a prison cell with a phone and nothing else to do, Don’t Do It!  The calls, emails and non-stop harassing are just not worth it in the end!  The time you spend dealing with 10 (really 12) different transport companies will cost you far more money in the end.  It’s probably the most embarrassing and unprofessional side of our business.  Many companies have several names so they can buy the same leads from the lead company’s and pull you which ever direction they wish.  For your own sanity please don’t “click here!”
  2. Carrier or Broker or carrier or broker or……  Any company trying to scare you from using either a carrier or a broker is a company you do not want to do business with CROSS THEM OFF THE LIST NOW they are fear mongering!  There are good brokers and good carriers in fact most manufacturers who need to move thousands of cars choose carriers and most dealerships that need to move hundreds of cars choose brokers, they just choose good ones.   Just follow Step 3 to check them all out.
  3. Check everyone out, it’s easy.
    • First – check the BBB.  Make sure they have some type of A rating   A+, A- or just A but nothing lower that’s not a good sign that means they do not respond and do not care if a customer complains.  http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=92003496&source=ctc
    • Second– check Transport Reviews.  This site only reviews Auto Transport Companies so that helps.  Try to look for companies that do not pay for reviews and do not participate in the mass quote program (remember Step No. 1).  5 out of 5 stars is the only acceptable rating.  If a company has a few bad reviews that is normal but they need to be able to offset those with more good ones.  http://www.transportreviews.com/company/high-end-transport-inc.asp
    • Third- check their license on FMCSA.  If they are a broker their broker status should say Active.  If they are a carrier their carrier status or contract status should be Active.  If they are a carrier or a contract carrier then the truck that shows up at your door should have their name and MC number on the side NO EXCEPTIONS NO EXCUSES it’s a federal regulation period.http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_carrquery.prc_getdetail?pv_apcant_id=484771
  4. Insurance –IS IT COVERED?   Disclaimer: I am not an insurance agent and your final decision should be made after speaking on the phone with one because every transaction is truly different.  After several years I can tell you what has happened in the past from experience.  INSPECTION REPORTS ARE EVERYTHING when you are trying to file a claim.  It is the consignee’s and Consignors (You and Yours) responsibility to note any damage except normal wear and tear on the bill of lading (inspection report).  Although it might have happened I have never witnessed a driver throwing rocks at the cars on his trailer trying to make nicks and dents, so the insurance company presumes these are road hazards or weather related damage and they are usually not covered.   Open transport is more cost effective but does require some risk on your part.  Most dealerships choose open because they can easily fix minor nicks and scratches .  There is a cost difference to go enclosed so if it’s an everyday car its your personal choice.    We always recommend checking with your own insurance to see what’s covered while the vehicle will be in transport.
  5. Understand the transport industry so you understand the process.  Although you are a VERY important customer please know that you are not reserving an entire truck to yourself and there will be 2-9 other customers involved in that load.   You will have pick up windows and delivery windows and sometimes those change because of delays with cars before you, weather, traffic, weigh stations… you can see where I’m going with this right!  The only thing absolute about transport is that something will change! Most companies can give you a very good idea of about how long the process will take and if you are paying a fair rate it usually happens that way.

I’m pretty sure I was as blunt and as honest as I could be without scaring you from transport.  It’s a green decision to transport your car.  Every carrier you see on the road with 10 cars is 10 less cars on the road.  It’s cheaper than driving it yourself, paying for fuel, paying for hotels and tolls and the time out of your wonderful life!  Transport just transport smart!

Cell phone laws are about to change for truckers. What does that mean to you?

Posted on by High | Posted in Automotive News, Blog, car shipping, should i buy a new car, Transport News, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

Melissa Carbonell-High End TransportOh how we all love our “Status Updates!” What will we do without them? Unfortunately, we may soon find out. The Department of Transportation is close to implementing large fines for drivers who use hand-held devices.
The fines for individual drivers and carriers could be as high as $11,000 and for multiple offenses the driver could lose his CDL (Commercial Drivers License). Now obviously SAFETY FIRST but we still have to be practical because at the end of every delivery there is a sale. That customer service of being able to update dealers and customers on delivery is critical to making that sale. The drivers will be able to use hands free technology and should be able to communicate with us directly. They will not however have every pick-up and delivery persons numbers saved so calling for directions when they are in the area will be tricky. We will change some of our process to incorporate more detailed pick-up and delivery information.
We are still about 45 days away from a decision from the FMSCA but its’ safe to assume things will change. We will continue to provide status updates to our dealers and customers. Our commitment to you is that these changes will only be positive, you will be safer on the roads and so will your customers and you will continue to receive the same fantastic service!
Melissa Carbonell, Manager
High End Transport, Inc

America’s cars are getting old! Like the rest of us

Posted on by High | Posted in Auto Auctions, Automotive News, Blog, Go Green, should i buy a new car, Trade-in, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

America’s cars are getting old! Eventually the cost of maintaining those older vehicles just doesn’t make sense anymore. In 2009 RL Polk released a study that estimated the average age of a vehicle on the road was 9.4 years! This will mean that at least 50 million cars need to be replaced very soon.

Replacing these older vehicles with newer models probably under warranty will give these buyers a laundry list of savings. Let’s start with the all important GO GREEN savings, newer vehicles will probably fall under newer emissions laws and have better fuel economy too, GO GREEN! The cost to maintain and repair a vehicle that age can outweigh by thousands of dollars the cost of just buying newer. The PEACE of Mind of having a reliable vehicle is priceless.

Aside from the old vehicles just needing to be replaced we have a population growth factor. Over 2 million new drivers need cars each year. That includes new residents to the U.S. and general population aging.

The market is no longer saturated with too many vehicles. Due to the decreases in manufacturing during the recession the inventory will be lighter than previous years. Make sure you are among the first to make those purchases because demand is expected to rise by 25% by 2012. The auto industry is poised to have a boom in 2011 and 2012. So take a look around your driveway and your garage, size up those vehicles do some number crunching. Let me know where you calculate peace of mind and start shopping.

Understanding the auto transport process can keep customers happy!

Posted on by High | Posted in Automotive News, car shipping, Exotic vehicles, Luxury Vehicles, Transport News, Transport Tips

We learned quickly that the best way to keep our customers happy and coming back year after year was just to educate them on the process. Being completely honest about any business is difficult for any salesperson, business owner or marketing rep to do. The honest truth is there is always a down side to any industry and if there wasn’t we would all want that job! For most people they will never in their lifetime transport a vehicle but for the ones that do here are some of the things we tell them to help the auto transport go smooth:

  1. Timeframes– timeframes are always estimates which means they probably happen 95% of the time but they are estimates and you must be careful not to overpromise or guaranty. Making sure the equipment was newer used to help avoid most breakdowns but with the new EPA and exhaust system requirements, new trucks are more likely to have issue so just be cautious when using any type of guaranty. Always remind the customer that there are other vehicles on the transporter and a few days should be allotted for pick up and delivery to be arranged.
  2. To go open or enclosed? This can be a difficult question to answer because really unless the car is worth 250k and up we have transported it on an open (customers request of course) and everything has been fine. We ship thousands of luxury vehicles monthly on open transports but these are usually for dealerships who do volume transports and can easily buff out small nicks and scratches. If this is your special car, your pride and joy that you wash and garage keep and have dreamed about owning please send it enclosed. Enclosed transport usually ranges around $400-$500 more than open and will keep your auto safe from road hazards, hail storms and other bad weather.
  3. Insurance is included but understand the details. There are 2 types of insurance that carriers are required to have by the Federal Government. The first is Liability which at minimum for carrying combustible engines is 1 million dollars. The second is cargo insurance which the minimum requirement is $5000. Obvisously, $5000 would not cover the car hauler (trailer) much less the cars on it! The carrier will have from 50k to 2 million dollars in cargo insurance which is intended to cover the entire load. If a customer is concerned we ask them to call their own insurance because they are usually covered by them also during the transport. If they have alot of questions we can provide them with the Insurance certificate and they can discuss it directly with the agent. Making sure you write any damage issues on the inspection report is key for claims to be paid.
  4. Updates and availability – okay this is the secret sauce of High End Transport Inc. Updates are provided by our dispatch department via email to the customers automatically. If the customer needs additional updates they can call or email and it will be done. The customer is more than welcome to the drivers cell phone number to be in communistion during the transport (with respect to laws regarding driving and using cell phones). Our reps understand how important it is to answer the phone and return phone calls even when the news is not happy. Sometimes if the route is difficult or the transport is delayed the customer just wants to hear your voice and know that you are on it! If customers have a good understanding of the auto transport industry they can make plans around the process and everything will go smooth. Our drivers and our carriers love hauling High End Transport cars because they know we have done our job to make your auto transport a success!

Updated profile on Transportreviews.com

Posted on by High | Posted in Automotive News, Blog, car shipping, Exotic vehicles, Miami, South Florida, Transport News, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

Most people will go an entire lifetime without ever needing to transport a vehicle but Millions of vehicle transports take place each year! Once you need an auto transport company with one google search you are returned thousands of pages all ready and willing to give you as many quotes as your email can handle. It can all become very overwhelming and most people wind up wasting more “money” in the time spent taking phone calls and reading and answering emails that they never really save anything. There are brokers, carriers, contract carriers, open or enclosed transports, insurance, time frames and inspections.

Most individuals just want to pay a fair price for a reliable transport. We at High End Transport have refined our process to provide just that. Our dealership client base is unrivaled in the industry although we lack the benefit of getting multiple reviews we gain relationships that can last a lifetime. References from a dealer on or near your city can be provided upon request just call (954) 835-4686 ext. 4! Getting a quote (just one) is simple you can click on the website above or go to www.gohet.com, email to [email protected], call us at (954) 835-4686 ext. 4, or fax it in at 954-206-0595. You will be assigned a personal sales representative that will help with any questions and they are available in the office and on their cell phones 7 days a week. The order process is just as simple and we keep you updated during the transport. Once the spot is reserved on the truck we can provide you with your drivers cell phone number for your peace of mind. We have a transport blog on our website with useful information about packing your car, planning your timeframes etc., we also post alot on this blog for our dealerships but our individual customers also find the information useful.

You can find us on twitter, linkedin and facebook! High End Transport accepts all major credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, cash, cashiers checks, money orders. There are many ways to pay to keep things as simple as possible during the process. Our experience has gained us the ability to run at a 99.3% on time pick up and delivery ratio! We are very proud of that number!!! We understand what it takes to get the job done because we are a broker and a carrier! Whether you are a dealership that needs to ship 100’s of cars at one time or a college student just trying to get back to school High End Transport will get the job done and make you a customer for life! Simple Simple Simple just call (954) 835-4686 ext. 4

Preparing your car for shipping

Posted on by High | Posted in Blog, Transport News, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

In the auto transport business you get many of the same questions from customers. Is insurance included? Do you use terminals to store the cars? Can I use a car cover while in transport? and the hot topic of the week is…. Can I put personal items in my vehicle? If there was ever a grey area in auto transport this one is a doozy! The law: car carriers are typically only licensed to move vehicles (i.e. Freight) NOT household goods, We are licensed to move household goods (ex. Bekins, Mayflower, North American). All carriers must stop at weigh stations along the interstate. Those weigh stations have DOT officers that make sure they are not overweight (the fine is $1 per pound) they also make sure they are not knowingly or unknowingly transporting illegal drugs or stolen goods.

There are some officers that will make the driver completely unload the vehicle (that means your personal items are on the side of the street) so they can check the vehicle and the items for illegal drugs. If the items were stolen or lost the insurance of the carrier would not cover these items. The carriers are usually okay with taking a car with minimal items (less than 100lbs) remember the fines are $1 per pound overweight. We have had people attempt to “move” in their vehicle. This is risky because the carrier can legally and rightly so, refuse to take a packed car and some drivers will charge a fee for items in the vehicle. With all of that being said, items are placed in vehicles all of the time. Snowbirds will place their golf clubs or athletes will put a few suitcases. This is a common practice with the customer fully aware of the risks. We give the same speech to each customer when they ask this question. Hopefully, this helps with your decision when preparing your vehicle for transport.

9 ways dealerships can protect themselves from thieves

Posted on by High | Posted in Automotive News, Blog, car shipping, Transport News, Transport Tips, Vehicle Shipping Agent

9 Actions dealers can take to protect themselves from a theft ring posing as a legitimate car hauler
We’ve all heard of the customer who takes a test drive around the block and never returns. Many measures have been implemented over the years to prevent these cars from being stolen. Recently, as many of you have read in some of the automotive publications there is a new kind of car theft ring. The thieves steal legitimate carriers paperwork and DOT information and then show up to pick up your dealer trade or your customers car. This theft ring has used information available through the web to commit their crimes. Fraud and crime are never 100% avoidsable but there are measures dealerships can take to prevent them from becoming a victim. Implementing just a few of the items below (especially No. 9) can help.

  1. Ask for identification. There is nothing wrong with asking for Drivers license, DOT medical card and/or truck registration. These are the same items they are asked to provide to any officer or DOT officer during routine stops and inspections. Make a copy of everything.
  2. Minimize the amount of people within the dealership who are allowed to arrange transport. Including well meaning sales people referring transport companies to their clients. This way when a carrier is at the front desk asking for a car it’s easy to locate the individual who arranged the transport.
  3. Don’t forget the truck! If the driver says he is with “XYZ Transport” make sure it says that on the truck.
  4. Does the bill of lading have the carrier’s information? Never release without a bill of lading or inspection report.
  5. Shop carefully! Do not give more information than necessary for a quote. Call reputable companies only and check them out on BBB and Google. If they don’t have an A- rating or better and they have multiple bad reviews don’t touch them!
  6. Provide your regular transport company with the buyers order. The driver can provide this at the time of pick-up for verification.
  7. Ask your regular transport company to create release forms for your transports. These can be given to their drivers for verification at pick-up.
  8. Ask your regular transport company how they check out the carriers before they dispatch your cars. If the transport company says “we only send our own trucks” that means they are a carrier, be smart and know the law, if they are “XYZ Transport” then the truck picking up must say “XYZ Transport!” If they are a broker ask these questions:
    • Do they check the Federal Motor Carrier website to make sure the carrier is properly licensed to do the job and that license is active?
    • Do they keep up to date insurance certificates on all carriers in their network? Any carrier can provide you with a copy of their insurance but there is no way to determine whether it’s actually in effect unless you call and keep certificates.
    • Do they use experienced drivers who have had a license for a minimum period of time?
    • Do they use recent references before any deal is dispatched? Carriers frequently change names to hide from bad business practices. It’s important to use fresh references and check their length of business before any cars are released to them.
    • Do they require the carriers to give a bill of lading at pick- up and delivery and is that bill of lading required for payment.
  9. Use a reputable Carrier/Broker like High End Transport Inc. A broker/carrier understands the regulations for both sides and can better detect fraud. After the recent news reports some of our customers have incorporated the above items into their day to day practices.