The last thing on many an avid amateur mechanic's mind is safety. Yet have a vehicle roll on you, or roll down the driveway to collide with anything...
The last thing on many an avid amateur mechanic’s mind is safety. Yet have a vehicle roll on you, or roll down the driveway to collide with anything else and your day week, or month can well be ruined. Never mind the explanation to auto insurance or MPI autopac insurance agent, adjustor or having to make an unnecessary claim on your home or auto insurance.
First of all take the time to remove all jewelry such as rings, watches and bracelets before starting work. Do not wear loose fitting clothing, ties scarves or coats that might get dangled up in a pulley or drive belt.
Along with similar safety practices make it a solid rule to wear protective eye gear when working under a car or any vehicle especially when using a chisel and hammer, when drilling and grinding and especially when working on an air conditioning system or air conditioning summer cooling components. Refrigerant inside the air conditioning system – even the newer non Freon types can still cause frostbite if it comes in contact with exposed skin.
It is a simple rule and basic safety prevention rule and standard never to smoke cigarettes or tobacco products when working on the fuel system or battery charging system. Gasoline vapors from the fuel tank, fuel lines, carburetor or fuel injections are more than extremely flammable. Hydrogen gas inside the battery, as well as lingering about the battery case, is dangerously explosive. The hydrogen sulfide gas emitted by charging (as opposed to dead) auto batteries can be set off by any or even the smallest spark. Once set ablaze the hydrogen sulfide gas can serve to explode the battery with its dangerous caustic battery acid- which can splash not only on your mechanics set of clothes but also onto their face, eyes or skin. Thus make it a solid rule to refrain from smoking any time that you are working on a car or under the hood.
Lastly in this day and age with late model and current vehicles having computerized engine components and systems overall – as opposed to older mechanical contact points and less elaborate ignition and control systems , always remember that these computerized electronics are more than sensitive to voltage overloads and fluctuations. It is little different than the sensitive nature of your home computer and how sensitive these computer systems are too simple, in a flash electrical surges. Always remember two things – one that ongoing and regular maintenance of your automobile is the best value overall and provides for the best safest and most reliable driving and motoring.
A good question. Certainly the auto shipping industry has undergone massive expansion recently and offers the public many services to meet their needs. Some will still find that using their services is not worth either the trouble or the cost involved. This is a new industry and such thoughts are reasonable. You don’t want to take advantage of a service you might not really need.
In some cases, selling what you own and then buying a new product may be far better than hiring a shipping company. If you want to decide which is the better option for you, find out what price your car might fetch at the used-car market and how quickly you will be able to sell it off. It may be more economic in terms of prices, but not in terms of time.
You are caught in a double hassle: That of research the auto buying and selling industry and also of researching the companies that make up the auto shipping industry. In the latter case, you must find a dependable company that will deliver your car within a reasonable amount of time and without undue wear and tear. Keep in mind that delivery times are only estimates in the industry. If you must have a specific time of delivery of your car at its point of destination, this will cost you more in every case and some companies simply cannot guarantee exact delivery times.
Generally speaking, if your car is a basic clunker anyway and you have no love for it, sell it and buy a better one at your destination. But, suppose you won that brand new Corvette at a car show and would not dream of parting with it, you are better off with the shipping company. There are some shipping routes that are complex and may come with exorbitant costs, but most are not that complicated and can be accessed by a single carrier, making them less costly than buying that sexy Corvette at your new location.
If auto shipping is your transport of choice, you must do your research and select the company only after due diligence. The last thing you want is very delayed delivery and a car that ends its journey all beat up and filthy. Okay, now that you have decided to use the services of an auto shipper and have found one you trust, you may want to choose the closed shipping or container shipping method. It costs more and it is a little more trouble to load and unload, but your car will be safe from damages due to inclement weather, flying road debris, or theft and vandalism.
If the decision is to sell your car, you have to decide moreover on whether to sell it yourself or through a dealer. You will get more money for it if you sell it yourself, but it will cost you time and trouble. The car dealer will be faster and will handle everything for you. As a matter of fact this option is probably even easier than wheeling and dealing with an auto shipping broker.
The auto shipping proves by its rapid expansion that it is an efficient and safe industry with which to do business. At the same time along the way the industry has accumulated valuable experience with regard to technology and methods of operation.
Of course, business growth also means that more companies are willing to offer serious competition. This does not mean that they all have the experience, the capital, or the knowledge of the industry to perform with the necessary safety and reliably. Beware of the shipping companies that are into it only because of it’s show of growth. They may be eager to start a business, any business, not because they have industry knowledge or competence but because they can’t do anything else, and this one looks promising.
The result is not merely a growing industry of competent services, but a growing number of businesses, many of which have neither the budgets nor the knowledge necessary for complete success. And despite the fact that many of such business are almost immediately wiped out, many remain. Those that remain will take some time to disappear while doing their best to do as much business as they can in the space allotted them by competition.
And worse, these declining companies are not easy to detect. They will have a remarkable marketing campaign and killer sales pitch that along with low pricing will convince many folks that they are safe and dependable. You may, however, be getting involved with an incompetent company that will ship your auto to the wrong destination with every removable accessory removed, no insurance, and with long delays.
Do not ship your auto at the last minute without careful planning. Last minute planning will not ensure the vehicle’s safety. Plan several months ahead of the time required to ship so you will have the time to research the market.
It is preferable to plan the shipping well in advance also because it will allow you to book your order well in advance. Even large companies are pressed for time: urgent orders mean very high prices, even if the job is simple, simply because the company personnel will have to go out of their way to complete your order. The more time you give your chosen company the more likely they are to do the job thoroughly and with care, while offering you reasonable prices.
There is no business in the world that desires to decline a customer’s business. Watch out for those that will take on your business even if they know they know they can’t do a competent job. If you wait until the last minute to book your shipment, the urgency required will incur more risk of damage to your vehicle and delayed shipment.
Of great importance to you is the company’s licensing and insurance coverage. Thoroughly inspect their Certificate of Insurance and their MC license. If the insurance coverage offered does not meet your needs, ask for additional coverage. They should have no trouble meeting your insurance requirements.
One sign of a competent company is their willingness and initiative in gaining yur genuine trust. Good companies should themselves offer you to take a look at their insurance documents and will advise you to buy any extra insurance they think is necessary. If a company does not mention any of this, it would be better to find another carrier to take care of your car.
Watching those enormous container vessels making their way across the sea is an impressive sight. They move like glaciers with their brightly colored cargo of blue, red, orange and green containers stacked up to impossible heights in the huge ship. A ship such as this is carrying someone’s luxury foreign vehicle across the sea to its destination at a far away port. It will be unloaded by an equally impressive assortment of huge brightly colored cranes. Whoever is awaiting shipment of their shiny, new, expensive car is well-satisfied with the efficiency and cost-savings allowed by the shipping industry.
But the shipping industry is not all promise and bright colors. Several environmental issues are closely related to the shipment of national and international diesel-powered dreams. The auto shipping industry is a new and growing industry and so are the problems, effective solutions to which are yet to be implemented. It was only in June 2008 that the IMO, the International Maritime Organization, organized a meeting on the subject of greenhouse gas emission from ships in general, and cargo ships in particular.
Ballast water discharged from these huge ships is equivalent to a whole other sea. Ballast water is taken in on unloading the cargo or when prior loads of the water are discharged. With these enormous carriers, the problem lies in their international course of travel. Water is pumped into the ship in one coastal area and pumped out down the sea lane in a completely different coastal zone.
The aforementioned person waiting for his luxury car from Germany to be unloaded at the dock in Los Angeles is probably not concerned about this, but despite our world’s excitement over foreign-made luxury products, the environment is becoming very unsettled and is bound to get worse. Ballast water has in its contents plants, animals, bacteria, and viruses. These life forms are pumped dead or alive into the vessel from their natural habitats. They are carried many sea miles to the site of their discharge. By this time, some will be dead, some will be alive, some will have cohabited and multiplied, and some will have mutated. All of them will be alarmed at being in foreign seas, and will morph into litter, vermin, or invasive species. We now have chaos and destruction of marine ecosystems.
Car transportation by land can be said to be in fact more economic in terms of gasoline. Driven separately, a dozen personal vehicles use at least twice as much gas as a single carrier truck which delivers the cars to their approximate destinations in one huge haul. This, however, helps mostly to save money, rather than the environment. The customer saves and the company earns money: this is good economy, not ecology. Everybody wins and resources circulate, but the environment is increasingly depleted.
If fewer people drove their personal vehicle those same long distances, the auto transportation industry would still continue to thrive because of the car manufacturing and car handling industry. The automotive industry is undergoing increasing expansion and growth because of newly developing third world countries. So more cars are in demand, which means more transportation by land, sea and air and more contribution to environmental disasters.
Nothing like progress to eat away at your income. With the rapid increases in technology, almost everyone can have a better, more comfortable life. This of course comes with greater expense. But with a higher standard of living, an increasing percentage of the population can indulge in more luxuries, and our society encourages them to do so.
Today’s families own more than one car. Each parent has a job and needs transportation. The teenage members of the family MUST have a car, at least to share. This same freewheeling family will probably move several times before the kids grow up and out. There are those times that require all those vehicles to relocate with the family a long distance away.
Even with a single car a trip like this may be too strenuous and expensive. Gasoline costs may be more than $20 for every hundred miles or so and if you have more than two cars and something like 500 miles to drive, fuel costs alone may add up to more than a $1000. Moreover, you might not want your wife or children to drive the other two cars themselves and you would really rather not make the trip more than once. Besides the cost of gas, if you consider how worn your car(s) might become after too long a drive, auto shipping will seem a blessing.
Similar problems are often the reason why people cannot improve their life style. What the recent and developing auto shipping industry allows is not only to save your money, but also helps you to fulfill yourself. Moving to another neighborhood is not a problem, but the ability to move to another state or even country, when you already own a car, may be career defining.
Without the modern move to a global economy with international business being the norm, the auto industry may never have developed as quickly and successfully as it did. This international mobility makes many things possible today that would have been done rarely, if ever, in the not too distant past. The sensible way to move vehicles is now by taking advantage of this industry which includes many reliable, secure, and economical carrier companies. There are things to consider when choosing a company to lift you to greater heights in your new life at your new location.
The more economic way to ship your car is to allow for plenty of time. If the company are allowed to ship your vehicle only when they receive enough orders to fill a truck, the price will be significantly lower than if you insist on immediate shipping.
Next you will need to consider whether to choose an open carrier or a closed container. Open carriers are cheaper, but the cars on it are, as the name implies, open to hostile elements: anything from hail to accidental or intention hunting-rifle fire.
Unless you are in financial strain and have no choice but to risk an open carrier, and if you want to make sure you do not begin that next great stage in your life by towing your car to the nearest mechanics, you want to prefer closed container shipping. New technologies are even now being introduced into the industry: shipping containers and safety measures in most good companies are not what they used to be ten or twenty years ago. But it is best to specify that you want the newest Trans-Rack containers to be used to ensure the best delivery.
You have probably wondered while gazing out to sea from a distance just what those titanic-sized container vessels actually do contain. “Titanic” is a poor choice of words, don’t let that put you off the thought of shipping your car internationally. It is as simple and secure as domestic shipping over land.
You can obtain quotes at no cost from many overseas shipping companies. These companies make the arrangements and get your vehicle rapidly on its way for you easily and stress free. Long established as well as modern carrier companies guarantee your vehicle, no matter what type, safe transport on any or all of the seven seas.
The process is not much different from shipment over land. Make sure you have the proper maritime insurance (1%-3% of car price) because your regular insurance most probably does not include overseas travel, choose either of three standard methods, and prepare your car just as you would have when shipping over land.
When your car arrives at its port of departure, it should be in driving condition. If it isn’t company trucks are available to take it to the docks. Because gas adds weight to your vehicle, it is not a good idea to have a full tank, just enough to get it to its final destination is desirable.
The three standard shipping methods mentioned above are Roll On Roll Off (RoRo), 20-foot container, and thirdly a 40-foot container.
The cheapest method is via RoRo ship, which is basically a ferry. An employee of the company will drive your car onto the ship and park it in a slot among the others. The car will then be secured in place. However, it is in just a slot, not its own garage, so it is somewhat vulnerable to damage by other cars possibly shifting a bit. RoRo remains the standard for shipping over short distances.
A safer way is the container method. A car is snugly fitted into a 20-foot container so it does not shift and it is all by itself. It is securely locked in its nest to protect it from access by anyone but the authorized agents until it either reaches customs or its destination, whichever comes first. The container also protects it against damage by other vehicles and the elements.
The RoRo and 20-foot container method will normally take the car only and not any personal belongings accompanying it. Depending on the size of your car, a 20-footer may be able to accommodate some extra personal goods. The 40-foot version will allow personal belongings to be loaded first. The vehicle is then driven or pushed into the container after the belongings are separated and secured. in their own area.
The company will inform you of any of the various port fees that will be charged at its destination. Also, there will be documentation that is sure to differ from that of domestic ground shipping. Your chosen transport carrier will be knowledgeable of all of this and most willing to help you through it. They are as eager as you to get your car safely to its home port.
Reducing the number of industries contributing to the collapse of our planet’s environment actually lowers the cost on the services these companies provide in many cases. Some technologically minded theorists quiver with excitement over new technologies like super-crystals and nano-microchips. Others are simply insatiable consumers with no concept of how things work as long as they can own the latest gadgets the new technologies provide. These fashionistas will grab the latest generation of wireless cell phones so they can listen to music without earbuds while displaying themselves on crowded, noisy thoroughfares. They could care less about the technology or even the music for that matter. They are the trendy ones.
Car owners tend to follow the same pattern. To many of them, a car is a luxury item, while to others it a symbol of status, an achievement to display. There are approximately 25% of car owners worldwide who own their vehicle not out of necessity, but because “everybody has one.” Some own cars even though it is not sensible or convenient to do so. Yet these same people will do anything, even work multiple jobs so they can show that they own a car, whether used or new, or Kia Rio or Mercedes XL. Why? So they can drive around the corner (instead of walk) to the hottest club.
By derivation, the same is true for related services. Promising industries like the Auto Shipping industry begin by offering real enough benefits. They work to perfect themselves, their services, and, inevitably, their marketing campaigns, and soon become not simply the sensible service to take advantage of, but a status symbol. When the symbol is generalized enough, not only the major names in the field, but even the smallest and least successful companies benefit from indiscriminate consumerism.
Despite certain measures to reduce the effect of heavy goods vehicles on the environment, heavy carriers increase in number as shipping industries grow in potential and popularity. Technologies are being invented to improve auto shipping, but the technology has not yet been invented which could undo the damage a single ro-ro ferry does to the sea and air in the course of a single job.
To the individual, the environmental damages to the environment are not apparent or significant enough to be of concern. Quite the contrary. Rampant consumerism detracts from the reality of pollution of the air and the sea lurking in the periphery of the heavy cargo shipping industry. Large cargo ships introduce invasive species into the environment that cost just the United States alone many billions of dollars annually. Bacteria, many strains of cholera, toxic algae, and destructive pests like the Zebra Mussel are disseminated throughout the environment by ballast water. One load of this water dumped by a freight carrier can spread in a matter of years enough vermin to bring the end to fisheries, agriculture, tourism and recreational industries.
That the future of the auto shipping industry seems bright, one must realize, is not merely because the business takes its natural course, but because its marketing is successful. Before we know it, governments may impose technical and performance restrictions and charges for use on roads, vehicle types, and mass services precisely because business, right now, seems good.
For more information on or to get a please visit http://www.jmnhaul.com .
If you have ever made a move across country, you know how long and boring the trip can be if you have more than one vehicle that needs to make the move. Car shippers can help with the move.
A caravan of vehicles with the family spread across the country is just not all that fun. The drive can be long and tiring. While it may be possible to tow one vehicle behind a self moving van, what do you do with the other one?
Some families give up trying to move two vehicles and sell one to replace it when they get to the new home. The problem with this approach is that in addition to moving expenses, you must come up with money for a second vehicle. Instead of selling and re-buying cars, why not have the vehicle shipped to your new home.
If you have a specialty or antique vehicle, driving that vehicle across country may not be an option. The trip might take days and the vehicle would not offer the comfort that we have come to expect on these large cross country trips.
Shipping costs for vehicles are very reasonable. The cost may not be that much more than you would pay for gasoline to drive your car that distance. The vehicle will arrive safely and in the same shape as when it was loaded onto the truck.
Your vehicle will be shipped on a trailer loaded with several other vehicles that are headed to a similar destination. This will save adding all of those miles to your vehicle. Once it is safely delivered, you can resume driving the vehicle.
While many shippers work to fill a trailer before a move and it may take two to three weeks to get your car from one point to another, some also offer an upgraded service that will allow you to get your car shipped in less time.
Vehicles can also be shipped in enclosed trailers to avoid more of the possible dangers or the roads like flying gravel chips. You will have to pay extra for this service, but may find that the extra cost is another layer of insurance for that collectors car.
Some shipping companies offer door to door service. Your vehicle is picked up form your old drive way and delivered to the new drive way. If the car arrives before you do, then there is secure storage available for the vehicle.
If your move is too long to drive, then ship all the vehicles and save the long drive by flying. Ship one vehicle to be at the new home to be there for your arrival and keep the second one until moving day. This allows you to have a car at both ends of the move and gets both vehicles to you. It saves the long drive for everyone. You arrive at the new home ready to unpack and get life back in order. Your car arrives in top shape and has not had all the extra miles of wear and tare from a long trip.
Visit JMN Logistics for more information on or follow on their blog.
For most people, the only consideration of getting their car from here to there is to drive it. But now there is another option, that of shipping your vehicle by using a recently developing industry, that of auto shippers. There are many burgeoning reliable companies available now who will ship you car long distances, domestically or internationally. Shipping your auto has become easier, cheaper, more widespread and more secure
Have you just won your dream car in an auto lottery; bought a car overseas; are you moving to another city? Before the dawn of the auto shipping industry you would have to either give up your dream, give up your car, or drive it (the car, that is, to pursue the dream) all the way yourself, suffering long monotonous (the word itself tediously rides on the wheels of 4 dull o’s) hours at wheel, expenses (expected and unexpected), damage (hopefully, mostly to the car) by criminal and natural elements, and, after you have mastered a few foreign-language audio-courses and listened to the entire King James Bible, some bad luck while passing through one of those sleepy American towns which are not what they seem. Now you can spare yourself all this trouble by calling a shipping company.
The French company CMA COM, S.A. declared to the world in early August of 2007 that they had ventured into container shipping, not a bad thing since they are the third largest shipping company in the world. In their announcement they made clear that at least four light vehicles could be loaded into each of their containers. This was made possible by the latest technological advancements which became a breakthrough for the industry. For the first time, shipping could be handled from the factory to the distribution center with complete safety.
Yet, while statistics testify to the increasing popularity of the method, the perspectives of container auto shipping are still not quite clear. The auto shipping industry is distinguished by the high complexity of each shipment, increased risks, and great responsibility. For this reason, large-scale projects are undertaken by large transportation organizations which command sufficient technical and monetary resources to adequately solve any problems which may arise.
Labor is costly in the industry. Each vehicle is expensive and any damage to it, no how matter small could become a very costly matter for the company. A shipper who regularly moves its cargo of automobiles on schedule must hire and probably train a full-time, permanent crew of skillful workers who understand the need for tender loving care of the cargo under their care.
The future of container shipping depends on the development of national and international business. Containers are mostly required for large-distance, large-scale operations, most often in trading between countries. If a country has good safe roads – and not all large countries do – and a sufficiently large network of car factories (foreign or domestic) than the quicker, easier, and less expensive open-carrier method may be standardized. Countries work to improve conditions (road quality and road crime), but these improvements may take several decades before the easier method may be popularly regard as safe enough.
It takes a large enterprise to be able to avail itself of the cheapest possible options. The future of the business relies heavily on the large car manufacturers and if they have the mass production of vehicles necessary to require them to transport across borders into the major cities and industrial complexes of the world.
Visit JMN Logistics for more information on or to get into Vehicle Shippers visit at Car Haul Jobs.
A car is a valuable asset that needs to be protected. Not only is there a monetary value to our vehicle, we often are emotionally attached and physically dependent on our vehicles to transport us from one place to another. When a vehicle needs to be moved a long distance, it is important that it have good care. When you must choose an auto transport company, you need to be diligent in your search in order for that vehicle to arrive at the new destination without damage. These tips should help you in choosing a safe and reliable auto transport company.
Seek out a shipping company which has a very good reputation. Use the internet and search to check out the companies. If a company has a bad reputation a quick internet search will let you see reviews of several dissatisfied customers. Look for a site that gives you more than just a star rating if possible. You will want to know both what happened and how the company tried to resolve the problem. You need a feel for how the company deals with problems as well as the problems that happened. If the majority of reviews are negative, it is probably best to stay away from that company and to choose a different carrier.
Before signing any paperwork be sure that the company has the proper documentation to perform the service they are offering. They should have a federal license as well as insurance and bonding. The company representative should have no problem in showing this paperwork.
Ask the company about the insurance that they carry to cover any damage your car may receive during transportation. Also ask about any limitations or exclusions that may be included. There are some risks in transporting a car that may not be covered. Flying rocks can cause damage to the vehicle, and it is unlikely that the insurance of the auto transport company will pay for dings to the paint or even broken glass.
Most companies offer different options for shipping your vehicle. Not every company will offer every option, so check to see what is available.
With the open shipping method your vehicle is simply loaded in an open trailer. While less expensive, cars are more susceptible to damage from the elements. If it is storm season, there is the possibility of hail damage. Flying gravel can also cause problems.
Enclosed shipping puts your vehicle in an enclosed trailer and it is unlikely that flying objects will cause damage to the vehicle. If you have a very new vehicle, a specialty vehicle or an antique automobile, the extra expense may be worth the extra cost.
Economy service cost less but may take more time to get your vehicle where you need it to be. The vehicle may change trailers several times in the process of getting to your new home and spend a few days between locked in a secure storage yard. If you are not in a big hurry to get the vehicle where you eventually will need it, this can save money.
Full service is the quickest way to get you vehicle to its new destination and usually includes door to door service.
