Use a Car Transport Broker for Cheaper Shipping
If you’ve ever tried getting car transport quotations from Google, you most probably got a lot of offers from car transport brokers. They’re the ones who said that they’d “find you a car transport service” rather than “transport your car” straight away. That’s because car transport brokers are not the ones to transport the cars themselves. They’re merely middlemen, agents who get your order and then pass it on to the actual car transporters or carriers. Getting a car transport broker for your next move might be a sensible thing to do if you place greater importance on their advantages than their disadvantages.
The Good
The biggest advantage of going to a broker has to be the lower costs. They almost always have a lower price than what you would get from the carriers themselves. Why is this? They often have deals or agreements with the carriers where they get lower rates from the carriers in exchange for a steady flow of customers.
You also have the benefit of choice and convenience with car transport brokers. They often deal with several different carriers and companies, so you could pick one out when you’re discussing options with your broker. With a broker, you also don’t have to call on and inquire with every single company you’re looking at. It’s hard enough to ask one company’s rates and policies, let alone three or four. Brokers can give you a comparison based not only on price but also on insurance coverage, experience, scope of work, customer feedback, and company policies.
The Bad
The main disadvantage of dealing with car transport brokers is their inflexibility. In most cases, you won’t be able to get very definite figures like for the expected arrival and transit dates. If you’re on a tight schedule or if you’re working with a lot of constraints, it’s not very advisable to work with a broker.
Brokers have limited flexibility because they’re not the ones to transport your car in the first place. Unless the broker facilitates communication between you and the carrier, you won’t be able to know the finer terms in the transport agreement, such as whether the vehicle will be picked up at your address or at an open location to accommodate the truck. Unlike the actual carrier, the broker also won’t be able to give concessions for your requests.
The Wrap-Up
Unless you have to get your car to another place on a very tight schedule or there are several small things that you want to request regarding your car’s handling, it’s recommended that you get the assistance of a car transport broker. With them, you’ll be able to get lower prices as well as additional feedback on the car transport services that you’re about to pay for.
Posted in Car Shipping