Protect Your Cargo from Start to Finish
No doubt about it - we live in a fast moving, constantly shifting, global economy. Goods are being shipped around the world at a whirlwind pace, starting and ending in places that just a short time ago, most westerners would have struggled to find on a map. To a car dealer shipping cars internationally this development presents new opportunities. It also presents new worries. One issue dealers and individuals should not have to worry about is the safe, undamaged arrival of cars to their final destination. To help alleviate concerns we've created a check-list of things we encourage customers to ask a shipper about cargo protection before shipping cars overseas. Learn more about International Car Shipping`
What Every Dealer Should Ask When Shipping Cars Internationally
A reliable international shipping company should be able to provide satisfactory answers to these questions about international cargo protection when shipping cars internationally.
1. Does the Shipper offer any additional cargo damage protection? A reliable shipping company should be able to offer minimum, standard cargo coverage. West Coast Shipping (WCS) has taken the initiative to offer additional "full" coverage for anything you may want to ship including cars, boats, motorcycles and heavy equipment.
Read our blog on reducing risk when shipping cars overseas
2. Does the Shipper provide before and after photos of your cargo? Reliable shipping companies like WCS provide customers with detailed reports and pictures of your cargo. For instance, at WCS quality photos are taken by a photographer once a vehicle arrives at the warehouse and are then immediately emailed to the client. When the car arrives at its destination, photos are again taken and sent to the customer to affirm that the vehicle has arrived in the same condition as when it left port.
3. What type of warehousing does the shipper provide? Not all warehouses are created equal. For example at WCS, cars waiting for departure or delivery are stored inside secure WCS facilities equipped with alarms, 24/7 video monitoring, motion detectors and direct lines to local police departments.
4. How are the cars physically protected? Like WCS, a high quality shipper should be able to furnish you with extra protection. Upon request WCS can supply you with plastic covers for seats, steering wheels and floor mats. Once the car is inside a container, plastic sheeting can be used to cover the vehicle to prevent dust from building up during transport.
5. Who does the heavy lifting? Many international shipping companies rely upon dock loaders on a loosely organized, contract basis. High quality shippers like WCS maintain their own teams of company trained, qualified personnel to handle this important part of the shipping process, and use proven, proprietary schematics for cargo loading and delivering.
6. How is the container sealed? A first rate shipping company should not only seal the container, but like WCS, should use seals that provide a trail of "tamper evidence". This additional security provides a chain of information in the rare instance of theft or attempted theft.
7. Can I track my cargo during transit? Shippers like WCS make use of state-of-the-art technology enabling customers to track their shipment on-line. In addition, WCS offers its loyal customers tracking capabilities for any additional items that have been shipped with the primary cargo.
8. What happens when my cargo arrives at its destination? A first class operation should be able to do what WCS does - provide its own highly trained people for off-loading or transferring cargo.
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