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Can you choose a specific delivery date when you place an auto transport order with us? Well if you’ve read my other article about choosing a specific pick up date, then you probably know where I’m going here with my answer. You guessed it, the short answer is NO, but let me explain why… Drivers Have Set Schedules Drivers have routes and schedules they have to adhere to. If you need a car transported from Sacramento, CA to Bozeman, MT and we have a driver on that route, the pick up and delivery dates will ultimately be determined by the driver’s schedule. He may be in Sacramento on Monday and in Bozeman on Thursday. In this scenario, your vehicle would be picked up on Monday in Sacramento and delivered in Bozeman on Thursday. Now you might ask, “What if I would rather have it delivered in Bozeman on Saturday? Would that be possible?” Unfortunately, no, because a driver isn’t going to sit around and wait in Bozeman for a couple extra days, nor is he going to rearrange the remainder of his schedule just so he can deliver one vehicle on a specific date. He has a schedule he has to adhere to and in this business, time is money. He literally can’t afford to wait around or completely rearrange his schedule just for one vehicle. Unforeseen Delays Affect Deliveries The other reason it’s impossible to choose a specific delivery date for your auto transport order is because there can… Read more »

A common question we get from customers is if they can choose a specific pick up date for their auto transport. The short answer is “sort of.” You’ll understand that answer by the time you finish reading this article! You’ll notice when you get an instant quote on our website, we provide a pick up forecast. This is an estimate of when we will get your vehicle picked up. We don’t provide a specific pick up date because it’s impossible for us to meet specific pick up dates in most cases. Instead, what we ask for is the earliest date your vehicle can be picked up. Then we provide a range of days from the earliest available pick up date that we estimate we will have a driver at your pick up location. We call this estimate a forecast. Why do we only provide an estimated, or forecast, range of days instead of a specific date? We are both a car carrier and a broker. Whether we pick up your vehicle on our own truck (acting as a carrier), or on another carrier’s truck (acting as a broker), we don’t know the precise date the driver will be able to get to your pick up location when your auto transport order is placed. Pick Up Dates Explained When We Are a Carrier You might think as a carrier with our own fleet of trucks we would be able to direct our drivers to specific pick up locations on specific dates,… Read more »

As an auto transport company, we do a lot of transports for people that are moving to a new home in another state. In some situations, our customers are moving out of their old home before the new home is ready for them to move into. They often need temporary storage for their furniture and vehicles. That’s where self-storage can help! Self-storage provides secure and relatively inexpensive spaces for your cars and other items, and as the industry has grown so much in recent years you will likely find a facility near you. Here are some key facts you need to know about storing vehicles away from home, either temporarily when you transport them or longer term: Self-Storage Units Come in Various Sizes Self-storage units are available for vehicles of all sizes, making transporting yours even easier by providing a safe place for them at either end of the journey, if you need it. Common storage unit dimensions include 5’x5′ and 5’x10′, for bicycles or motorbikes, and 10’x20′ garage-sized units for a single car. Then there are the larger spaces — with ceilings higher than the usual 8′ — which may measure 15’x45′ or more and can hold RVs and trailers. Some of these units come with climate-control for easily damaged possessions — useful for storing gems like a 1959 Chevy Corvette convertible — and are particularly recommended where the local climate is extreme. In addition, vehicles may simply be parked on outdoor lots of various sizes at storage facilities…. Read more »

Whether you’re moving to Alaska or already live there and you need to get a car shipped to Alaska, your obvious question is, how much does it cost to ship a car to Alaska? As you’ll soon discover, shipping a car to Alaska isn’t overly complicating but it isn’t cheap either. Shipping a Car to Alaska is Port-to-Port vs. Door-to-Door Before we dive into the cost to ship a car to Alaska, there are some basic things you need to know when shipping any vehicle to Alaska. The quickest and most convenient way to transport a vehicle from the lower 48 states to Alaska is to ship it by boat via shipping ports. One of the many things that our customers like about our service is that we provide door-to-door car shipping. Unfortunately, when you ship a car to Alaska it is never door-to-door. It is either port-to-port, door-to-port, or port-to-door. Confused yet? Don’t worry, it will make sense in a minute. With door-to-door shipping, we can pick up your car at a dealership, for example, and deliver it to you at your home. Door-to-door shipping is easy when there are roads involved. When you’re shipping a car to Alaska, however, you’re not just dealing with roads, you have an ocean to contend with! And when oceans and boats are involved, you have ports. When we ship a car to Alaska for a customer, we use the car shipping ports in Tacoma, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska. There is also a… Read more »

We’re often asked about shipping a car with personal items in it. Specifically we’re asked, can I put stuff in my car when I ship it? The short answer is yes, but there are important caveats. First, personal items are not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance. You ship them at your own risk! Second, damage that occurs to your vehicle because of your personal belongings is not covered either. For example, if your car has household goods bouncing around in the inside that causes damage to the interior, that damage isn’t covered. Likewise, if a thief smashes in your window to get to your belongings, that damage isn’t covered either. We strongly recommend that you have your own auto insurance coverage on your vehicle when shipping a car and belongings together if you want your personal items covered. We only allow up to 100 lbs. of personal belongings and we don’t charge extra for them. There are a few things to keep in mind when shipping a car and belongings together: 1. Secure and “hide” your personal items. You’ll need to secure your personal belongings so they aren’t moving around the vehicle during the transport, potentially damaging the vehicle. Remember, as I mentioned earlier, damage done to the vehicle as a result of your personal belongings is not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance. We recommend you put your stuff in suitcases, duffle bags, or boxes and then make sure they are secured and aren’t going to move around… Read more »

Cheap car shipping isn’t just about finding the least expensive auto transport company. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for, and hiring auto transport services is no different. Our goal is to arm you with enough information so that no matter what your situation and budget, you can find ways to save money when having your vehicle shipped. Whether you have to ship a car cross country or just a state or two over, we have put together 12 tips to help you find the cheapest way to ship a car. You may also want to check out another article we wrote outlining the common factors that impacts the cost to ship a car. Understanding these factors, combined with the tips provided here, will make you a smarter shopper so you can keep your auto shipping costs to a minimum! When you are looking to transport a vehicle, you have two options. You can hire a company to do it for you or you can do it yourself. We have divided these tips into two categories. The first category are general tips to consider when hiring a car shipping company. The second category are tips for people that want to go the DIY route. Cheap Car Shipping Tips When Hiring an Auto Transportation Company 1. Get Multiple Quotes Shopping around is the name of the game. Whether you call auto transport brokers, or carriers directly to get their rates, you should get at least 2-3 quotes…. Read more »

When customers call us about our auto transportation services, the three most common questions they ask right out of the gate are: How much does it cost to ship a car? How long does it take to ship a car? How does auto transport insurance work? This article will answer the last question on that list: insurance. The first thing you’ll want to understand is that there are two types of auto transport companies you’ll deal with when shipping a car: brokers or carriers. If you’re not familiar with what the differences are, we recommend you read our article about brokers vs carriers. To summarize, carriers are companies that have their own fleet of trucks. Your vehicle is shipped on their trucks. Brokers, on the other hand, do not have their own fleet of trucks so your vehicle isn’t shipped on their trucks because they don’t have any! They act as middlemen between customers and carriers. Through their networking, brokers find carriers for their customers to ship their vehicles. It’s important to know what type of company you’re working with when asking about insurance coverage! J&S Transportation is a carrier and also a licensed auto transport broker. We can act as both to ensure you get prompt transport of your vehicle. Carriers and Auto Transport Insurance You can expect carriers to be responsible for the cargo on the trailer. Cargo means your vehicle and all the others on the trailer. The responsibility of the carrier is limited. For example, if… Read more »

If you’ve never transported a car before, you’ll quickly discover there are two shipping methods to consider: open and enclosed auto transport. What is the difference between open and enclosed car shipping? Which option is best for your vehicle? This article will provide answers to both questions!

Are you looking to ship a car? Consider working with an auto transport broker. We outline everything you need to know and how to find the right one!

If you include the time needed to schedule the pick up and the actual time on the road, on AVERAGE it will take 6-12 days to ship a vehicle in the continental United States. Find out what factors determine that time frame.