How to Ensure Your Car Transport Company is Legit: Verifying Licenses and Other Vital Information
Your vehicle is very likely one of the biggest investments that you’ve ever made. Because of that fact, whether you’ve invested a couple thousand dollars, or a hundred thousand dollars in your car or truck, knowing that the company you choose to ship it to where you need it to be is properly licensed and bonded can really put you at ease throughout the process. Moving a vehicle is a growing trend in the nation today, and because of that, more and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon and trying to make a quick buck. As with the moving industry as a whole, however, many of these services are not regulated by government authorities.

All carriers are supposed to be licensed through Federal authorities and the US Department of Transportation, but many companies get their license once and let it expire while continuing to offer services. If you choose to hire such a company to relocate your vehicle, you might find yourself caught as a victim of a scam, or worse, end up with a damaged car that no insurance or liability company will pay for because the company you used wasn’t licensed properly. For these reasons, and to make sure you are using a company that abides by the laws and legalities in a given area, it is vital that you take a few steps to ensure the safety of your investment.

First Steps: Getting License Numbers and Company Information
With so many transport companies on the scene, and many, many more joining the industry each year, it might seem like an impossible task to locate one company that is legit, has all of their licenses, and offers you the services that you want at a price that you can afford. But the reality of the situation is that doing this is more than possible if you keep a couple of things in mind.

• Digging through lots of companies without help can be overwhelming. Instead of diving into the local phone book, or even an online directory, consider opting for the use of a reputable review website that will sort companies based on the reviews that real world consumers have given. By sorting the companies by rating, you can get a quick short list of companies to look into further.
• Some review sites list information on license numbers as well as documentation pulled directly from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration database. This information will allow you to look deeper into the companies you are considering using. Be sure to create a list that includes company name, license number, and phone number or website.
• Once you have all of the above, double check the reviews with the Better Business Bureau. Cross checking your reviews will allow you to ensure you are not relying on a single site or batch of reviews. Be extra careful to look at the complaints that other consumers have listed on both sites and avoid any companies that have a large amount of complaints.
• If complaints are centralized around one specific aspect of service, think about specifying something in your contract with the company to ensure you don’t suffer as previous consumers have.

Moving Onward: Verifying Numbers
The next thing that you will do once you have a short list of companies that you are interested in hiring revolves around you getting actual verification of the information you’ve retrieved from the Review websites. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration makes this easy for consumers today by offering access to their databases through the Safety and Fitness Electronic Records, or SAFER, System. When you visit the SAFER system, you will be able to simply put the DOT number you have in your list into the box on the screen and click ‘search’. The system will then display a snapshot of the company, which can include identification, the size of the company itself, the safety record of the company, what kinds of things they ship, and any accident information on file.

Having this information will allow you to see the reality behind all of the marketing. Every company out there wants to tell you how great they are and why you should hire them, but it is only when you visit the SAFER system that you will be able to make sure that all of a car transporter’s licenses are in effect and up to date. Knowing their accident history may also help you make a decision, as you don’t want your car involved in an accident anywhere along the way.

Protecting Consumers
While many car transporters found on cartransporters.org are not regulated, and most states don’t regulate companies in this industry other than those that move household goods, the Federal government, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the US Department of Transportation are working hard to help you protect yourself. By following this advice and looking deeper into the car shipping companies that you choose to use, you can protect the investment that you’ve made in your vehicle. Just remember:

• Use review websites to generate a list of highly rated car shippers first. Get license numbers here or from the company’s website.
• Cross check the ratings and reviews with the Better Business Bureau.
• Take the license numbers to the SAFER system and get a snapshot of the companies you are interested in.

If you follow these steps, finding the best company for your needs can be simple!