Gateway Classic Cars - Vehicle Shipping & Transportation
Did you recently purchase an exotic or classic car at Gateway Classic Cars or Streetside Classics and need to get it shipped safely back to you ?
With so many internet vehicle shipping companies, it can be challenging to know what the right option is. Luckily, airRyd can help guide that decision for you .
Our Take - On Shipping Exotic & Classic Cars From Gateway Classic Cars
When it comes to shipping high end expensive exotic and classic cars, like 71 Cuda's and 57 Chevrolet Corvette's, one is likely to be a bit more nervous about the vehicle transport process, VS if the same person was shipping say, a 2010 Honda Civic. Enclosed, antique and exotic car shipping is a much more precise and detail oriented endeavor, as just one small mistake could mean thousands of dollars in damages to your new ride. If your looking to purchase a fully restored classic at Gateway Classic Cars, you certainly will want to be careful when it comes to the auto shipping aspect of the process. Often times this is an area of ignorance for most people, and often they will simply go with the dealer recommendation, or the first name that pops up on Google. But who you choose to help you with the vehicle shipping , could make for a breeze of a process, or on the flipside, could lead to you pulling your hair out for 5 days straight while that vehicle is in "transport".
The Top 12 things you need to know when shipping a classic car from Gateway Classic Cars :
- 1.) Make sure you know what your looking for.
- 2.) Be flexible with your budget and your timing
- 3.) Ask for photos of the carrier's equipment
- 4.) Get a copy of the carrier's cargo insurance policy
- 5.) Have a third party inspector inspect , photograph, and document the condition of the car prior to pickup
- 6.) Ask for the trucking company's name , dispatcher info and driver name and phone
- 7.) Get a copy of the bill of lading
- 8.) Be patient if your looking for top quality trucks
- 9.) Don't be a burden to the trucking company or overwhelm them with texts / calls
- 10.) Consider one trip additional insurance policies offered by places like Freight Guard
Freight Guard is a great potential option if you happen to be purchasing an extremely expensive vehicle and are also very concerned about the value / insurance. Freight Guard offers one trip transport policies that can act as a backstop if for some reason a trucking company's cargo policy is inefficient.
- 11.) Check reviews for any brokerage company you may work with
- 12.) Avoid sites like Uship, Shiply or any other public bidding type of shipping site
Be sure you what your appetite is for pricing, timing, quality of the carrier, type of truck, equipment, speed, etc etc. Every trucking company is different, and many have wide ranging variances when it comes to their equipment. Be sure you know what it is that is most important to you in the course of shipping your car from Gateway or Streetside Classics. Is it speed ? Is it insurance ? Is it the experience of the transporter ? Is it pricing ? Often times a lower price will also mean lower quality. So you likely will not get everything you want when it comes to vehicle shipping, so you have to prioritize what is most important to you, and clearly communicate those needs to said brokerage or trucking company.
Watch this incredibly informative video on the do's and dont's by Wes with airRyd on shipping classics and exotics
Flexibility in the world of vehicle shipping is of critical importance. In fact, we often repeat how important flexibility is numerous times on our popular YouTube Channel Auto Transport For Dummies The reasoning behind this concept is simple - with greater flexibility on your pickup or drop window, the greater the option pool will always be in terms of trucking companies that can or could move said load. And with classic cars , this is of paramount concern because only one out of possibly five options may be a GOOD option. Meaning, the other not so good options may be from inexperienced trucking companies, or companies with bad track records or other issues. If the goal is to get the very best enclosed transporter's on a load, once must accept some flexibility and patience, so that the best possible company can be sourced, and scheduled onto the load.
If you working with a brokerage like ours airRyd.com - then you should ask for photo's and images of the trucking company's equipment, prior cars delivered, and proof of experience. The type of equipment a carrier has says ALOT, as there are enclosed setups hauling cars that cost a total of 15k to acquire, and then there are Kentucky Liftgate setups that cost north of 200k. The amount of skin a carrier has invested is always a tail tail sign as to their devotion and experience in the industry. Better equipment is always a great sign that you are dealing with a more professional outfit that takes pride in what they do.
When shipping any relatively expensive classic or exotic car from Gateway Classic Cars, make sure you ask your broker or shipping coordinator for the trucking company's cargo insurance policy, so that if anything does go wrong, you have proof of their coverages, and the needed documents to file a claim. Keep in mind that Gateway Classic Cars is NOT an authorized vehicle transportation company, and they will not be responsible or held liable if anything goes wrong in the course of your vehicles shipment. This is often something overlooked, or assumed, but auto dealers are not trucking company's and they have no liability once a trucking company loads a vehicle. It is 100% the responsibility of the trucking company at that point.
Do not assume a car is in the condition a dealer says it happens to be in. We have seen instances where client's want to blame transport companies for a faulty clutch, or a scratch on a door, or a missing suspension component, but unfortunately for the customer, the vehicle was likely in that condition when it was picked up. Keep in mind, a transport company is not a vehicle inspection service. They will do a quick walk around of the car, but they are not inspecting every mechanical component of the vehicle to ensure it is in mechanically solid condition. To make sure there is no disputes, the best method of verification is to hire a third party inspector to take a look at and document the condition of any vehicle your looking to purchase.
When a car is in transport, you don't want to have to be calling Gateway Classic Cars or some other brokerage for updates on the whereabouts of the car. You will want to have the actual driver & dispatcher information of the actual trucking company that's moving the car.
The bill of lading is the most important document when it comes to the shipping a classic car. Many carriers are now using an app called Super Dispatch. The app is a great addition to the vehicle transport process, as it allows transporters to take multiple photos, upload documents, notate damages, and allow digital signatures. The trucking company should be able to provide you with the link to the online BOL that can be accessed anywhere in the world. This is a great resource and a critical document should anything go south in the course of the shipping process. Make sure you get a copy and are aware of what has been notated on it before signing off on either end of the transport.
Top quality companies with awesome equipment are often not just sitting right down the street from your local Gateway or Streetside Classic Car dealer. At airRyd We often need anywhere from 1-2 weeks of open availability on your pickup window if you want us to truly source the best possible trucks onto your order. We also are the only vehicle shipping company anywhere online with a publicly available database of over 1500 trucking companies & public profiles for each company that you can view here: Trucking Companies And we have now begun labeling several of the more elite transporters, with several loads completed with us, who also have excellent ratings and equipment, as "ELITE" and placing that designation on their profiles. So be sure to check out our resource their if your looking for nay info on any particular trucking company.
We here at airRyd have been doing this a long time now, and we can tell you that for whatever reason, the clients who are overly worried or riddled with anxiety, often seem to also be the one's to have things go wrong on their transport. So all we can say when it comes to this particular point, is if you cannot find some peace and tranquility within your soul, when it comes to shipping a vehicle, you may want to consider just flying out and picking it up yourself. Trucking company's are just collections of other human beings, and if you stress them out , you only make it more likely that they will make a mistake and something will go wrong. So try to make an informed choice as to what shipping company to go with, and trust your judgement, and let that company do the job you hired them to do. Texting them every other hour asking for updates, or using tracking devices and calling them repeatedly asking why a driver is at a Truck stop, is not helpful.
Be sure you do your due diligence, and do not just accept the reviews posted on one's particular transport site. Check every third party platform you can find , in the following order: Google, Yelp, FB, BBB, Trustpilot, and then possibly Transport Reviews. We would stress importance on the first two, Google and Yelp. Often a company will have great reviews on Transport Reviews or Trust Pilot, but terrible Yelp and Google reviews. Don't be fooled by knock off reviews sites or fake reviews
These types of public bidding platforms are riddled with fraud, uninsured trucking companies, scams, brokerage fronts, trucking company fronts, and many other issues that will for sure lead to a major headache if you choose to go this route. 99% of your top professional auto hauling companies do virtually zero business on sites like these. You will likely end up dealing with a very unprofessional outfit that is likely not even insured , hauling your very expensive vehicle across the USA. Not a good feeling. For even more in depth explanations on these types of platforms, read our review on SHIPLY here: SHIPLY CAR SHIPPING REVIEW
To get a quote from us, please go to airRyd.com
For even more information on the world of auto transport, be sure to check out our growing YouTube Channel at Auto Transport For Dummies
Happy Hauling out there folks !!
Written By: Wes Hopkins / Founder of airRyd.com & Auto Transport For Dummies
Wes has extensive experience in the auto transport industry, having been a professional car hauler himself for over 5 years before launching the YT Channel, "Auto Transport For Dummies" as well as airRyd.com - which is now a leading provider of auto transport services. He also has appeared on sites such as "Shoutout Arizona" for his outstanding achievements in the industry.
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