People make a lot of mistakes while car shipping from Australia or importing from overseas. They go for a shipper without any background check, forget to take an insurance policy, or simply fall for a low-priced marketing gimmick to eventually regret their decision after delivery. But you can simply avoid all these situations by keeping the following checkpoints in mind.
Tips for selecting the best shipping company for your car
Though your google search result will suggest hundreds of shipping companies near your area, not all of them deliver what they promise. If you’re a novice, the chances are high that you will make the wrong choice. Consider these five parameters as essential elements to select the best international shipping company.
#1 Experience with heavy vehicles
If the shipping company is already experienced in heavy vehicle transportation such as trailer boats, caravans, motorhomes, or industrial machinery, it’s a plus. Shipping heavy vehicles to and from Australia needs a company to have strong documentation and safety checks per the other country’s vehicle compliance.
#2 Central Data Log system
You get peace of mind when you can access each stage of your car shipping from your computer or mobile. Good export companies maintain transparency by giving you real-time notification of the ongoing process of your vehicle. You can track its to-and-fro from the tow truck, movement in the port, customs clearance, estimated time to reach the destination, etc. It assures the safety of your car while exporting or importing a car to Australia.
#3 Full aware of Australian law:
Make sure the shipping company is fully aware of the laws that govern importing a car into Australia. For example, if you’re importing a car of age 25 years or less, it must fall under the Australian Government’s ‘Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme’ (RAWS) list. If it is owned and used by a person more than 12 months in a foreign country, it must get a ‘personal import approval’ to bypass the RAWS requirements for new vehicles.
#4 Using standard size containers
Even if your shipping company takes care of all these points but fails at delivering your car through an ideal container, you may still be disappointed to see it scratched at unwanted places. Ideally speaking, a sedan size car can fit right into an 80cm×150cm×200cm container with still usable space left for door opening inside. Of course, the free space will differ depending on your vehicle size, but still it should have enough space to accommodate a fridge or washing machine inside.
#5 Transit insurance against Cargo damage
Your ideal shipping company must have tied up with insurance brokers to protect your car from any damage resulting from marine, air, and land incidents. International shipping comes with many risks such as bad weather, natural disasters, human errors, etc. The transit insurance policy covers such damage or loss. Ask your shipping company about the same in advance. If it’s available, go for it without giving any second thoughts.
#6 Safety Standards
If your cargo fails to meet the safety standards of the country it is getting into; the transition process may get interrupted. The emission standards and the safety regulations may vary from one country to another. Most importantly, the shipping company must know how to document all the legal papers in advance to make the transportation hassle-free.
With these basics in mind, you can now search for your global shipping expert. In case you want to save your time, consider Willship International as your ideal bet. They have been shipping vehicles internationally for more than 50 years and stand tall on all the key metrics discussed above. They can handle your car shipping from Australia and import any heavy-duty vehicle from overseas.