When you ship a car, there are many documents you may need. You can be sure that you’ll need to provide photo ID, proof of insurance, and proof of title and registration just to be safe. However, the two biggest documents you will need to be aware of are the Bill of Lading and the Insurance Terms and Conditions. These are the two most important documents. However, if you’ve never shipped a car before, you may have no idea what a Bill of Lading is. It’s also important to note that the insurance terms and conditions are not from your personal insurance company, but rather the shipping company’s insurance.
There are some other documents you may need to be aware of depending on your specific shipment. For instance, if you’re shipping to or from Hawaii, you may need a Lienholder Authorization Form or an Absent Owner Authorization. Some shippers may even require proof of title and registration. It’s important to discuss these things with your shipping company before the shipment day arrives. This way, you’re ready for anything. However, the Bill of Lading and the Insurance Terms are something you should be aware of.
Bill of Lading
The Bill of Lading is hands down the most important document when it comes to car shipping. This document serves two purposes. It is the receipt that your vehicle shipment is complete. It is also a summary of your vehicle’s condition. Insurance companies will use the Bill of Lading as a law if you need to file any insurance claims. This is because the shipper will fill out the Bill of Lading twice. Once when they pick up the vehicle and once when they drop it off. On this form they will note the vehicle’s condition, which means it is up to you to make sure that the document is accurate.
When the car shipper comes to pick up your vehicle, they will do a thorough check of your car. They’ll note any scratches, dings, or damage. Check with your shipper and make sure the form is accurate. You don’t want them to notice any scratches; that’s just dirt. When the car arrives, it is even more important to check the Bill of Lading. The driver more than likely doesn’t want to waste too much time, which means once they unload the car, they’ll ask you to sign the bill of lading and leave. However, before you sign, double-check everything. Verify that there aren’t any new scratches, dings, or damage. When you sign, you’re indicating that you agree with the vehicle’s condition. It’s up to you to make sure that it’s accurate.
Insurance Terms and Conditions
This is the insurance that covers your vehicle while shipping. Any shipping company worth its salt will have adequate insurance for your vehicle. If you do decide to go with a cut rate shipping company, you will need to provide documentation that your car is insured for shipping if they do not provide shipping insurance. To be clear, your regular insurance doesn’t typically cover car shipments. You’ll need to find additional insurance. This is something you’ll need to have on the day of the shipment, but you should be very familiar with it long before your car gets loaded on the trailer. You should be aware of how much coverage the insurance covers. Make sure that it covers your entire vehicle as well as the other vehicles on the trailer. Easy math can say that a million dollar insurance policy for 10 cars on a trailer means they can cover ten $100-thousand cars. If you’re shipping an exotic or classic car, you may want to verify that they have even more insurance.
Either way, this is the insurance company you will use if you need to file a claim. This, coupled with the Bill of Lading, is everything you need to file a claim. Hopefully, you won’t have to think about either document after your shipment. If you do, you’ll be glad you familiarized yourself with them before you needed them.
Important Documents
It is critical to discuss any and all documents that you will need with your shipping company. It would be unfortunate if your vehicle was not permitted on the shipping trailer due to a lack of lienholder authorization or title and registration documents. For the most part, this should all get squared away long before the trailer even arrives to pick up your car. However, the Bill of Lading is the one document you will not even see until the shipping process begins.
If you need to find a shipping company, give Denver Car Shipping a call. They have a team of live customer service representatives who will happily walk you through any and all documents that you may need. With over 16 years of experience, they are familiar with any and all documents you might need to ship your car. Call them today for an instant quote and see how easy they make things for you to ship your car today.
