Friday, March 21, 2014

About Auto Transport Trucks and Drivers

About Auto Transport Trucks and Drivers


Besides actually transporting your vehicle from point A to point B, your car shipper deals with a lot of other responsibilities, like keeping in touch with all parties, perform inspection reports etc. Loading and unloading your vehicle is also the car mover's responsibility. This is a challenging task the driver will have to perform. Just like a Tetris game or a puzzle, the car mover will have to plan -a lot of times on the go- for all pieces to fit perfectly, analyze all pickups and deliveries and decide which position each vehicle will occupy on the rig. He needs to take into consideration locations, times, vehicle size, scheduling and other factors. 
Most large auto transport and car shipping trucks carry 8-10 vehicles. The cabin can support up to 3 vehicles on top and the rest of the vehicles are placed on the double-deck trailer using hydraulic ramps. These ramps can be lowered or raised to properly and safely load, fit, transport and unload all vehicles in an organized pattern. Obviously, the first vehicle loaded cannot be the first car delivered, or the entire trailer would have to be unloaded in order to get to it, then loaded again.

Some cars are loaded backwards and others are driven straight onto the truck, to properly maximize the available space while meeting overhead clearance, maximum allowed weight and, of course, this should be done in a logistically smart way. Please be patient with the driver during loading and unloading, he wants to do it safely, fast and carry on with his day just as much as you do. Depending on the drivers experience, vehicle type and condition, location or weather, loading or unloading a single small or midsize car from an auto transport truck could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours.


Typically, the car mover will pick up and deliver right at your driveway or front door. However, this is not always possible. Due to certain factors such as weight or size restrictions in your neighborhood, sharp-cornered streets, low hanging branches, residential areas or cul-de-sacs, the driver may ask you to meet him in a nearby location, likely one with a lot of open space and light (maybe a supermarket or department store parking lot nearby) so the loading/unloading of your vehicle can be done in the safest manner. This is completely common and unavoidable. Most honest brokers would warn you of these possible scenarios.

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