Insurance for Auto Transport: What It Is
Insurance for auto transport is a pretty hush-hush subject – there’s not a lot of really good information out there outside of the basics. But if you’re shopping around for auto shippers
, their insurance policies are going to be hard to find, let alone peruse, which is why we’re bringing you this article. We’ll break down insurance for auto transport for you so you’ll get the full scope of what it really is.
For starters, insurance for auto transport means what it says: it’s insurance on your car while it’s being transported, as well as when it’s being loaded and unloaded. Any damages that occur during loading, transport or unloading, as well as any subsequent repair costs, will be handled by your auto transporter’s insurance company. In theory, anyway.
Insurance for Auto Transport: The Scuzzy Side of the Sponge
Let’s face it – you don’t usually go around telling all your buddies what specifics your insurance company covers, and carriers don’t either. But they are still required to carry with them all their insurance information, and you should definitely get the low-down on which insurance company your shipper uses.
Insurance for auto transport is supposed to cover all vehicles on the truck for liability and theft – those are the minimum requirements for insurance for auto transport. But did you know that not all insurers cover theft? Sure, if your car gets stolen they should be responsible, but a lot of companies that provide insurance for auto transport like to leave that out of their terms and conditions.
What about if your auto shipper happens to drive under a low bridge and it turns your brand new hard-top into a permanent convertible? Many insurers would say “better luck next time, maybe try shipping with a company that doesn’t have an idiot for a driver,” and send you on your way.
This is why it’s important to ask questions. You won’t find all the details on the internet when it comes to insurance for auto transport – just like you can choose between State Farm, Geico, Allstate, Progressive, and your local po-dunk insurer, insurance for auto transport is privatized and handled by numerous different companies, and they all feature different policies and terms when it comes to their insurance for auto transport drivers.
You have the right to request insurance documentation prior to releasing your vehicle to the auto transporter, and you can call whatever company is providing your shippers’ insurance and ask their agent questions as well. You have that right. You don’t need to be all shy about it – when you’re entrusting your sole method of personal transportation to some guy named Bubba in a trucker hat and a greasy T-shirt, you should probably use your common sense and make sure that his insurance for auto transport is up to snuff.
Insurance for Auto Transport: Inspections Are Your Friend
If you’ve been on the wrong side of Johnny Law’s nightstick, you may not like inspections, but when it comes to auto transport you better be thorough when inspecting your vehicle prior to pickup. Insurance for auto transport is dicey in some spots, especially when it comes to dictating which scratches, dings and dents were there when the car was picked up and after it was delivered.
Any pre-existing damage isn’t covered during auto transport, and if you don’t want to inspect your car you can count on your driver making sure that it happens, because they won’t (or shouldn’t, anyway) pickup your vehicle without doing an inspection of the vehicle.
You and the driver will both note anything regarding the vehicle’s condition – even rust spots and crayons fused with the fabric on the backseat, because they’ll be important come delivery. Because you’ll be doing an inspection upon delivery as well, which is also important because this is when you find out how awesome a job your shipper did in shipping your vehicle.
It’s important when discussing insurance for auto transport that you mark any new damages, because you don’t want to pay for those repairs out of pocket. That’s not to say that your car is going to go on the truck in perfect condition and come out looking like it went twelve rounds with The Hulk; on the contrary, damage during transport is rare, and even companies that provide insurance for auto transport will tell you the same thing. But just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it’s impossible, so you want to be thorough when you inspect the vehicle both going onto the truck and coming off of it.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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