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Legal Paperwork Required When Having Your Car Moved

What's in this article?
  1. What Is The Legal Paperwork Required When Having Your Car Moved?
  2. Identification Documents
  3. Notarized Letter
  4. Bill Of Lading
  5. Auto-Shipment Contract
  6. Insurance Cards
Insurance Cards

Before taking possession of your car, auto shipping companies will verify that you are the owner. They also confirm that the insurance policy is up to date. For transportation within the US, you should present photo identification, insurance proof, registration, and title. The transporter must also give evidence of insurance coverage for vehicles under their care during transit. About insurance, it needs to be current and should not have expired.

Identification documents

Photo identification is a legal document needed for auto shipment. The ID confirms that you are the person authorizing the transaction.

Used together with the original title and vehicle registration, the car mover or their agent can authenticate the deal. For identification, a passport, ID or driver’s license will do.

Notarized letter

The letter applies where the person handing over the car is not the owner but your representative. It contains information about the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), the person you have chosen to represent you as well as the moving company’s name.

Bill of lading

The document contains details of your car’s condition once it arrives. A car owner should sign the paperwork as proof that they received the asset in a good state. Before appending your signature, check that nothing was tampered with or damaged during transit. Check the undercarriage, front, back, and top. Run the engine, pop the hood and ascertain that the engine runs smoothly. For nighttime delivery, use a torch. If satisfied, sign your approval on the bill of lading. If not, list the anomalies found and let the person who delivered the car sign off against the listed items.

A-1 Auto Transport can help you move your household goods nationwide. Call 888-241-3110 to get a free, no obligation to buy price quote on interstate moving services.

Legal Paperwork Required When Having Your Car Moved

Auto-shipment contract

At the time of negotiating with the prospective shipper, there are some concessions that they will make. If these are out of their contract, insist that they put them in writing. The transporter must sign the document. Also, obtain a copy of all agreements including the regular shipping contract. Ensure that these documents bear signatures of the auto mover or a representative. Append your name too as you check that the forms have dates on them. These papers are your mitigating chip is something goes wrong.

Insurance cards

Begin by ascertaining that your insurance cover is up to date. Confirm that it protects your car from damages incurred while in transit. Once everything is in place, obtain printouts of the insurance cover. Present it to the transporter. However, you must first alert the insurance provider of the intention to ship the vehicle. They could advise you to choose an auto mover whose insurance takes care of shipment while in the hands of the transporter.

Moving a car involves a legal process that must have the backing of recognized documents. A personal ID shows that you are who you claim while a notarized letter introduces your representative. By signing a bill of lading, you clear the transporter of any blame for damages in transit. Both the shipment contract and insurance cards help cement the transaction further.

Auto Shipment Contract
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Joe Webster began his journey in the auto transport field by attending the University of Southern California (USC), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Marketing. 

After college, he started his career in the auto transport industry from the bottom up and has done virtually every job there is to do at A-1 Auto Transport, including but not limited to: Truck Driver, Dispatch, Sales, PR, Bookkeeping, Transport Planner, Transport Manager, International Transport Manager, Brokering, Customer Service, and Marketing. Working with his mentor Tony Taylor, Joe Webster has learned the ins and outs of this industry which is largely misunderstood. 

With over 30 years experience in the industry, we've been helping people ship their vehicles, motorcycles, RV's, heavy equipment, household goods and more across the country or overseas without a hitch. Ask us anything.

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A-1 Auto Transport is a disclosed agent for the following shipping companies:

Trans Global Auto Logistics, Inc.
3401 E Randol Mill Rd
Arlington, TX 76011
NO. 018191NF
CFR Rinkens
15501 Texaco Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
NO. 013055NF
ABC Worldwide LLC
2840 NW 2nd Ave #105
Boca Raton, FL 33431
NO. 025472F
CSI Logistics
435 Division Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
FMC 22206
Intl Cargo
45 Campus Drive
Edison, NJ 08837
NO. 17858N
ShipYourCarNow LLC
1160 South Rogers Circle Suite 1
Boca Raton, FL 33487
NO. 025646
Merco Air & Ocean Cargo, Inc.
6 Fir Way
Cooper City, FL 33026
NO. 021869F
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