Automobile Transport for Snowbirds
Summary:
In reference to car carriers, snowbird services, or snowbirding, is the process of shipping cars from New York (or the greater Northeast) to Florida or from Florida to New York. The former transport service is commonly contracted in the wintertime and the latter in the summertime.
Some car carrier service providers offer snow birding as a specialty service in addition to other specialty services, and for other service providers it is their core service. Vehicles are either shipped by truck (open or enclosed) or by boat. Carrier companies generally vary in their availability, expediency, convenience, capacity. For further details click the links below.
What does automobile transport with a service-oriented car carrier mean?
• Weekly Availability on Snowbirding routes, like New York, NY to Fort Lauderdale.
• Expediency, 7-14 days from pickup to drop off.
• Convenience, Home pick-up and delivery versus Terminal-to-Terminal services.
• Service-oriented, with Personalized Customer Service.
• Specialty services by request, such as Enclosed, versus open, truck shipment.
Tips for snowbirds:
• Read service contracts thoroughly.
• Do not hesitate to ask questions and confirm key information and details concerning our car carrier services.
• The ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) regularly requires vehicles to be insured by car carriers. However, the minimum amount covered on cars is usually no more than $15,000. Ergo, if your car is worth more than $15,000, then you need to co-insure it with your individual auto-insurance company to ensure full coverage of liability throughout the carrier process.
• Personal items left inside the car during shipment are not covered by ICC required insurance, and therefore, it is not recommended that clients pack significant amounts of personal belongings in their cars prior to shipment – damaged belongings will not be replaced.
• Have your car checked out (i.e., things like tire pressure, oil and water levels, other fluid levels, etc. close to when it is due to be carried, to avoid problems during shipment as well as unnecessary problems down the road.
• Leave no more than a 1/4 (one quarter) tank of gas and no less than 1/8 (one eighth) of a tank in your vehicle.
• Disconnect alarm systems, all removable racks, all removable covers, including grill covers, and secure car batteries.
• It is often best to contact car carriers prior to the airlines when planning to snowbird.
• Make sure the agent who arranges the transportation uses licensed, bonded, and insured truck drivers with good driving records.
• If shipping a considerably large or "oversized" vehicle, please note that additional fees may apply dependant upon the amount of space occupied.
