A broker keeps in mind that you have to make the most of your budget and therefore they find out the best opportunity for you. When seeking out a broker, you are looking to getting good discounts on the transport that you are requesting. What satisfies you at the end of the day is the right budget that rounds off an apt service that you are looking for.

From the auto shipping company’s point of view, a broker takes the responsibility of selling your work to the car transporter, but he does not directly ship the vehicle across the long distances. Once he contacts the shipping company with the customer, his job is finished. From there on, the car transporter shoulders the responsibility of shipping your vehicle and any distance you want.

A broker is also not involved in the insurance policy that the company is going to cover for the damages that happen on transit of your car. Truck drivers are mainly blessed with the brokers, since brokers have a wide scale of contact with them and bring work to them. Hence, this makes your task easy as a customer. To sum up all the advantages a broker brings you.

These companies are playing a crucial role in transporting the vehicles and also businesses across borders. Since many companies are coming up with almost the same services, the competition has risen and this has positively impacted the cost to go down. However, prior to zeroing down on any car shipping company, it is indispensable to consider some factors like the price, its service, insurance policy, delivery time and considering factors.

If you are dealing in businesses of car selling, then collect detailed information about the car shipping company and whether it can provide full satisfaction to your customers with hassle-free delivery at the right place and time. Hence, whatever is your business motive your basic objective is to tap in the right company for your business to grow in positive direction.

Elite Auto Shipping offers cheap nationwide door to door service. Get an instant auto transport quote online or by calling 800-690-2085.

First things first, you want to maintenance and preserve the following three components of your vehicle: your fuel tank, your engine, and your battery. Servicing your fuel tank is easy. Basically all you have to do is top it off while adding some fuel stabilizer to the gas. That does exactly what it sounds like; it stabilizes the gas preventing it from going bad over the winter due to fluctuating temperatures. The fuel in your tank is like any other oil based fluid and can get thick and mucky when temperatures drop; this is definitely a process you want to avoid.

The engine is always the most important yet tedious part of any vehicle to service. Most importantly you must remove any and all water from the engine, and engine compartments. As we all know, water freezes and expands- this can cause serious and permanent damage to your vehicle’s engine. Once that is done, it’s not a bad idea to push some antifreeze through your vehicles cooling system. This can be helpful for obvious reasons; it will prevent frost from forming in or around any damp mechanisms. After doing this you’ll want to run the engine one last time and let it cool down before proceeding on to the next step.

Many times people over look this very simple step, and regret it come the warm season. Remove your vehicle’s battery. Regardless of where you store your craft it is best to remove and store the vehicle battery in a safe place. If you don’t, chances are your battery wont work at all when you try to use it again. Make sure you store batteries of any kind in a location safe from children and pets. Batteries contain acid that could cause serious, if not fatal, injuries if exposed.

Now to service the interior and exterior parts of your craft, give her a thorough wash using car soap, and when you’re done you might want to go the extra mile and give her a good waxing. This isn’t a step simply for vanity; it’s to remove any mineral deposits from the surface of the body. These deposits can become trapped and could expand making the situation much harder to deal with once you take your craft out of hibernation. You’re better off just nipping it in the butt and protecting the surface of your vehicle now.

Watercraft Auto Transport Services

You also want to make sure your craft is well oiled before you shrink wrap and store her away. Get yourself some fogging oil and spray all parts such as your carburetors and spark plug cylinders. Don’t forget to remove the actual spark plugs first before spraying surrounding areas. Once the oil is dry and you have wiped away any excess, you may return the spark plugs back to their homes. After all this is done, all you pretty much have to do is wrap her up and ship her off.

If you enjoy your water sport in a marina of some sort chances are they have a department that will shrink wrap your craft for you. If not, than you can simply purchase the appropriate cover and do this your self. It’s less affective than having a professional do it for you, but it’s good enough if done properly. When you’re ready to move your craft contact your trusted auto transport company and they’ll take care of the rest for you. Car transporters don’t only deal with cars, they deal with all types of vehicles and are used to transporting watercrafts of all sizes, including boats. It’s not wise to try and move a watercraft yourself. You can run into a lot of problems such as safely securing the craft to your vehicle, and transporting it without suffering exterior damages.

Also ask your car transport company to arrange the storage of your watercraft. All auto transporters have storage yards that they work with, and they will know the best location to keep your watercraft or vehicle throughout the winter. You’ll save money by going through your car transport company, and you’ll be able to rest easy until the spring. Keep your watercraft warm, and enjoy the winter.

–Marg

Granted, “sports vehicle” refers to a car for those who enjoy the sport of driving, not taking your kids to sporting events such as soccer, but that doesn’t mean cars like that can’t serve such a purpose just as efficiently. In fact, a well maintenance Jaguar will probably get you there faster leaving more time for pregame pep talks.

Safety is always on the forefront of everyone’s mind when choosing a vehicle especially when that vehicle will be used to transport one’s family. So let’s take a look at the all mighty trusted minivan and put it up against one of speed racer’s whips. The 2010 Honda Odyssey, in most poles, was rated the best minivan a mom could buy, ranking 2 out of 7, and scoring a 9.9 in safety; all at a price of roughly $25,000 brand-spanking-new. However, the 2010 Genesis Coupe, a car designed for racing, ranked 3 out of 18, scored a 10.0 in safety, and will cost you $31,000 right out of the showroom. So why is the smaller car safer and more reliable?

We’ll explain; keep in mind that the Hyundai Genesis Coupe has just as many seat belts as the Honda Odyssey, and a specifically features a car seat latch, but unlike the Odyssey, it’s head rests are designed to prevent whiplash. But that’s not what makes this sports car competitively safer.

Air bags are key. It’s true the Honda Odyssey, like most minivans, and SUVs have airbags all throughout the car much like the Genesis Coupe, however, the simple fact is that the interior of the coupe is a tighter space thus offering more protection. If you line a large box with bubble wrap and place a small glass vase in it, then shake it aggressively, chances are you’ll be left with tiny little shards of glass when you open the box. On the other hand, if you take a small box, line it with bubble wrap and place a vase of the same size in it, then shake it up just as aggressively as the last, you are more likely to have an in-tact vase when you take a peek. The same physics apply to the inside of a car with airbags. No matter how big and intimidating your minivan is, it will not protect you and your family from thrashing around inside if your worst fears become a reality and your vehicle flips.

Speaking of which, let’s compare the aerodynamics of a sports utility vehicle verses a sports car. Now there are dozens of aerodynamically designed cars that can cut through tension like a razor blade but to be fair let’s use the 2011 Jaguar XFR for this comparison, while the new Phantom could pose a better argument, you can’t honestly fit five people in it comfortably. For our SUV we’ll use the Cadillac Escalade, a vehicle that commands respect without question. 10 out of 10 reviews put this truck at #1 for best SUV- but that won’t keep all four wheels on the ground when taking a sharp turn, even if you are doing the speed limit.

Granted, it’s not like every time you turn a corner your trucks going to flip, but in a sports vehicle you probably couldn’t roll it if you tried. The element making this possible is called G-force. All pro racers and drivers know very well what this is and depend on it with their lives. G-force is “gravitational force” caused by the acceleration of, in this case, a vehicle. In English, that means that when a vehicle moves quickly essentially, the wind around it becomes dense. This force can either be applied upward or downward depending on the aerodynamics of the object, again in this case, the vehicle. The less space between the ground and the bottom of a vehicle, the less air can be trapped underneath it causing the G-force to be applied downward pressing the car closely to the earth.

SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade have giant wheels allowing a large amount of space between the ground and the bottom of the vehicle. Even if you customize your truck to have the smallest wheels it can harness, and keep it as low to the ground as possible you will still have at least ten inches between you and the ground. This allows for a lot of air and pressure to become trapped under your vehicle, therefore the faster you go, the more force is applied upward from the ground to the car. In addition to that, the height and weight of the truck make it difficult to take sharp turns, that’s why a driver must slow down rather than speed up when turning a corner.

Now the Jaguar is designed to utilize this force with features such as the rear spoiler and large front air intakes. These features cause the force of the wind to be applied from the top down so even on sharp turns and slippery roads, the wheels will never lift up. You literally have to drive it off a cliff to get it to flip. You get the point.

The concrete truth is you’re safer doing a buck-ten in a Lamborghini Gallardo than you are doing sixty-five on the highway with a Jeep. And the price difference between the two isn’t that far off. Both fully loaded, The Cadillac Escalade will run you about $67,000 while the Jaguar XFR is about $80,000.

Finally, let’s talk comfort and cup holders. Yes, women love cup holders, especially those who need lots of coffee to stay focused throughout the day. Whenever talking luxury, it’s mandatory we mention a Benz; the car make so beautiful it’s no wonder she has a woman’s name. Any Mercedes-Benz can make the LX 570 feel like a school bus, no offence to Lexus, but let’s narrow it down to two models; the E550 and the CLS 550. All three of these models feature approximately 382 horsepower 5.5 liter V8 engines and they’re all beautiful. The difference is in the inside.

While the CLS 550 only seats 4 and the E550 seats 5, both Benz’ have heated, leather seats and feature driver drowsiness monitors in addition to four-zone climate control. The Lexus has a DVD player in the back and a cool box in the front to keep your drinks cool- not ideal for coffee. As the Benz lacks the cool box, it does feature Sirius Radio and Traffic, as well as 6 disc changer DVD/CD players in the back and duel ambient lighting. It doesn’t get much more comfortable than that. As for price, you’ll pay no less than $77,000 for the Lexus LX 570; the Benz CLS 550 will run $74,000 and the E550 is about $57,000. The choice should be clear.

If you want comfort and safety, ditch the death traps and get a Benz. So other sports cars raise some concerns about price? Buy it used, care for it well, and it will still out last any gas-guzzler you can find. Have fun shopping and drive safely… in a sports car.

–Marg

The first step is actually searching for a company to deliver your car safely to its destination. While most people often turn to the Yellow Pages or their local directory this may not be the best choice for this type of service. Listing a company with a local directory usually is a no-questions-asked process that’s as simple as submitting your contact information and paying a fee. What you want is a company that has been screened and approved by the experts. Companies listed with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) are always a good choice, especially if they have a high rating.

Another smart way to search for the right company is by doing a Google search. While most of us think of Google as just a search engine, the truth is Google pays very close attention to the web pages they display and if a company turns up at the top of a search that means that it has a high Alexa rank, good reviews, unique content and is approved by the Google experts. This is a sign that the company owners pay close attention to the quality of their business and work hard to maintain it.

Keep in mind you don’t necessarily want a local transporting company, national companies are ideal. Just because your dispatcher answers the phone in Phoenix doesn’t mean that company can’t ship your car from Florida to Texas. Auto shipping companies usually own their own car carriers but also broker deals with drivers outside of their circle. This is not a bad thing as long as the drivers they use have the proper trucks, and the proper insurance to cover all the cars that they transport in a single route.

When calling a shipping company there are three very important questions to ask. The first thing you want to know is what type of truck your car will be carried on. If they say a flatbed, go with someone else. Only in most cases drivers with flatbeds usually don’t have the insurance to cover your vehicle in the event of an accident. You want your car to either be shipped on an open car carrier, or an enclosed car carrier at a slightly higher price. These are trucks specifically designed to secure multiple vehicles at once.

Another extremely important question to ask is about insurance. The truck transporting your car should have enough insurance to cover all the cars it can carry at once. If there’s an accident while the truck transporting your car is in route, $20k isn’t going to cover your car’s damage. $100k is more like it. Ask about the company’s inspection policy. When using a quality transporter the driver on pick up will also be the driver on delivery. You don’t want your vehicle being handed off from one truck to another. That driver should inspect your car upon pick up, and fill out a damage report prior to leaving, and then when your car is delivered that driver will do another inspection and damage report to compare the two. If there is any additional damage on delivery insurance will cover it.

Finally you might want to know if your transporting company is licensed and bonded. While these two factors are to benefit the relationship between brokers and drivers rather than customers it’s nice to know that the auto shipping company you are choosing values relationships between themselves and all those involved in transporting your vehicle. Companies that take proper steps to ensure that all parties are covered and protected are companies that will guarantee the safe delivery of your car.

Additional Tips: Never double book an order! Double booking an order is when you place an order for one car with more than one car transporting company. Drivers are skeptical about picking up a car that is double booked because it is possible that another company may get to the pick up address first wasting time and money for the runner up. When a company can’t find a driver to pick up a car due to double booking that company is forced to drive up the price of the job making it more expensive for the customer. Double booking is something you do not want to do.

Be in touch with the driver handling your vehicle. A good auto transporting company will provide you with the driver’s contact information so that you may contact them directly. Most of the time, the driver carrying your car will call you prior to delivery, but if they don’t it doesn’t hurt to give them a call. Don’t be upset if the driver doesn’t pick up the phone on your first try, most likely they are driving, and will return your call during a rest stop.

If a company accepts credit cards it means that they have merchant account. In order to obtain a merchant account that company is highly scrutinized and investigated for illegitimacy. If they pass the test, they are a trust worthy company with a good credit history.

Your car, truck, motorcycle or boat may be one of your most valuable possessions, if you need to have one of these vehicles transported do your homework and go with the elite. Randomly picking a transporting company may lead to a heartbreaking, costly disaster. Follow these simple steps and your car will be in good hands.

Shelby’s rival this year is of course a Mustang. Offering two versions of the Ford Mustang GT SMS 302, one will be the 4V variant sports a naturally aspirated V-8 engine with a 5.0L displacement, the other is the SC which makes use of an SMS 296 Supercharger. The SMS 302 4V with the naturally aspirated V8 will have an output of 440 horsepower and a torque of 400 pound feet due to a 4-valve head design, improved pulley drive, high flow design exhaust system, performance filtration, and optimal fuel calibration and does 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and 1/4 Mile in 13.5 seconds at a speed of 116 mph. The 302 SC boasts of 535 horsepower and torque of 450 pound feet. This Mustang can speed up from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds reaching the 1/4 mile in 12.1 seconds at 119 mph. Blah, blah, blah… the truth is she’s pretty.
But so is the Ferrari FX70 rumored to be housing a twin turbo V12 at about 800 horsepower and the McLaren MP4 12C, a supercar at it’s best. This has been a long awaited car and supposedly the template for the MP4-12C has actually been the McLaren F1, the mid-engine supercar powered by a BMW V12 that was built between 1993 and ’98. Keep your eyes peeled for these elite beauties. Speaking of which…
Have Mercy! The day has come; in 2011 Mercedes finally introduces their first ever supercar, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG also referred to as the New Gullwing. Mercedes is keeping tight-lipped when it comes to the looks of this car keeping her undoubtedly extravagant beauty a well kept secret, but what we do know is that this vehicle is powered by a 6.2 liter 32 valve V8 engine that makes 563 horsepower, and 479 lbs of torque. It includes a new magnesium intake with 8 separate velocity stacks; two electronically controlled throttle plates that feed the intake, and a new equal length exhaust manifold that reduces backpressure. Like always Mercedes goes big and rides smooth. Aren’t you just glad this supercar is finally here?

It’s also important to keep your cars body from rusting. Rust and corrosion are irreversible problems and the older your car, the more time it has to become rusty. Storing your vehicle in a cool dry place when not in use is one simple way to prevent such damage. Also, keep an eye on the overall condition of your cars exterior; if you notice a problem spot you may want to use a rust preventative product. But keep in mind that any product used on your car must be both strong enough and mild enough not to cause additional damage accidentally.

This is especially important even with cleaning products used on painted parts of your vehicle. Know what type of paint was used to paint your car prior to choosing cleaning products, and beware that cleaning some substances off the paint may require a specific technique. Acidic materials such as bird droppings or soda must be carefully removed with the right type of cleaner. Too mild of a cleaner may cause particles in droppings to scratch the surface, and too powerful of a cleaner may take the paint right off with every wipe. Keeping a cover over your vehicle when it’s outside would prevent all these problems.

Interiors to classic cars may need special care as well. The craftsmanship that was once put into the production of what we now call a classic car simply doesn’t exist anymore so if the leather on your seat covers begins to crack you’ll need to take it to a expensive expert to get the nostalgic look you’re aiming for. So keep the inside of your car clean, out of direct sunlight, and moisturize leather and plastic coverings.

One final piece of advice is this; be gentle with things likes knobs, buttons, and locks. These simple touches add a specific feel to your vehicle, and without them they lose a little of that authenticity. If it’s hard trying to find the right hose for your car, it’s probably impossible to find the right radio knob. Take good care of your dated car and be sure to keep her classy.