All shipping companies are required to be registered with the Department of Transportation. All shipping companies are also required to have insurance for any vehicles they are transporting.
The carriers insurance will cover damage during loading, transportation and unloading.
It is always a best practice to maintain coverage on your vehicle while it is being shipped. Carriers we work with all are licensed and insurance. It’s the law and we ensure carriers insurance is up to date before contracting them to move a customer vehicle.
We have had two issues where a carrier damaged a car. The first a carrier lowered another vehicle onto a customer car causing a small dent. The carrier paid without issue. In the second case a carrier damaged a rim and tire on a high end BMW then refused to admit fault and would not pay. We gave the carrier a horrible review on central dispatch, referred the issue to DOT and BBB. In the end we paid out of our pocket to repair the wheel and replace the tire. This was valuable dealership customer and we needed to keep the relationship.
In a matter like the later where a carrier refused to pay, the individual should file a claim with their insurance provider. The provider will cover the claim and seek restitution through the carriers insurance company.
This is why it is important to maintain your own vehicle insurance during transport of your vehicle. If you have any doubts as to your vehicle coverage during shipping you should contact your auto insurance provider.
