Being informed is the best way to choose a boat hauler. The following are tips from Dotan Transports, Interstatehaulers.com, to help inform consumers on what to look for when transporting a boat.
The lowest price in boat transportation is not always the best.
Nothing can be worse then to have a bad experience with a transport service. Here are some things to look for to insure the transport runs smoothly.
1. Make sure they are legal haulers. What does this mean? Verify their DOT Motor Carrier # and insurance. To do this go to www.safersys.org click on licenses and insurance and type in their MC#. If they are legitimate their file will have an "active" beside their authority type and insurance will be on file. If it says inactive or none beside their authority status then they are simply not legal to haul anything, no matter how they try to explain it away.
2. If they are a broker, make sure their broker authority is active and bond is on file. Most people would be very surprised to find out how many brokers are not working under active authority. If they cannot keep their licenses and insurance up to date, how can anyone trust them to make sure the drivers that they broker their loads to are?
3. When using an online bidding / auction type site to request bids on a shipment from different haulers, it is imperative that the shipper's authority and insurance be verified before accepting any bids. These websites do not verify haulers for their shippers and will let anyone with a truck bid on these loads. Just because someone is bidding on a load does not mean they are a legal hauler. It is up to the shipper as a consumer to verify this information on their own. Make sure the Motor Carrier (MC#) number matches the shipper's name. Some of these sites have become an easy target place for criminals and shippers do not want their boats to fall into those hands. Anyone can take a motor carrier # belonging to another company and list it beside their name and at a glance look legal. Again, it's up to the customer to verify all of this information before choosing a hauler.
4. Go with a company that takes credit cards or other forms of payment besides cash. Any reputable company now days should take credit cards. Companies that only take cash usually have a reason for it. They normally don't want a shipper to have any leverage on them if any claims of damage arise.
5. Don't go with a low ball quote. Prices in this industry tend to fluctuate with demand for the service. Summer months are considered busy season whereas winter months are considered slow. To save money, you may want to consider transporting during the winter. Prices are based on the mileage from origin to destination and the size and weight of item being transported. Really low prices are huge red flags that something is wrong with that company, so, proceed with caution if not at all with that company. Remember, cheapest is not always best, as the old saying goes "we get what we pay for".
6. Do not try to cut corners by avoiding getting permits / escorts for oversized boats. Any company that tries to do this is a big liability to their customers. If the boat is over 9' wide or 14' high it's considered to be an oversized load. Have it hauled it legally with the necessary permits and / or escorts. If not, a huge risk is being taken.
7. Check them out with the Better Business Bureau. Again, most reputable companies should be a member. If they are not, ask them for references of some recent previous customers.
With all this said, keep in mind when choosing a company, the customer is responsible for whom they choose. Be informed and choose wisely.
Interstatehaulers.com boat transport service is a company who gives special attention to details and customer care with affordable prices all year. They are fully insured and DOT authorized. You can receive online quotes within 24 hours. Within their website they have a page dedicated to customer response and comments. One email from a happy customer reads "The pickup and delivery was handled with the customer in mind and the customer service person was second to none"!
Visit their site today at www.interstatehaulers.com/boats.html to receive your online quote from a "safe" transport company. Mention this article and receive a 5 percent discount on any move.