Elite cars can quite often be a thing of beauty. Once you consider all the hard work and knowledge that went into creating one, you will soon realize why a lot of people consider them a work of art. And just like any other work of art, transporting elite cars overseas can be surprisingly difficult. But, if you start preparing on time, do your research, and have a bit of luck, you will manage to transport your car in a relatively straightforward fashion. So, to help you out, we are going to go over the necessary steps for safe elite car transport in this guide.

Different ways in which you can transport elite cars overseas

So, you’ve decided to transport your elite car overseas. Well, to do so, you will need to use multimodal transport. To put it simply, multimodal transport means that you’ll be using multiple modes of transport. In most cases, this means that you will use a truck and a ship: a truck to transport your car to and from a port and a ship to help transport it overseas.

But, while this is the most common way, it is definitely not the only one for transporting luxury cars. And to help illustrate this, we are going to take a closer look.

Different ways to ship cars

The safest way to tackle overseas shipping is to put your car inside a temperature-controlled container. While doing so can be more expensive than getting a regular closed container, it is the safest method by far. By doing so, you effectively make it isolated from the surrounding elements. Rain, seawater, cold, strong winds… All of these can damage your car, especially during long overseas trips. Therefore, by placing it in a temperature-controlled container, you will ensure that it is as safe as possible. To be fair, a regular closed container can also be enough. But you need to ensure that it is of sound quality and that you hire a company like Four Winds SA that is experienced and reliable.

Hiring a driver

Another way to ensure the safety of your elite car is to hire a driver to get it for you. A professional driver will give your car the necessary attention for it to remain safe throughout transport. However, that extra attention is going to cost you. You will need to pay for fuel, accommodation, and travel expenses that the driver accumulates while transporting your car. And, more often than not, you will have to pay for a plane ticket for your driver to return home. So, all in all, it can cost you a pretty penny. Meanwhile, the relative safety of your car is comparable to regular shipping.

Using a plane

If money is really not the issue, and you want to car to arrive as fast as possible, you can use a plane. Just know that planes are the most expensive ways for transporting elite cars overseas, by far. But, they are also the safest, and the fastest way.

How to prepare for transporting elite cars overseas

There is hardly a shipping company out there that won’t emphasize how important it is to prepare your car before shipping it overseas. Numerous issues and troubles can be avoided if you start preparing your car on time and you do so properly.

Preparing the car

The first thing you need to do is to clean your car. Both the outside and the inside of it need to be spotless in order to avoid issues caused by cold or strong winds. Second, you need to ensure that your car is in proper condition. If it is brand new, you need not worry. But, if you’ve been using it, you need to take it to the mechanic. Since people usually take good care of elite cars, there shouldn’t be any issues. But if there are, you need to be aware of them, and ideally tackle them, before you ship your car.

Acquiring the necessary paperwork

Depending on where from and to you are transporting your car, you might need different paperwork. At minimum, you will need:

• Personal ID – A government-issued document (driver’s license or passport), usually two copies.
• Vehicle ID – VIN number and estimated value, year, make, model.
• Shipping information – name, phone number, address, and email for both the receiver and sender.
• Ownership information.

It is important to note that when it comes to ownership information, there is different paperwork to consider:

• You are the owner – vehicle title (original and at least one copy).
• You’ve recently purchased the vehicle – vehicle title and the bill of sale (original and a copy).
• You are financing – a notarized lien authorization and a notarized copy of the title.

If you’ve hired a driver to transport your car for you, you will need an extra set of paperwork for them. There’s plenty to consider here, so it can be a good idea to consult with a service that deals with legal aspect of transportation before you transport your car overseas.

Having the proper car insurance

Getting the right insurance is paramount before transporting elite cars overseas. It is important to note that, while shipping companies may offer you standard car shipping insurance, it may not be enough. Do yourself a favor and properly study your insurance contract before you sign it. After all, elite cars are usually quite expensive. This is another reason why consulting with a legal service is useful before shipping cars.

If you think that your contract for won’t cover you properly, you can always hire an outside insurance agency to cover you. Remember, the last thing people need is for something bad to happen while transporting elite cars overseas, and find that they have no coverage.