Auto Shipping Testimonials from Real Customers

In the car shipping industry, it can be hard - sometimes really hard - to find a reputable, reliable and secure auto transport company to ship your vehicle, especially if you're shipping to or from a hard-to-reach location or you're shipping a car that not a lot of carriers can haul for whatever reason. The larger, heavier or more awkward a vehicle is, the harder a time you'll have of shipping it - it goes the same if you're shipping to or from hard-to-reach locations or areas that are otherwise difficult to get to or from for shipping companies.

So before you pay out a ton of money to have someone try and ship your car, you should probably check out our Auto Shipper Testimonials and get an idea as to what they look like and what you should really be searching for. Testimonials are a great way to gauge the overall experience, worth and reliability of a car shipping company that you're looking to ship your vehicle with. Check it out, and you can also fill out our free form and see what we can do in regards to finding a great vehicle shipper for your needs.

Buyers Want More Fuel Efficiency

According to the Ford Motor Company, buyers are more interested in fuel efficient vehicles than powerful ones, based on recent surveys and studies conducted by the company. What's interesting, however, is that most buyers aren't nearly as interested in electric vehicles or hybrids as they are in more fuel-efficient automobiles, and this is something that the Ford Motor Company has been noticing, thanks in large part to high sales of the Fiesta and Focus, the two cheapest models that Ford sells. Neither vehicle has a hybrid counterpart, but the sales are still up over other vehicles. Auto shipping companies have noticed a large drop in the number of hybrids being sold, but the exact reasons as to why are more difficult to establish. It doesn't help that Ford's average mpg across all its vehicles jumped by 5 miles per gallon over the past year, but it does show that the company knows what its customers want. And they want more gas-powered, efficient cars.

New Technologies Help Auto Shipping Companies

This is rare indeed: a news article that directly pertains to auto shipping companies. While most blogs on this site deal with general automotive news and how it pertains to the industry, there are relatively few things out there that directly impact auto transport companies, but this time it's different. New commercial routing software is being produced specifically for logistics companies who have to pay their drivers by the mile, but there's a lot more going into it than meets the eye. Turn-by-turn navigation helps auto transporters especially, by offering a built-in navigation system that allows them to find pickup and delivery locations quickly and easily. Not only that, but new technology suites being introduced also include maps, fuel tax reporting applications, fuel management options and mobile communications, so drivers don't have to pull over every time they get a phone call. This is really cool, and I'm sure that most auto shipping managers are excited to see this technology in action. I know I am, and I don't even drive a truck for a living.

European Auto Sales Affecting U.S. Automakers

According to the Detroit News, the struggling automobile industry in Europe is having huge negative repercussions on American automakers, especially Ford and General Motors, who are projecting hundreds of millions of dollars in losses thanks to no one buying their vehicles in Europe. But it's not just them - other American companies, such as Chrysler, who have major stakes in Europe, as well as European-based auto manufacturers, are having major problems selling cars over there as well. The largest reason is the shape of the European economy, which has been getting worse ever since the global financial meltdown hit in 2008. Right now, Ford's projecting a $600 million loss, while GM has already lost $747 million and could be looking at more. This has also hit the European auto transport industry hard, as many auto shipping companies there have had to close up shop due to the lack of business. Hopefully things turn around, but right now...we'll just have to wait and see.

Ford Focus Named Most Fuel-Efficient Car

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently named the Ford Focus as the most fuel-efficient car sold in the United States, with a 110 mpg-e (miles per gallon equivalent) rating. This makes it the most efficient five-passenger car, beating out the next-closest Nissan Leaf by a wide margin. The Focus is all-electric and gets 99 mpg-e on the highway (electric vehicles are more efficient when it comes to city driving than highway), but the biggest draw for consumers is the quick recharge time (half the time of the Nissan Leaf) as well as how roomy and comfortable it is. Many auto shipping companies have noticed a slight increase in the number of Focus Electrics being shipped, but on the whole it just means that Ford is continuing to do what it set out to do after the global economic meltdown: made good cars at competitive prices so people have things to get around in.

Vehicle Rearview Cameras Save Lives

According to recent government studies, most fatalities involving a car going in reverse are due to the driver not being able to adequately see behind the vehicle. The government is now planning on passing legislation that would force all automobile manufacturers to provide rearview cameras on all passenger vehicles starting in 2014 - standard, not as an option. This is good news for many pedestrians in cities where backing up into streets can be hazardous, especially on busy streets where driveways are obscured. Not only that, but having better rearview cameras in cars have been shown to not only reduce accidents in reverse, but accidents in general. The auto shipping industry is exempt from these new laws, as they aren't technically passenger vehicles, but the technology might not be too far behind for auto shipping companies.

Hybrids Not As Popular As Once Thought

The auto shipping industry is baffled at this, and I am too: hybrid vehicles and plug-in electrics are actually losing favor with the American people, who are starting to turn back to conventionally-powered gasoline vehicles, despite the huge push by the government and automobile manufacturers for alternative-energy vehicles. The main reason is that most gas-powered vehicles have a fuel efficiency that most people are looking for - the Ford Fiesta gets 40 miles per gallon, and most small cars today are pushing 32-35 mpg on average on the freeway. This is big news, especially considering that most auto shipping companies ship conventional vehicles - but have noticed a large increase in the number of hybrids and full-electric vehicles being shipped over the past year or two. With GM now pushing diesel-powered cars in a new advertising campaign, are hybrids going the way of the dodo? It could be, but chances are hybrids are just starting out. Only time will tell.

Mercedes Strong Despite Struggling Economy

The Mercedes name, owned by Daimler Auto Group, has seen strong sales worldwide, selling a gross 1.26 million units. The numbers are impressive, and auto shipping companies can definitely attest to that - Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz vehicles make up part of the majority of vehicles that auto shipping companies ship. Demand is still high for the new B-class compact that Mercedes is unveiling, and a new A-class hatchback which has been in the works is expected to debut soon, much to Mercedes enthusiasts. The company is also pushing smaller, cheaper cars, aimed at young buyers who have a lot of cash to spend (let's face it, Mercedes makes expensive cars). Auto shipping companies have also taken note that Mercedes has secured an investor to allow an additional $2.4 billion in funding to their U.S. operations, a move that has auto shipping companies and, it would seem, auto workers in general, looking forward to Mercedes' bright future.

Chevy Makes Blunder With Cruze, Volt

The Chevrolet Cruze is a gasoline-powered, fuel-efficient car manufactured and distributed by Chevrolet, a marque owned by General Motors. It runs anywhere from $16,000 - $20,000, depending on the package, and is a real saver when it comes to gasoline, netting on average 26 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. While not as pretty as Ford's numbers, they're pretty good. The only problem is that Chevrolet also manufacturers the Volt, their all-electric vehicle. With a price-tag of $40,000, it's more than double the base price of the Cruze...and, ironically, for not much savings. Experts have crunched the numbers and have determined that for consumers to save the $20,000 in fuel savings they would spend up-front buying the Volt as opposed to the Cruze, it would take almost 20 years. This is a huge problem for the vehicle manufacturer, who expected Volt sales numbers to be higher than most other EV's on the road today. The auto shipping industry has noticed too the lack of Volts that are flowing off dealer show floors, and its a trend that shows no signs of stopping unless Chevy steps in. Perhaps lowering the Volt's price-tag would be a good start?

Oil Rising, No End in Sight

Iran has stopped all exports of oil to Britain and France, a move which has the entire NATO community in an outrage. But as we've seen countless times, political games between warring nations often wreak havoc on the citizens they are sworn to protect - and as oil prices continue to increase, with no end in sight, people are starting to wonder what's next. The auto shipping industry has been hit particularly hard by the hike in prices, with gas prices in some parts of the country hitting over $4/gallon. The auto shipping industry isn't the only transportation industry to be hit hard by the rising fuel prices, and with no sign of them slowing down or stabilizing in the coming days or weeks, some companies have been having a hard time making ends meet. The transportation and logistics industries are the backbone of this country; without them, nothing would get done. Auto shipping companies everywhere are trying hard to keep prices steady, but be warned: prices will most likely be going up for all you auto shipping customers out there. Just don't get too mad when you don't like the price you get.

DOT Not Giving Up on Fighting Distracted Driving

In a recent article by the Detroit News, the US Department of Transportation is pushing auto makers to make vehicles that actively work to limit driver distractions. The department is calling for in-dashboard technology to reduce how often drivers look away from the road or take their hands off the wheel. This includes things such as in-dash radios, GPS navigation systems, systems not unlike Ford's Sync system, and much more. Auto shipping companies are both excited and apprehensive about this; excited, because the roads can be a dangerous place, and many drivers who are distracted can be extreme hazards for giant trucks hauling multiple vehicles, and apprehensive because it's one more thing that the auto shipping companies will have to abide by. But no matter which way you look at it, it's important to limit the distractions that drivers face every day, and auto shipping companies know that as well. We'll keep you updated on the goings on of this as it develops.