Auto Transport Tips: What to Know About Overseas Shipping
If you frequent our website for whatever reason, you know that overseas shipping is done a bit different than overland transportation services. They tend to take longer than overland transport and it’s a bit more expensive, mainly because you have an entire second shipping company handling the second leg of the journey.
With overseas shipping, you have to give your transportation company plenty of time and patience, and you need to understand that there’s little that they can do or you can do to speed things up. Cargo ships can only go so fast, just like how auto transport trucks can only go so fast.
But there’s more to overseas shipping than just that. When transporting to or from Alaska or Hawaii, your vehicle will be moved through international waters, and there are completely different laws and regulations governing international bodies of water, even for when you’re just sort of “passing through.”
Because of these different laws and regulations, you have to conform to them, and part of that is that – unlike in normal overland transportation, where “junk in the trunk”, if not permitted, is not necessarily prohibited either – you cannot have anything in your vehicle when it is being shipped overseas that isn’t a stock part of that vehicle.
Nothing in the trunk, nothing in the backseat, nothing at all. It’s going over international waters, and if for whatever reason the ship is stopped en route and its cargo searched, you could find yourself in some serious hot water.
Does it happen often? No. But you’re always better off being safe than sorry, and that includes when you’re shipping a vehicle overseas. Have nothing in the vehicle, and make sure that you follow all guidelines and regulations that your transportation representative outlines for you ahead of time.
This will make your shipment easier and will lead to fewer problems along the way. For a free auto transport quote, even for overseas vehicle shipping, fill out our free quote request form. We have reputable and reliable specialists standing by to make sure that you get the best deal on your next shipment, either overland or overseas.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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