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Shipping your car across the country can be intimidating. It's hard not to worry that something bad will happen and your vehicle will be stolen, lost, or destroyed. Fortunately, you can take steps to ensure that life goes on if the unthinkable happens. Before you choose the auto transport company to handle your car, ask a few questions to suss out the business's reliability.

Ask About Insurance Policies

Vehicle transportation companies require extensive insurance policies to cover their vehicles, employees, and client cars in the event of an accident. Before you entrust your car to a shipping company, make sure their policies are sufficient to reimburse you if anything happens to your vehicle. Your prospective shipper should be able to give you a policy number, which you can call the insurance agency to confirm.

Alternately, you could choose to take out a policy on your own. This adds to the expense of sending the vehicle, but also ensures that you'll be paid directly if anything happens to it. Otherwise, you'll have to rely on the shipping company to get reimbursed by its insurer and then deliver the money to you. With your own policy, you can speak directly to the insurance agent if anything happens.

Check The Licenses And Certifications

It goes without saying that you can't give something as valuable as a car to someone else without knowing they'll honor their promise to deliver it. When you interview potential shipping companies, ask if they have an account with the Better Business Bureau. Even if they don't, you may still find some information about them on the BBB website. You should also request the shipping company's Department of Transportation number, which can be used to look up their driving history and whether they are qualified to perform transport services.

If you're still unsure about a particular shipping company, you can try calling your state's Movers Association, which can give you further insight into the business history of a particular shipping company. The Movers Association can also help you get in touch with other potential movers, allowing you to get competing quotes and possibly bring down the cost of shipping your vehicle.

Shipping your car can be stressful, but worrying about losing your vehicle shouldn't be a part of that stress. If you want to ensure that your chosen company is best equipped to safely move your car, it helps to do a little research before the contract is signed.