Friday, March 13, 2015

Factors To Consider Before Hiring Any Boat Movers

By Lena Stephenson


The first and probably the most important part of boat shipping is preparation. If you get this correct, you can expect everything that follows to fall in place and you will not have any problem. The kind of preparation required will largely depend on the type of vessel and all the elements that it contains. However, moving a boat is not your ordinary move that can be undertaken by any other moving company. You need to identify a mover with capacity and equipment required to safely deliver your yacht to its destination. Below are factors you need to consider when looking for good boat movers.

It is a legal requirement that all movers regardless of their areas of specialty be licensed before they can roll out their services. What this means is that it is illegal to hire a company that is not registered. Furthermore, it is usually easier to trace a registered company should the need to do so arise at a later date than tracing one without license number. It is therefore upon you to confirm that your potential mover is licensed before committing yourself to working with it.

Insurance cover is another important factor. You will probably need additional insurance from the boat shipping company since your normal boat insurance might not cover any professional transportation damage. You should ask your prospective mover for his certificate of insurance and confirm that covers goods on transit as well. If their base insurance policy does not cover your boats value, it may be wise to consider purchasing additional coverage.

The company you choose should also have online tracking system. You definitely do not want to visit your movers office every single day to inquire where you ship has reached. If the company does not have online tracking system, it should take it upon itself to update you on a daily basis on where your vessel has reached.

Before you settle on any carrier, it would also be good to check its references and track record. Look at their history, feedback ratings and online reviews from past customers. All these will enable you gauge the suitability of the company for the job. You can as well check the movers background through the Better Business Bureau for any major complaints against the mover.

Price is another factor that you will want to consider. However, it is not advisable that you go with the cheapest quotes. Prices in this industry tend to fluctuate a lot with the demand. Summer months are usually considered peak seasons while winter months are considered off-peak. You can thus save money by moving your vessel during the winter. However, if a mover is charging extremely low prices, you should consider this as a red flag that something is wrong with that mover.

Experience of the company in moving boats also matters. If you want your ship to be delivered as it is, you should always give priority to movers who have been in this business for long enough. An ideal ship mover would be one with more than ten years of active practice.

The only way you will have peace of mind when moving your yacht is by hiring a good moving company. Choosing a good mover however is not something you can achieve overnight. You need to start the process early enough.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment