Is Car Transport Safe? What to Expect from a Professional Car Carrier

Direct answer: Yes — professional car carrier transport is designed specifically to move vehicles safely over long distances. Vehicles are secured with wheel straps on a purpose-built carrier deck, positioned to prevent movement or contact with other vehicles, and driven by experienced operators for the full route.

It’s a fair question to ask before handing over a valuable vehicle to a company you may never meet in person. Here’s exactly what happens.

How Vehicles Are Secured

Each vehicle is driven onto the carrier using ramps and secured at the wheels with tie-down straps, which anchor it to the deck and prevent shifting during transport. Vehicles are positioned carefully to avoid contact with one another, and the loading order is chosen to keep the load balanced for the whole trip.

Why Professional Transport Is Safer Than Driving It Yourself

Long-distance driving carries real risks that a professional carrier avoids:

– Driver fatigue on long routes — a risk removed entirely when your vehicle isn’t the one being driven

– Road hazards and accidents over 1,400+ km, compounded the longer the drive

– Wear from the drive itself, which a carrier eliminates since your vehicle isn’t under its own power for the trip

– What Autofreight Does Differently

• – Two full-time drivers on longer routes, rotating so neither is driving fatigued
• – GIT cover, calculated on the load at the time, excess payable by the owner of the car
• – A condition check at both collection and delivery, so both parties have a clear record

FAQ

Are vehicles insured during transport? A GIT (Goods in Transit) insurance will apply on door to door transport by Autofreight.  This is calculated on the carrier load at the time. We suggest that customers inform their own insurance of the transport, as GIT will only apply in case of total write-off (overturning, burnout or hi-jacking.  En excess is still payable by the customer, as with any other insurance. With regards to depot to depot transport, the insurance will depend on the cover of the specific company contracted to do the transport.

What happens if my vehicle is damaged in transit? We advise that customers claim from their own insurance (which will claim from the Transporter’s insurance), as Third Party insurance is time-consuming and cumbersome, and can take months to be approved and paid out.

Do I need to tell my own insurer that my car is being transported? Most insurers require this to be noted on your policy. It’s worth checking with your own insurer before transport, regardless of which company you use.