Being informed is the best way to choose a boat hauler. The following are tips from C and J Transport to help inform consumers on what to look for when hiring someone to transport your boat.

Tips for Hiring a Yacht Hauler

1. Make sure they are legal haulers. What does this mean? Verify their DOT Motor Carrier # and insurance. To do this go to www.safersys.org click on licenses and insurance and type in their MC#. If they are legitimate their file will have an “active” beside their authority type and insurance will be on file. If it says inactive or none beside their authority status then they are simply not legal to haul anything, no matter how they try to explain it away.
2. If they are a boat transport broker, make sure their broker authority is active and bond is on file. Most people would be very surprised to find out how many boat and yacht transport brokers are not working under active authority. If they cannot keep their licenses and insurance up to date, how can anyone trust them to make sure the drivers that they hire to move your boat are legitimate?
3. When using an online bidding / auction type site to request bids on a shipment from different haulers, it is imperative that the shipper’s authority and insurance be verified before accepting any bids. These websites do not verify haulers for their shippers and will let anyone with a truck bid on these loads. Just because someone is bidding on a load does not mean they are a legal hauler. It is up to the shipper as a consumer to verify this information on their own. Make sure the Motor Carrier (MC#) number matches the shipper’s name. Some of these sites have become an easy target place for criminals and shippers do not want their boats to fall into those hands. Anyone can take a motor carrier # belonging to another company and list it beside their name and at a glance look legal. Again, it’s up to the customer to verify all of this information before choosing a hauler.
4. Go with a company that takes credit cards or other forms of payment besides cash. Any reputable company now days should take credit cards. Companies that only take cash usually have a reason for it. They normally don’t want a shipper to have any leverage on them if any claims of damage arise.
5. Don’t go with a low ball quote. Prices in this industry tend to fluctuate with demand for the service. Summer months have historically been busy season. Winter months have usually been slow. To save money, you may want to consider transporting during the winter. Prices are based on the mileage from origin to destination. Prices are further determined by the size and weight of the item being transported. Really low prices are huge red flags that something is wrong with that company, so, proceed with caution if not at all with that company. Remember, cheapest is not always best, as the old saying goes, “we get what we pay for.”
6. Do not try to cut corners by avoiding getting permits or paying for escorts when moving your oversized boat. Any company that tries to do this is a big liability to their customers. Boats over 9′ wide or 14′ in height are considered to be an oversized load. Have it hauled it legally with the necessary permits and escorts.
7. Check the boat transport company out with the Better Business Bureau. Again, most reputable companies should be a member. If they are not, ask them for references of some recent previous customers.

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C and J Transport is a company who gives special attention to details and customer care with affordable prices all year. We have full-coverage insurance and DOT authorized. 

If you have any further questions, please feel free to Contact Us.

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