There are two value added services that are typically offered by car shipping companies. These are services offered over and above the basic auto transport services: hence our reference to them as ‘value added services.’ When a person calls up one of these companies, what he or she basically expects from the company, in terms of service delivery, is the shipment service. Anything over and above that would be a ‘value added service.’ The two value added service we are just about to look at turn out to be precisely the sorts of services car importers need most, besides the shipment of their cars. We now venture to examine the said value added services typically offered by car shipment companies. We will also be looking at the factors that necessitate each type of service. And without further ado, the two value-added services typically offered by car shipping companies are:
Customs clearance services. Naturally, only the people who buy their cars from other countries (importers) need this sort of customs clearance services.
To appreciate the importance of these particular services, you need to remember that car imports are usually subject to taxation, before they can be allowed into the countries they are imported into. That is on top of the fact that the car imports typically have to be checked thoroughly, before they are allowed into the countries they are being imported into. You further have to appreciate the fact that these sorts of things, which are generally referred to as ‘customs clearance logistics’ are supposed to be done at the landing ports for the car imports. In other words, the imported cars can’t be allowed to progress any further into countries they are imported into, before these issues are cleared.
The most important thing you need to understand about customs clearance logistics is the fact that they tend to be very tedious and time consuming. If you are looking at something like the payment of the import taxes due on the car, you come to realize that in most cases, it is not just a question of writing a check and giving it to the relevant authorities. The car has to be assessed, the applicable tax code identified, and many other (bureaucratic) things done, before the owner is informed of what he or she needs to pay, in terms of taxes.
Now we come to learn that there are some car shipping companies which show willingness to do all these things on behalf of their clients (at just a little extra cost). They get the car checked, assessed for taxation purposes and proceed to pay the relevant taxes on behalf of their clients (of course, using money furnished by the clients). Thus, all customs clearance issues done away with, the role left for the clients is simply that of registering the cars and driving them away.
Car registration services. You come to realize that in most countries, before newly imported cars can be driven on the local roads, they have to be locally registered. And as it turns out, there are some car shipping companies which show the willingness to go a step further, and get the shipped cars registered on behalf of their clients. This way, when the clients come to pick them up, they are ready to be simply driven away.