Shipping a vehicle is often a less direct way than the famous “as the crow flies”. Besides, you never know the road ahead – there might be closures, traffic jams, bad weather, etc. So, you might ask, is a driver allowed to change a route without the customers consent?
This post will explain to you the rerouting process during car shipping, the reasons behind it, and how to handle it as a customer.
1. Why Would a Driver Need to Reroute?
A driver can be faced with a reroute situation because of multiple reasons while a vehicle is being driven. If you envision these situations, it will become clear to you why a delivery person ought to be rerouting and how the delivery timeline gets affected.
1.1. Road Closures and Construction
The most common causes of road closures, construction zones, and detours during vehicle shipments over a long distance are unexpected ones. Suppose a road that the driver is intended to take is closed due to construction or an accident; then, the driver will have to find another way to bypass the delay and deliver the car at the appointed time.
1.2. Weather Conditions
If there is a snowstorm, flood, or hurricane, the affected area will be dangerous for some routes and some will be blocked. In such situations, drivers are allowed to take the safety of the vehicle and themselves as a priority and reroute. Weather-related rerouting is the measure that ensures the safety of your car during transport.
1.3. Traffic Congestion or Accidents
The long queues of cars, accidents, or heavy congestion can result in delays that will probably force a driver to look for a different way to continue the journey uninterrupted. Car drivers always try to avoid such situations by taking a careful plan beforehand, nonetheless, traffic problems may still pop up unexpectedly forcing a change of the route.
1.4. Safety and Regulations
There are areas that have limitations on vehicles that are of an oversized dimension or request certain permits particularly for those that are bigger in size and have special handling requirements. Suppose the driver happens upon a route that is against such restrictions, then he/she is most likely going to have to find another way that complies with local rules.
2. How Does Rerouting Affect Your Shipment?
Typically, rerouting will hardly affect the safety of your car; however, it can make a difference in the delivery hours and the amount of money spent. So, let’s explain it further.
2.1. Delivery Time
In case the driver is required to change his/her route, the delivery may be delayed by a little amount of time. Nevertheless, most professional car shipping companies take great care to reduce the time that their clients wait by discovering the fastest and safest alternative routes. If the reroute is small, the delay can be only a few hours, but if it’s large, the delivery could take longer.
2.2. Impact on Costs
Most of the time, the rerouting caused by weather or traffic will not change the price of your transport. However, the redirection caused by other factors such as an unpredicted detour to bypass an obstacle or the size or condition of the car being transported that had led to the halt of the transport might be charging extra money. It is usually the shipping company that takes care of this and they will let you know if there are any changes in the prices.
2.3. Vehicle Safety
Despite the rerouting, your automobile will still be safe out of the way. The drivers as well as shipping companies are always prepared for the various situations and rerouting is generally a measure taken to make sure that the next step of the delivery is safe for your car. The car is tightly fixed on the carrier, and the driver will definitely use the standard procedures to ensure safety.
3. How You Can Best Prepare for a Rerouting Incident
Although rerouting is a typical procedure in car shipping, if a change of route is made in the middle of the shipment, you can still make sure everything goes well by taking a few steps.
3.1. Be Informed
It is necessary that you keep talking to the car shipping company right through the transport process. Usually, they will let you know about the changes if rerouting occurs. Moreover, there may be some updates in case of delays or changes in delivery time. Thus by being informed, you will be ready for unpredicted events.
3.2. Be Flexible
It is always wise to have a little flexibility during your delivery time. For example, if you are shipping your car to some place and it has to arrive on or before a certain date, allow a little time as the unexpected reroutes could delay the task for a few hours or maybe a day or two. With flexibility, you will have the chance to keep a good mood even if there are a few minor delays.
3.3. Track the Shipment
In most cases, firms that provide vehicle transportation over the road are in a position to supply their customers with tracking services. In particular, when the transport of your car is taking place, you are in a position to monitor the progress made. Via such a platform, you might be allowed to view the new route as well as the probable time of arrival in case the driver has changed the way. Thus, you get to feel a bit more relaxed, especially if you worry about the rerouting impact.
4. Is Rerouting Always Avoidable?
While rerouting is sometimes a must, both the shipping company and the driver can do certain things to lessen the chances of the route being changed.
4.1. Pre-Trip Planning
Basically, the car shipping companies plan the route very thoroughly before they come to pick the vehicle. They check if the weather will be good, if there is usual traffic, and if the road is good. Yet, as they have stated, there can be unexpected issues along the way that require changing the route.
4.2. Communication with the Driver
Some busineses provide direct contact with the driver while on the go, which is very beneficial in keeping the client informed of any variations. So if rerouting occurs, the driver will be able to notify the customer immediately and thus, the attendant can solve the issue without delay.
5.What You Should Know About Rerouting
As a matter of fact, rerouting in car transport is a usual and oftentimes a method required to complete the shipping process. Despite that, it can take a little longer than the expected delivery time, safety for your vehicle is always the priority of the personnel who perform these actions. These are the main points of the discussion:
Why it happens: Rerouting most of the time is associated with a traffic jam, bad weather condition, road closure, or any other safety concern.
How it affects your car: The vehicle can be taken care of and secured during the transport, and in case of a delay, it is usually very short.
How to prepare: Keep updated and be willing to adjust to the timing of your delivery.
A good and experienced transport company should be your first consideration if you want your car to be delivered on time and without any harm. For reliable car transport options, more details, and to make your booking, visit Car Transport today!
