Ship your Car Without Getting Scammed

There is something about the auto transportation industry that attracts scams. Because the industry is complicated, it pays to get educated as to avoid getting ripped off.

Follow these tips and you will increase your odds of having a “worry free” transport and a lot less headaches as well.

1. Do not “Bargain Shop” when choosing an auto transport company. This will ensure that your car will not be loaded on any carrier without a salesman calling you the day your supposed to have your car scheduled only to raise your quote price.

In this industry, “You get what you pay for.” Generally, the middle price figure, is the company that will adequately protect your car, both in the way they treat it while shipping, and in the insurance they carry.

2. Both liability and cargo insurance, are required by law to ship a vehicle. Make sure that the company you are dealing with actually has them, the first mark of a scam is an uninsured vehicle.

3. If the auto shipping company asks for a deposit, they are probably not legit. Although, you may have to provide a card to reserve a spot, similar to reserving a hotel room, letting them charge you before they do the shipping is generally the mark of a scam.

You should not be charged unless you have been given pickup and delivery dates, the information for the actual truck who will have your vehicle in its possession, and everything has been confirmed.

4. Allow your self 3-5 days to get a truck to your door for pickup and if you are traveling across country allow 5-9 days for transport. Do not cut it close because these time frames are always estimates.

If you follow these steps you will experience a painless auto transport. Happy Travels.

Fuel Tank To Think Tank

Growing up, I learned early to go with the best I had until something else better came along. It has served me well and I suggest here that it would also serve our country today.

There are many polarized groups pushing different agendas on the alternative fuel debate, but herein I would recommend the proposition sited above; why not use the best fuel sources we have now until we develop something better?

CNG is a LOW COST FUEL or it should be. In Utah, as of 07/14/08, CNG is $.85 a gallon statewide; yes, that’s .85 cents! In many other states CNG is as high as $3.75 a gallon. Utah, Oklahoma and a couple of other states regulate their natural gas. If Utah were not regulated, we also would be paying about $.50 a gallon less than gasoline, which has been where the petroleum companies and profiteers have pegged CNG’s price in many other states. In the past 20 years a few petroleum companies, like Clean Energy, have gone around the country and bought up many of the natural gas suppliers and distributors, in effect, destroying any competition.

It explains the tendency to select the first option that satisfys some of the priority needs, or select the option that addresses most of the needs, rather than wait for the “optimal” solution that does everything.

Production, transportation, taxes and profit make up the main elements of petroleum’s price to the consumer. Unlike petroleum, CNG requires relatively little development, production, refinement or transportation. In fact, natural gas is often discovered with petroleum and burned off (flared) as a nuisance. It’s estimated that the world’s NG that is flared off in one year is equivalent to the energy used in the USA in 4 months. Now, consider your ECON 101 class. Remember supply and demand effects? If we have a product with an over abundance (high), with a demand that at this point is almost nil (low), what would you expect the price to be?

CNG is safer than gasoline or diesel fuel according to the head University of Utah chemistry department. Natural gas and natural gas vehicles have a stellar safety record which is based upon two facts: a. The physical properties of natural gas make it safer than most other fuels. b. The fuel systems designed for natural gas vehicles are built to very stringent

LOWER MAINTENANCE Not only is CNG cheaper but also when used in vehicles, the engines last 2 to 3 times longer and the oil only needs to be changed every 10,000 miles, unlike gasoline engines that require oil be changed every 3,000 miles. Mechanics with Questar (Utah’s natural gas distributor) say that vehicles that use CNG still look new, at 200,000 miles. There are CNG taxis and limos that have logged over 1 million miles. They don’t experience the build up of hydrocarbons that petroleum vehicles do. That’s because carbon is like sand in an engine increasing wear and shortening its life. Dedicated CNG vehicles are designed to run only on natural gas but there are also bi-fuel vehicles. They make the best of both worlds and have two separate fueling systems.

Fuel System: Natural gas vehicles (NGV’s) have all the same standard safety equipment as conventional cars (seat belts, air bags, etc.), yet they are subjected to the same crash safety tests as well.

One Day Auto Insurance: When Should You Get One

One day auto insurance is a type of car insurance that is often used by people who are traveling. It effectively protects them for short periods of time against any loss incurred during the time of the coverage.

Shopping for car insurance is never a quick activity. However, in this case too, it is important to do the research and find the best type of one day auto insurance. This can be done by comparing quotes online.

But why do people require one day auto insurance?

Living in certain big cities, such as New York, often results in people not using their cars frequently. As a result, often it is very tempting to avoid getting insurance – after all, why pay the premium if youre not using your car?

But even if a person strongly feels that he does not need insurance, he is bound to change his mind if he drives his car and gets into a car accident – and suddenly discovers that he needs to pay enormous expenses. Consequently, it is crucial to possess a type of insurance even if the car is used only very rarely.

There are two scenarios when one may wish to get one day car insurance.

The first situation deals with people who simply do not own a car and only drive one occasionally – this could be a rental car or a friend’s car. In this case, one day car insurance is probably the ideal solution.

In the second scenario, people simply do not want to spend money on huge premiums for long durations when they rarely use their cars. This can be the case when simply not using the car (as per the example above), or when possessing more than one car, in which the second car is not used frequently (i.e. when a teenage son goes to college, suddenly the car he used is no longer used).

In both situations, the wise course of action would be to enroll in a one day car insurance plan whenever the car is utilized instead of paying a yearly premium. That being said, if the car is used often, then using this type of car insurance is not the smartest choice.

Where to Take Your Rental Car in Australia

Australia is such a unique and fascinating country that it`s really a good idea to get out of the city and take your car hire Sydney vehicle for a little road trip. Even if you are only in the country for a few days, you can see something. There are plenty of attractions and natural vistas to be enjoyed within a short distance from any major city and if you`re hankering for a longer road trip, then there are plenty of scenic driving tours that beckon the traveler.

Short Trips If you aren`t interested in driving more than half a day or so, these attractions will let you see more of Australia without getting too far from home, or hotel, as the case may be.

Hunter Valley Wineries: Just a couple hours outside of Sydney, this is the perfect spot to enjoy nature and take a wine tasting tour. The views here are astounding.

Gipsland: A well-known skiing destination, Gipsland is nice and close to Melbourne and during the warmer months, you can picnic here or take hikes. When snow covered, these hills are perfect for trying out your snowboarding skills.

The Royal Botanical Gardens: This is found in Melbourne and is the epitome of botanical gardens. Here you`ll find more than 12,000 different types of plants, many of which are native to Australia.

Creswick Regional Park: Check out some real live koala bears and take a hike through the eucalyptus trees, or have a picnic by the lake here. It`s also a good place to try your hand at gold panning and fossicking, if you have a permit.

Buchanan Caves: Enjoy a tour through amazing limestone formations deep inside this cave system. It`s a bit of a drive, 360 km outside of Melbourne, but well worth the trip. Plan for a picnic outside the caves once you finish your tour.

Swan Hill: Just under 4 hours from Melbourne, this trip is a bit of a long one. You`ll be traveling alongside the Murray River and will have the opportunity to take a houseboat out on the river or check out the homesteads along the way.

Longer Trips For those who are looking for something a bit more exciting, there are several long drives available that allow you to get a good look at more of the Australian scenery.

The Great Southern Touring Route: This is a fairly small tour of 807 km that starts and ends in Melbourne. Your car rental Melbourne allows you to travel along the coast, through historical towns and to catch a glimpse of what rural Australia looks like.

The Matilda Highway: A real road trip at 2,725 km, this is a route that will take you through some pretty desolate areas. It`s a great way to see the real Australia and your best chance of meeting some true characters. You begin in Sydney, ending up in Karumba to the north.

Great Ocean Road: The perfect tour for anyone interested in sticking close to the ocean. The road winds along the coast, allowing for little stops in quaint towns and seaside villages. On your way, take a look at Port Fairy and Apollo Bay and don`t forget to sample the local seafood.

One of the main advantages of renting a vehicle in Australia is getting around to these different areas. If you are stuck using public transport, chances are you`ll never get out of the city and will miss some of the amazing scenery that Victoria has to offer. There are simply too many sights to see and you`ll miss the best ones without a car.