Most car shipping by truck can be handled on a “door-to-door” basis. How close the transport vehicle can get to you “door” depends, since auto transport trucks can be 75 feet long.

Open transport by truck is by the car carriers you occasionally see on the highway that are delivering new cars to a dealership. Open transport is less expensive than enclosed transport, but your car or SUV is exposed to the weather during the trip, which could take 8 to 10 days to cross the country or longer, depending on how many pickups and dropoffs the driver has to handle enroute.

Door-to-door service in an enclosed container is the “Cadillac” of auto transport options. Not only is your car, SUV, RV, motorcycle or boat not exposed to the weather but you won’t have to go anywhere to pick it up, either. The driver will get as close to your specified pick-up or delivery spot as he can legally and safely get. When access is restricted the auto transport company or moving company driver may ask that you meet the truck somewhere else, like a nearby parking lot, mall or store.

Most Moving Companies and Auto Transport Companies offer this service. Moving companies may offer to ship your car right with your household goods. However, as a rule moving companies charge more than auto transport companies when it comes to car shipping. You should compare the moving company’s insurance or valuation for your vehicle if you select a household goods mover to move your car, just as you would for the auto transport company.

Auto transport companies pick up and delivery dates are estimates and are typically not guaranteed. A lot of factors, many of which are not within the auto transport company’s control can impact pick up and delivery dates.

While some car shipping companies may not require it, many will require a 10-25 % deposit or even full payment in advance. The balance due is always required at time of delivery. While some auto transport companies will accept a credit card for payment, most will want you to have a cashier’s check or cash when the truck arrives. You’ll want to know what payment arrangements are required when it comes time to select an auto transport company.

You’ll also want to know if the car shipping company is licensed and insured. Find out what type of insurance is provided for your vehicle in transit and whether you can buy additional protection if you need it. Also check with your insurance agent to see if your car insurer has any restrictions on coverage while your vehicle is in transit.

It’s not uncommon for a car transport service to use an agent for shipping vehicles, especially in some locations. If this is true in your situation, ask the auto transport company to see the agent’s certificate of insurance. Brokers also arrange for car shipping through auto transport companies they work with. You’ll want to see the insurance certificate for the company they’re using to transport your car. In fact, you should always ask to see an insurance certificate no matter who moves your car.

Using an auto transport company to ship your vehicle makes a lot of sense. After all, they’re the experts and most have plenty of experience.

Maintaining and changing brakes on your own VW vehicle is not as hard as you may think. But, keep in mind that when you change your own brake pads, there are some other aspects that should be checked also to ensure that your brake pads are safe and dependable. If the brake pads or brake shoes are worn and need to be replaced, chances are other VW brake parts in the brake system may require attention too. The most obvious ones would be the brake rotors or drums and brake calipers or wheel cylinders. Both the front and rear brakes should be inspected.

A quality brake job should cover everything from the brake master cylinder where you add the brake fluid, to the calipers and wheel cylinders.

Changing the brakes include inspecting all the mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components in both the front and rear brakes. If necessary, replace the front and rear brake pads. Then, inspect or replace brake rotors or disks.

Brake rotors require a clean, smooth, flat surface on the rotors. Otherwise your brake performance will suffer. A rough surface will accelerate pad wear. It will also increase the risk of noise. An uneven surface or variations in rotor thickness can cause vibrations, noise and annoying brake pedal pulsations. Brake drums that have grooves or any kind of damage should be replaced immediately. Sometimes, you cannot do all auto work by yourself. Your local auto parts store can help you turn the rotors for these discs to have extra life so you do not have to buy new.

The next thing to do is to check the level and condition of your brake fluid. Changing the fluid is recommended to get rid of moisture contamination. Always follow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

Changing the brake pads is the next step. Remember that there are books at your local auto parts store, on eBay, and at any bookstore that you can also buy. These will give you step by step instructions along with picture illustrations as to how to change and maintain brake pads.

First off you need to purchase break pads, which are available from any local auto parts store. You can also purchase the pads from a dealer but they run a lot more than the local auto parts store. There are many different brands of brake pads but what you have to put on my vehicle are the ones that are considered lifetime. These run a little more, but the cost covers itself in the long run. The next time you do a break job you take the lifetime ones back in and they exchange them free of charge.

Do not hurry up. Take your time in familiarizing yourself with the brakes on your car before you begin work. It is also a good idea to work on one side at a time in case you have trouble. In that way, you have one side to use as a reference. Remember that your front brakes provide most of the stopping power for your vehicle.

Changing the front brake pads require setting of your parking brake, and block the rear tires so your vehicle will not move. Loosen the lug nuts. Using a jack, raise your vehicle and place it securely on jack stands. Then, remove the lug nuts and remove the wheel.

Now you can see the brake calipers holding the brake pads against the rotors. There are 2 pads in each wheel that squeeze the rotor. Unbolt the caliper mounting bolts and pull the caliper back from the rotor. Be careful not to bend or break the brake hose. Sometimes the caliper mounting bolts require you to use a Torx or Star bit instead of a normal socket set. These can also be purchased at your local auto parts store and an employee will help you to purchase the size that is just right for your VW vehicle. Plan ahead and make sure you have the right tools for the job to save you a trip back to the auto parts store.

After you remove the caliper, remove the front brake pad and leave the rear pad in place. Using a C-clamp, compress the caliper piston into the caliper housing. Make sure you remove the cap off the brake reservoir before you do this. This needs to be done so that when you put the new pads in the caliper, it will create a space to put the caliper back on.

Examine the break pads for unusual or uneven wear. These could be signs of a problem that need to be taken care of immediately.

While doing this, it is also a good time to examine the condition of the rotors. You will need to get the rotors turned or replaced if they have deep groves or if you have noticed that the car shudders when you hit the brakes.

Install the new pads in the caliper. Usually it is best to place the inner pad first, then the outer pad second. Before you install the pads back on to the caliper, make sure the piston is fully depressed. Once the pads are properly seated in the caliper, put the caliper back on the rotor and bolt it firmly in place.

If everything is correct, then you can put the wheel back on, hand tighten the lug nuts, and lower the car to the ground. Finish tightening the lug nuts in a start pattern so that they are even.

The last thing to do in doing a brake job is to test the brakes. Carefully check your brakes and brake fluid levels before entering traffic. Sometimes some air can get into the brake lines when you change the brake pads. If this happens, you will need to bleed the brakes before you try to move the car again.

Marking another momentous milestone in the progress of its turnaround plan, the Chrysler Group earlier hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Trenton Phoenix Engine Plant in Michigan. The $730 million engine plant is part of the automaker’s $3 billion Powertrain Offensive as announced in February.

At groundbreaking ceremony were Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown, UAW Vice President General Holiefield and other public officials. They were joined by the Chrysler Group executives.

“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony commemorates an important growth milestone for Chrysler Group and for the City of Trenton,” said Frank Ewasyshyn, the Chrysler Group Executive Vice President for Manufacturing. “Constructing our new plant at this site also confirms the commitment of Chrysler Group to investing in the communities where we do business and supporting economic development throughout the State of Michigan. This new plant will enable us to develop products that are designed to meet changing consumer tastes for more fuel efficient vehicles.”

The 822,000-square-foot Trenton Phoenix Engine Plant will produce a new family of fuel efficient V-6 engines, known inside the Chrysler Group as “Phoenix” engines. In time, the Phoenix family of V-6, designed to compete with Hypertech and other refined engines, will decrease manufacturing intricacy by paring the company’s four present V-6 architectures to one. The production of which is set to begin in 2009.

The plant will be situated adjacent to the Trenton Engine Plant, on Van Horn between Fort Street and Jefferson. The Trenton Phoenix Engine Plant will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 400,000 to 440,000 engines. Once the plant is completely equipped, the Trenton Phoenix Engine Plant will employ 485 full-time workers.

“These engine plants help cement Michigan’s position as the world’s leader in automotive innovation and excellence and show what can happen when state and local governments work with business to make our state competitive,” Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said. “From investing in our workers to creating a business-friendly climate throughout the state, we are working every day to attract new automotive companies and other industries that will bring jobs and grow here in Michigan.”

“We appreciate the confidence Chrysler Group has shown in its workforce by this continuing investment in powertrain operations, which will help preserve good-paying manufacturing jobs,” said General Holiefield, the UAW Vice President, who directs the union’s DaimlerChrysler Department. “UAW members at Trenton are 100 percent dedicated to quality, and we’re excited to participate in building the next generation of fuel-efficient engines for Chrysler’s great line-up of vehicles.”

The new Michigan plant of the American automaker will have an aggressive labor agreement that integrates Smart manufacturing initiatives, volume-bundled parts purchasing, flexible CNC-based machining, volume-bundled capital investment and standardized tooling.

The total cost of the building, land improvements and equipment mirrors one of the Chrysler’s biggest capital investments in the city. Since 2003, the Auburn Hills automaker has invested $4.4 billion in its Southeast Michigan manufacturing operations.