Shipping Terms & Conditions
These Shipping Terms & Conditions outline the service agreement between Heights Transport Solutions and the customer for vehicle transportation services.
1. Services Provided
Heights Transport Solutions follows a thorough process to identify and coordinate qualified transporters for customer shipments.
Requirements for transporters include:
- Driver or dispatcher communication: Heights Transport Solutions interviews potential drivers and reviews experience and skills related to the specific shipment. This helps ensure the driver or dispatcher can clearly communicate and understands the requirements of the delivery.
- Certificate of Insurance: Heights Transport Solutions obtains insurance documentation from the transporter’s insurance agent and verifies it for authenticity. The documentation is reviewed to confirm applicable cargo insurance coverage for the vehicle being transported.
- Truck and trailer photos: Transporters are required to provide photographs of the truck and trailer. Heights Transport Solutions reviews the equipment and verifies identifying and operating authority information displayed on the truck. Equipment photos may also be shared with the customer as an additional measure against transporter impersonation.
- Driver identification: Transporters are required to provide a photograph of the driver’s license. This information may also be shared with the customer as an additional verification measure.
- DOT safety information: Heights Transport Solutions reviews transporter safety information reported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as part of the carrier qualification process.
More information about our carrier review process is available on our Insurance & Compliance page.
2. Payment Terms
- Total quoted amount is due in full with the signed contract unless otherwise agreed in writing.
- Quotes are valid for 15 days from the date the Quote Request Form is submitted.
- Payment in full is due before transportation services are initiated.
Accepted payment methods include:
- Credit Card: Visa, Mastercard and American Express. A 3.7% service fee applies.
- Zelle: matt@heightses.com
- Cash App: $heightstransport
- Venmo: @Heightstransport. Customers using Venmo’s “Turn on for Purchases” feature should add 3% to the quoted amount.
- Other electronic payment methods: ACH and QuickBooks payment options may also be available.
Personal checks are not accepted.
3. Transportation Timeline Options
Transportation timing depends on the service level selected and the details of the shipment.
- Expedited: Within 5 business days. Additional costs apply.
- Standard: 10–14 business days or less.
- Flexible: A full 30-day window to complete pickup and delivery.
- Time-Sensitive: Specific pickup and/or delivery dates or a 1–4 day window. Additional costs apply.
Customers with tighter scheduling requirements may also want to review our Expedited Transport service.
4. Changes to the Service Agreement
Changes to the service agreement may be necessary during the transportation process. Heights Transport Solutions may communicate requested or required changes to the customer by text message so authorization can be documented.
Changes may include adjustments to transportation dates, scheduling requirements or rates. Short notice or narrow pickup and delivery windows may result in changes to the transportation rate.
5. Liability and Insurance
The transporter shall maintain cargo insurance coverage of a minimum of $100,000 per vehicle during transport.
Transporters are not liable for damage that existed before pickup or for certain damage resulting from weather, road debris or acts of God.
Personal possessions placed inside a vehicle are not covered by the transporter’s cargo insurance.
Customers should review our Insurance & Compliance information for additional details about the role insurance plays in vehicle transportation.
6. Vehicle Condition Report
A vehicle condition report will be completed at pickup and delivery to document the condition of the vehicle and identify any pre-existing damage.
The appropriate parties at the pickup and delivery locations will sign the condition report. Transporters are also required to take photographs of the vehicle at pickup and delivery.
7. Cancellation Policy
A non-refundable $300 fee will be retained if an order is cancelled after the signed contract has been received by Heights Transport Solutions.
If the customer cancels before Heights Transport Solutions has located a transporter, the amount paid will be refunded less the $300 non-refundable fee.
If the customer cancels after a transporter has been secured, or fails to notify Heights Transport Solutions that transportation services are no longer required, no refund will be issued.
Credit card processing fees are also non-refundable. If payment was made by credit card, the applicable 3.7% processing fee will not be returned because the credit card processor does not refund that fee to Heights Transport Solutions.
8. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Iowa.
9. Entire Agreement
This Agreement represents the entire understanding between the parties and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings relating to the transportation services described in the Agreement.
10. Communication Protocol
Heights Transport Solutions will contact the customer once a transporter has been confirmed. If the customer has not received an update, it generally means the team is still working to coordinate the shipment.
Daily updates are generally not provided unless there is new information to share.
Transportation coordination may take longer around weekends and holidays. As part of the carrier verification process, Heights Transport Solutions may need documentation from insurance companies and other third parties that are unavailable outside normal business hours.
Why We Have These Policies
Many of the policies above exist because of lessons learned while operating a transportation business.
Early in the history of Heights Transport Solutions, customers were sometimes invoiced after their vehicle had already been delivered. Most customers paid promptly, but collecting overdue invoices occasionally required substantial staff time and, in some cases, outside collection efforts.
Checks created additional complications because they could be returned for insufficient funds or have payment stopped after being deposited. For that reason, Heights Transport Solutions no longer accepts personal checks and instead provides several electronic payment options.
Collecting payment before transportation begins allows our team to spend its time coordinating shipments, communicating with customers and locating qualified carriers rather than managing collections.
Why Cancellation Fees Apply
Work on a shipment begins once the customer signs the agreement and submits payment. That work can include contacting carriers, reviewing qualifications and insurance, coordinating equipment and scheduling, and preparing a transporter for dispatch.
If a shipment is cancelled after that process has begun, Heights Transport Solutions has already invested time and resources into the transportation request. The cancellation fee helps cover that work.
Prompt notification is particularly important if a customer decides to make other transportation arrangements. Once a carrier has been dispatched, cancelling without notifying Heights Transport Solutions can create problems for both our team and the carrier that accepted the shipment.
Our goal is to keep the process straightforward for everyone involved by setting expectations before transportation begins.