Completely different. The assessment of commercial vehicles focuses on: the extent of wear/deformation in the cargo area, whether the frame has been twisted due to overload, the fatigue of the leaf springs, and the emissions of the diesel engine. Minor exterior scratches carry very little weight in the assessment of commercial vehicles.

Customs clearance at destination is usually handled by a licensed customs broker, not the exporter. You can hire one yourself or use a broker recommended by your shipping agent. The typical flow: your broker files the import declaration using the documents the exporter must provide — the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and the certificate of origin. Depending on your country's rules, you will also need to pay import duty, VAT or sales tax, and any excise or environmental levies before the car is released. Things that commonly delay clearance: mismatched VIN numbers between documents, missing pre-shipment inspection certificates (required in some African and Middle Eastern countries), or non-compliance with your country's used-car import age limits. Budget 3–10 working days for clearance after the vessel arrives, plus storage fees if documents are incomplete. Tip: send all documents to your broker for review before the ship departs China — fixing errors at origin is much cheaper than demurrage at destination.

You can watch the car through live streaming or VR, or entrust a local third-party agency to inspect the car for you. Transparency about the car's condition is the foundation of trust.