How To Safely Transport Your Car Across The Country

By Clinton Courier | March 21, 2021 |

Thinking about transporting your car from one part of the country to another? There are several ways through which you can accomplish that. Not sure what would be the best option? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

This article illustrates the most important things that you should be aware of if you’re trying to get your vehicle across the country to help you choose the best option out of all the various means available today. So, without further ado, here are some key points that’ll help you understand how to safely transport your car across the country.

What Options Do you Have?

Think of all the accessible options that you have to transport your vehicle in the safest possible way. If your destination is just a few hours away from your current location, then you should consider driving the car yourself. Driving the car yourself is probably the cheapest and the easiest way to transport your car if you don’t need to travel too far. However, if the distance is considerably more, say about 500 miles, you’ll need to find another option. The next best option then is to look for affordable towing or car shipping companies. Towing is perhaps the cheaper option between the two. You must have seen cars being hauled across the country by a car trailer or a tow dolly. Although, towing a car for long distances can be risky and it’s not nearly as convenient as car shipping. You can also get the best car shipping with sites like RoadRunner Auto Transport.

How to Select the Best Car Shipping Company?

You’ll find a myriad of options if you’re looking for a decent car shipping company. The search for a decent car shipping company can be a little complicated, especially when selecting the best shipping company for your car if you don’t have a proper plan of action. To find the needle in a haystack, it’s best for you to narrow down your search. Based on the distance, vehicle type, and expected time of delivery, one can choose the best car delivery service. Read further to know what other parameters help you select the best company to ship your car.

1. Choosing Between Transport Types

If you approach any car shipping company, you’ll be offered two transport options for your vehicle. One option will be open transport, wherein the shipping company takes your car on an open carrier, along with many other cars. This open transport option is the cheaper deal, however, your vehicle may be prone to weather conditions. If you own a luxury or a classic vehicle, you should go for option number two which is the enclosed transport. Your precious car will be carried within the safety of 4 walls with fewer cars around. A premium price is worth a premium machinery’s safety.

2. Check Delivery Time

You can easily narrow down the horde of car shipping services by filtering out options based on their delivery time. Look for companies that provide the fastest delivery. If you want a rough estimate, a shipping calculator can give you precise insight as per your requirements. The average delivery time across the country is around nine days, but some companies deliver in 5-6 days. You can ask the shipping company about their delivery time when you inquire about their rate. Inquiring about the delivery time will help you figure out which shipping company suits you best.

3. Compare Quotes

The cost difference between the highly-priced and the most economical car shipping company can be up to $300 or more. The cost is greatly based on the distance, geography, car condition, and type of transport. It costs about $1200 to ship a car across 2700 miles. If you opt for an open carrier, it’ll cost you even less. Gather the information from as many companies as you can. Compare their quotes and services, then you’ll be able to shortlist the ones that fit your shipping criteria.

How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping?

Once you’ve selected your choice of car shipping company, they’ll pick up your car on a set date, load it on a vehicle carrier, and hit the road. Still, you must keep certain things in mind before you hand over your car to them. you must remember certain vital things. First, you need to make sure your vehicle is in a drivable condition with its engine oil topped-up and emergency brakes working properly.

The car shipping company won’t accept your vehicles if it isn’t drivable. Another thing to note is that the cost of shipping also depends on the weight of the car. If you only have one-quarter of fuel in your vehicle, it’ll weigh less and thus cost less. How’s that for a car shipping hack?

After all is said and done, one final and significant point to note is that accidents happen. That’s why it’s crucial to make sure your vehicle is insured while it’s being transported across the country. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?