If you’re moving across the country or you’re taking an extended vacation, it can be pretty difficult to do so without your car. Sure, renting is an option, but it’s hardly anyone’s top pick. It would be much easier to be able to pick up our car at our destination and not have to worry about the fussing that comes with renting.
Is there actually an option to accomplish that, though? Certainly, it seems like it’s out of reach. However, there is a way that we can safely transport our vehicles to our destinations. That’s what we’ll be discussing today, so be sure to stick around if that’s something that interests you! You can also check out this page for some background information.
Auto Shipping: A Breakdown
First off, let’s go ahead and define what exactly auto shipping is. It’s not exactly complicated, thankfully. Basically, it’s a way to ship our cars rather than driving them during travel.
There are a ton of depots across the United States that offer these services, but it can still feel somewhat difficult to find one. Realistically, though, the main thing that you need to do is search for auto shipping in your area. The nice thing is that you can find them pretty much anywhere – the trouble is, then, finding one that suits your needs.
When it comes to the most difficult part of auto shipping, it’s definitely trying to select your shipper. As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of potential options. How are we supposed to narrow it down?
Thankfully, when it comes to auto transport services, one thing that we can do fairly reliably is to look at what other consumers like us have to say about the various companies. In fact, you can use this tool for pretty much anything, but it especially comes in handy in these circumstances. Think of it as a way to narrow your options down while also giving you some solid insights into what you can expect from the process as a whole.
What to Know Going in
Car shipping has a lot involved. Although most transport companies won’t expect you to know everything right off the bat, we’d like to share some tips and tricks to help you get a better idea of what you can expect on your side of the equation. After all, it’s probably not a good idea to just drop your car off unceremoniously as it is – allow us to explain why.
Once you’ve made the decision that you’re going to ship your car (no matter the distance), your first order of business should be to do some cleaning. Find your closest car wash and get scrubbing – both the exterior and interior should be relatively spotless by the time you’re done.
This might seem a bit unnecessary at first glance, and it’s certainly fair to assume that. The thing is, though, that there’s a very practical reasoning to doing this. Namely, you want to reduce the weight of your vehicle as much as possible prior to dropping it off. If you didn’t know, that can seriously affect how much you’ll be paying.
Some of that is explained here, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/car-shipping-how-it-works, though again, there’s a lot to unpack here. Admittedly, it’s probably a good idea to prioritize clearing out the interior of your car. Very little should be left inside.
Any chargers should be removed, as well as any trash that’s left over. Essentially, if it’s something that could add weight, you should take it out. That includes gas, incidentally enough – only put as much fuel as you need to drive to and from the depot.
Final Notes
Overall, the process of having a car shipped isn’t overly complicated. With that said, you will probably want to have some documentation on hand to prepare for it before you decide to consult with a shipping company. That will probably include your car registration paperwork as well as your license. This just helps the company ensure that the vehicle isn’t stolen, and it also helps protect you in case of any damage.
In a similar vein, document any damage to your vehicle prior to shipping it. If there is any damage sustained during transport (which is quite rare, thankfully), then you’ll have some proof that it happened in transit rather than before. Although most of the time this won’t be something to worry about, it never hurts to be safe rather than sorry.
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind here is that you don’t have to stress about transporting your vehicle across state lines if you go with this method. The company will be handling pretty much everything for you, so you’ll be free to fly to your destination (or get there however you choose to).
