How to Ship a Car to Another State

A large part of shipping your car from one state to another is finding a trustworthy company that you can rely on. You want to select a shipping company with experience and then begin preparing your car for transport. Whether it's for your job or for family reasons, many people find themselves moving to a new state at some point in life.

This brings up the task of shipping your car. Have two or more cars that you need to move? A vehicle shipping service is capable of moving several cars wherever you need to go in the nation.

How to Ship Your Car Across State Lines

Prepare your car for shipment by first observing any damages that currently exist. Wash the vehicle, and make a list of the damages you found. This will serve as a record of cosmetic damages that were present on the vehicle before it was shipped.

Take photos all around the vehicle and capture every angle. If your vehicle does have pre existing damage, take a close-up photo of it and store the photos with your written record. You can advise your vehicle transporter of the notes you've taken.

Remove any important or personal items from the car before shipping. During the shipping process, your car will often be unloaded, loaded, and inspected numerous times.

Theft from your vehicle is a risk that should be considered, so it's not a good idea to pack your car with personal items to save on travel costs.

Factors That Affect the Cost

The type and size of your car will affect the auto shipping cost. If you need to ship a van, small SUV, or truck, the price is typically slightly higher. In general, it costs less to ship a four-door vehicle.

It's safe to say that the bigger and heavier your car is, the more it will cost to ship it. Also, the time of year affects the cost of shipping. It generally costs less to ship your car during the winter season rather than during summer.

Distance is one of the factors affecting shipping cost as well. The further your car has to be shipped, the more fuel is required. Long-distance moves also incur more tolls and labor charges. You can either ship your car via open-air transport or enclosed transport.

In general, enclosed auto transport costs more. Enclosed transport helps protect your car from the elements. For example, if you're shipping a vintage vehicle with an excellent paint job, then enclosed transport is the way to go.

This method of shipping spares your vehicle from all the debris and dirt that would otherwise get on your car. Enclosed transport is also a good option for expensive vehicles, sports cars, racecars, and model vehicles.

Much like it sounds, open-air transport means that your vehicle will be exposed to the outside elements. If you've ever seen a trailer going down the road with 10 or more vehicles, this is an open-air transport vehicle.

You can also hire a hotshot truck, which is a form of open-air transport that will get your vehicle to your destination as quickly as possible—for an added cost. If you're on a tight schedule and are willing to pay a bit more money, this is an option. Just keep in mind that this is more expensive than typical enclosed vehicle transport costs.

Benefits of Shipping Over Driving

Unless you're up for a gnarly road trip across the country in your car, you'll want to go the easy route and have it shipped. If your new home is far enough to travel by plane, the choice is obvious that you need a vehicle shipping service.

You don't want any surprises when you see your shipped vehicle to your new home. Your car will arrive undamaged with no scratches, dents, or dings. Your car will be delivered in a timely manner no matter where you're moving in the state.

So how do you find the best shipper? Go with experience. Shipping your car with a new and inexperienced company is high risk. It's a better idea to choose a company with years of successful shipments under their belt.

Also, choose a company that is well trusted. Read reviews and speak to people you know about their car shipping experiences. Professionalism speaks for itself. The way that the shipping service presents its offerings says a lot about the company's degree of professionalism.

The cheapest service may not necessarily be the best service. Alternatively, you don't want to deal with ridiculously high fees. You're paying to ship your car across state lines rather than around the world. The cost of shipping your car should have a fine balance between affordability and premium service.

Driving your car thousands of miles can be a hassle. It adds a lot of mileage and increases the wear and tear on your car — not to mention how road conditions and weather can affect your ride. Plus, not all drivers are created equally.

By driving your car across the country yourself, you'll be subjected to all manner of inexperienced drivers. Avoid drivers cutting you off prematurely, fluctuating gas prices from state to state, and inconsistent road quality altogether by shipping your car.

Driving your car more than you ever have to complete a single trip can put a lot of stress on your car. By choosing to drive your car from state to state, you'll have to stay alert and drive for many hours, which can make you tired and exhausted. Driving while you're extremely tired can turn dangerous quickly. Choosing to ship your vehicle instead of driving it is definitely the safer option.

Ship a Car Direct can ship your car across the country for you, and you can rest easy that your vehicle will be in good hands.