Ship Your Car

Easiest And Most Affordable Ways To Ship Your Car Out of State

When moving to a new state, you need to consider how you’re going to ship your car there as well. There are plenty of options, but not all of them are practical or affordable. Costs can also be lowered by planning out the details of your move well in advance. 

This lets you lock down the exact dates you want for your move when using a transportation service and gives you extra time to account for unforeseen problems. Once you know when you want to move your car, the next step is deciding how.

Drive The Car Yourself

This is the simplest method of moving your car out of state, but it’s only the cheapest if the move is to somewhere relatively close. When moving farther, the costs of fuel and overnight lodging becomes more expensive. There’s also the physical and mental strain of long drives to consider. If you’re taking unpaid time off from work for the move, every day you’re using for the trip is a day you’re losing money, adding to the costs.

Towing The Car

Finding a way to tow your car can be quite a struggle. If you’re already committed to driving a U-Haul or moving truck, towing your car behind it is a cheap option. However, many rental moving truck companies won’t allow you to use your own trailer or dolly, so you’ll have to rent one from them. Hitching a car to your trailer can make it more difficult to maneuver; you won’t be able to back up, and your mirrors will be partially blocked. Having to account for these additional safety issues will end up slowing you down and can add to your costs in a similar way as driving the car yourself.

Shipping The Car

Having your car shipped is easily the most convenient choice. There are two options when doing this: open-air or enclosed shipping. Keep in mind that when you ship your car, you have to do a bit of preparation beforehand. Get your car cleaned so the transport driver can inspect it and document its condition prior to shipping. This ensures that there’s no confusion about any damage that might be incurred during transportation. It’s also recommended that you keep a quarter tank of gas in the car for pick up and delivery.

Open-Air Shipping

This is the most common way of shipping cars. In open-air carriers, vehicles are exposed on both decks. The cost to ship a car using open-air transport is cheaper than enclosed shipping, although the price will vary depending on which deck you choose. Having your car on the top deck will reduce the chance of damage, limiting exposure to road debris and leaking fluids, but it’s also more expensive. Overall, open-air shipping is a great balance between cost and convenience.

Enclosed Shipping

Shipping your car in an enclosed carrier will offer the most protection for your vehicle. It’ll be covered entirely, shielding it from road debris. However, enclosed shipping is much more costly than open-air shipping, and there isn’t a significant statistical difference in overall safety. There are also fewer enclosed carriers in operation, so it may take longer for your car to arrive.

Door To Door Versus Terminal To Terminal Shipping 

Once you choose which type of shipping you want, you’ll need to decide whether you want door to door or terminal to terminal service. The former option is simpler for you, as the drop-off and pick-up locations will be close to any destination you choose, but it also means higher costs, as it’ll take more fuel and effort on the shipping company’s side to get your car to a specific location. On the flip side, terminal to terminal means you’ll have to make your own way to a vehicle storage facility to get your car, which might be cheaper, but not as easy as having it delivered right to you.

Concierge Transport Service

A concierge transport service will have a professional drive your car out of state for you. Some companies even include a provision for the transportation of your pets. However, these services can be quite expensive, so you’d be trading cost for convenience. If you can find a reasonably priced company with a solid reputation; this could be a good option when moving greater distances, but it’ll generally be less economical than other methods.

The decision of how to move your car out of state comes down to whether your priority is accommodation or affordability. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages, but the easiest option that’s still relatively cost-effective is open-air shipping. As long as you plan out your move far enough in advance, you can get the best value from shipping your car.