How to Transport Your Car Across Country Worry Free
Car Shipping can be a difficult task, especially if you’ve never moved a vehicle from one state to another. Not only do you have to worry about ensuring that your car gets to its location, but you’ll also have to factor in additional costs if you decide to drive. Transporting your car across the country shouldn’t be stressful, time-consuming, or financially straining.
Here are five tips to help you transport your car stress-free.
1. Don’t Drive Yourself
Many auto owners think the best way to get their car from point A to point B is to drive it themselves. However, there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t transport your car yourself.
Safety and Damage
The first reason is that you risk damaging your car or getting into an accident. If you’re moving across state lines, odds are you’ll also try to shove in as much luggage as possible, leaving you little room to use your rear window. You’ll also have to consider the fact that you don’t know the roads or climate in the new state as well yet. This can put you and your loved ones in danger.
Not only do you have to factor in the risk to yourself, but there’s also a significant risk to your car. Driving your car for hundreds or thousands of miles can result in wear and tear from rocks and debris, all the while increasing how many miles your car has on it and ultimately decreasing its value and lifetime.
Cost
Another factor to consider is the cost. It’s actually a misconception that driving your car is cheaper than using a transport company. While you’ll have to consider gas, you may have to factor food, lodging, and more into your ever-expanding budget.
Time and Energy
Not only will driving your car put you and the vehicle at risk while costing you more than you may have budgeted, but it can also be time-consuming. One of the main reasons people worry about shipping their cars across the country is because of a time-constraint.
Whether you’ve been offered a new job or have to sign some last-minute paperwork on your new house, odds are you’ll need your car shipped there by a certain date. This can put added pressure on you, making the entire experience more stressful than it needs to be.
2. Inquire About Insurance
Hopefully, you’ve decided to use a car transport company to get your vehicle from one state to another. If you’ve done so, you’ve already saved yourself a lot of time and energy. The next step is to inquire about the company’s insurance. Accidents happen on the roads, no matter how careful the driver is. In the case that this should happen, it’s important to know just what the car shipping company’s insurance will cover.
Once your car is shipped, it’ll be in the hands of the car shipping companies and one of their truck drivers. It’s important to give yourself peace of mind by ensuring that your vehicle is safe and that insurance will cover any potential damages.
Reputable vehicle transport companies will often have liability insurance that will cover a minimum of $50,000. How much the insurance covers will depend on the make and model of your car as well as its current condition.
Make sure you have a clear understanding of this information so that you don’t have to worry about your car while it’s en route.
3. Remove Valuables From the Car
Your auto transporter will often tell you to remove all items from the car before it is shipped. This is because they don’t want to be held liable for items that you leave in your vehicle. They also never want to transport a car if it weighs more than it has to.
Make sure to remove your valuables to give yourself peace of mind that, should anything happen to your car, you won’t lose anything that’s inside.
4. Take Photos
If you’re concerned that your car may be damaged in the transport process, take photos of your vehicle before and after transport. This will ensure that you’re aware of any pre-existing damage, and will provide you proof if your car does happen to be damaged during transport.
Your car is one of the most valuable items you own, so it’s important to make sure that you understand the condition of your car before and after the transport happens.
5. Ask Questions
The best thing you can do when it comes to helping yourself relax through the entire transport process is to ask as many questions as you have about auto shipping. Your auto transport company will thank you because it gives them the opportunity to tell you why you should pick them to transport your vehicle while giving yourself peace of mind.
Asking questions will also help you learn more about the process, so you don’t feel panicked during the process. A good cross-country auto transport company will gladly take the time to answer every question that you have.
Get Your Car Shipping Across Country Worry Free
If you need to ship your vehicle from one state to another, contact us today for a free quote.
