Driving your car yourself isn’t recommended if you need to ship your car from one part of the country to the other.
There is no doubt about your driving skills. However, driving your car yourself over long distances of 1000 miles or more is going to be stressful and time-consuming.
In this article, we’ll go through four different ways you can use to ship your car across the country without stress.
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Ways To Ship A Car Across Country
Using A Car Shipping Company
If you want to ship your car across the country, one of the most popular and recommended ways to do this is to use a car shipping company.
Car shipping companies are experts, and they offer professional car shipping services. They offer maximum protection and often take responsibility for the safety of your car while it is being transported.
However, car shipping companies offer different types of shipping methods to get your car transported across the country. The cost of using a car shipping company depends mainly on the type of shipping method you choose.
Different Shipping Methods Used By Shipping Companies
Shipping companies use two main shipping methods. These are:
- The Open Transport
- The Enclosed Transport
The Open Transport
This is the cheapest shipping method offered by most car shipping companies. It involves using large open-ended trailers to ship your car across the country. This method is often the choice of many. This is because it is cost-effective and delivery is relatively fast.
However, there is one main downside to using this transport method. This downside is that your car will be exposed to all road and air elements while it is being transported. And this can lead to damage or stains on your vehicle.
Although, most car shipping companies try their best to keep your car safe throughout the trip. This method is not recommended if you want to transport high-end, classic vintage cars or megabuck sports cars. It would help if you went for the next transport method.
Enclosed Transport
As the name implies, here, your classic or luxurious cars are transported using an enclosed trailer. Your cars are driven into the containers. This means your vehicle is covered by the walls of the container from both sides and by the roof from above.
This shipping method offers an extra layer of protection for your luxury cars. However, this method is relatively more expensive. But, for the value and prestige your luxury car holds, this is the recommended option.
Using A Tow Vehicle
If you need to ship your car across the country within a short time, going to a shipping company is not the best option. The relatively cheap and safe way available to ship your car within the shortest possible time is using a tow vehicle.
This method is relatively fast because you don’t have to start checking in papers and car documents as you’d with a shipping company. Instead, all you need is to get a towing vehicle that can lift your car.
Choose a towing vehicle based on the size of your car. A towing vehicle used to tow a sedan will not be a fit for an RV. However, it would be best if you are prepared to spend on a few required things. These are:
- Gas fare
- Food
- Lodging (This depends on where your car is and where you want to transport it to).
Hire A Professional Driver
There are professional drivers available for hire if you need to transport your car across the country. This method is often less recommended if you are transporting a luxury car across the country. The enclosed transport method by shipping companies is still the most recommended way to ship a luxury car.
Here, licensed professional car drivers help you drive your car across the country. The downside to hiring a professional car driver is that your car tires are subject to wear and tear. This is because your car will be driven throughout the length of the journey.
However, this method is relatively fast, and your car gets delivered to your doorstep without hassle. You can decide to join the driver for a ride in your car to your desired destination.
As regards the safety of your car, there are different companies that offer professional drivers for hire. These drivers have been properly screened in most cases. Some companies request drivers to leave a reference and sometimes a deposit to insure your car. This means should anything go wrong; the drivers are held accountable.
Using A Train
Car shipping by train is one of the cheapest ways to ship your car across the country. The main cost determinant for shipping your car by train is the distance. However, this cost is relatively cheaper than most other car shipping methods. It is the most recommended if you’d be shipping your car over long distances, anything more than 750miles.
An interesting feature of using the train is that, similar to car shipping companies; you can also choose from two different shipping methods. These are open train transport and enclosed train transport.
The transport methods are similar in their functionality to car shipping companies. If you want to transport your vintage car over a long distance without using car shipping companies, you can opt for train transport instead.
One of the downsides associated with using a train to ship your car across the country is late delivery. Car shipping by train takes longer than other car transport methods. During this method, your car is vulnerable at depots. This shipping method is best recommended for car dealers. You can consider other shipping options as an individual.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car Across Country?
The cost to ship a car generally depends on your overall distance. Most shipping companies offer a discounted and reduced shipping rate for longer shipping distances.
However, the average shipping rate is around $2.92/mile for distances less than 500miles. But if you are shipping over a distance of more than 1000 miles, you enjoy a discounted rate of about $0.78/mile. This is often the average rate used for car shipping across the country.
Conclusion
There are different ways to ship your car across the country. Using Car shipping companies is the best-recommended option. However, you can decide whether to ship your car using a tow truck or drive to a cargo transport train station. Choose what method works best for you.
