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Is Car Shipping Cost-Effective for My Situation?

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   Is Car Shipping Cost-Effective for My Situation?

Many people are faced with the question of whether to ship their car or drive it themselves. For most, the answer to this question depends largely on how much it will cost. At first glance it might seem like driving your car would be the cheaper option but when you look a little closer you might find that shipping your car is a more cost-effective solution. Here is what you need to consider when choosing whether it’s worth the cost to have your vehicle shipped. 

  • Many people are busy and might not have the time to take several days off to drive their car across the country. You might have to use valuable vacation time or even take time off without pay. When you consider the cost of taking time off work, you will find that it quickly adds up.
  • When you are driving your car a long distance you will certainly need to account for the cost of gas. Gas prices will vary greatly depending on where you are, but it could be upwards of $4.00 a gallon in certain parts of the country. 
  • Obviously if you are driving across the country you will need to factor in the cost of hotel accommodations and food. Hotels can range anywhere from $80-$150 a night and two to three meals a day could cost roughly $30-$40 per person. 
  • Some people prefer to fly to the destination and drive their car home. In this case, you will need to consider the cost of a one-way ticket and it’s no secret that plane tickets can be expensive. 
  • Finally, your car will need proper maintenance in order to drive it a long distance. This will include oil changes, tire rotation, and other routine inspections and maintenance repairs. You also want to consider the wear and tear that heavy mileage will put on your car. 

All these factors can add up quickly and end up being very costly. This also doesn’t factor in unforeseen hazards that might be associated with long-distance driving such as breaking down, hitting an animal, or even the possibility of a car wreck. These are things to take into consideration when deciding whether shipping a car is right for you. You might just find that shipping your car is worth the cost because it is affordable, safer, and better for your vehicle. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Your Car Moving Questions

The hardest thing for people researching car moving companies to understand is that the prices they are getting are not hard and fast gaurantees, but rather ESTIMATES of what one company thinks it will take to get a vehicle moved promptly versus another company's opinion of what it will take. Don't be fooled, there are not carriers committed to take your vehicle at these quoted prices, the company you choose will still have to get to work getting a carrier to commit to move it at the price they quote you.

Your total price breaks down into two parts, the broker's fee (or 'deposit' as everyone calls it) and the carriers fee (your COD amount) Make no mistake about this, EVERYONE YOU ARE GETTING SALES CALLS FROM IS GOING TO BROKER YOUR MOVE. In this industry, there are brokers who try to fool you into thinking that they are the actual carriers and there are an equal amount of carriers who sell themselves on the fact that they have a truck or two but are not being honest about the fact that they broker out 90% of the orders they book. Here is a quick easy way to tell, if a company takes an up front fee, whether they call it a deposit or any other name, they are a broker. Carriers do not take any payment until the vehicle is delivered.

In our opinion, you are crazy to do so. Have you ever been paid up front for the work that you perform for your employer? Why would you pay a fee up front when there are reliable and trustworthy companies like ours that won't ask for it until we provide you with your carriers details?

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will be between one and two weeks. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

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