Driving vs. Shipping a Car
When it comes to shipping your car across the country vs driving, there are many factors to consider. If you have never shipped a car across the country, then it might not be your first thought, and you might have some questions, such as “how much does it cost?” or “how flexible is a car shipping service?”
But cost and flexibility are not the only factors to consider, as there are many pros and cons to shipping a car as well as driving a car. Below are a few considerations regarding cross country car transport, and some things to think about when deciding whether to drive or ship your car across the country.
The Purpose of the Trip
Deciding on driving vs shipping your car might be a simple decision when you consider the purpose of your trip. For instance, are you moving to a new location and going to need your car? If this is the case, then shipping your car has more pros than cons. For example, making a move requires a great deal of planning and logistics, and this is even truer when it comes to moving across the country. By shipping your car, this is one more thing you don’t have to worry about, and can have it sent to your new spot along with the other items you are shipping. Come moving day, you can head to your new place quickly and efficiently, knowing all of your belongings will be there upon arrival.
Another time when shipping your car makes more sense than driving is if you are taking an extended trip, such as snowbirding for the winter. Let’s face it, when you are heading to a warmer climate to escape the snow, there are many pros to shipping your car. A big one is that your travel will be safer. Leaving a cold climate means having to drive through bad weather, such as snow or ice. Sure, the weather will clear up along the way, but why start your trip like that? By shipping a car across the country to your warmer destination, you can have the relaxing comfort of flying and getting warm more quickly, while knowing that your vehicle will be safe and sound when you get there.
Another pro in this scenario is simply time. If you are snowbirding, then you don’t want to waste any time getting there. Shipping a car across the country can eliminate your time on the road and allow you to get warm right away.
The Length of the Trip
Some trips are longer than others. If the trip is short, for instance, then you might not want to waste any of the trip in the car getting from A to B. A major pro to shipping your car is that the driving time doesn’t eat into any of the trip. And this is the case whether the trip is for vacation or work, or any other reason. Vacation is a no-brainer, since you want to maximize your time off. Work trips, on the other hand, whether it is for a meeting or a longer duration, also benefit from shipping your car. Let’s face it, the last thing you want to do before an important work event is spend hours on end in a car focused on driving when you could be relaxed and focused on the meeting to come.
The biggest pro to driving your car is when the car is in fact part of the trip. If you are going on a road trip, for example, and planning on making a bunch of stops along the way, then your car is the main resource for the adventure. But if the adventure falls at the end of the travel distance (not throughout) then shipping a car has significantly more pros than cons.
The Flexibility You Need
Shipping a car across the country can be tailored to your needs. From the type of car you have, to the timeframe in which you need your vehicle to arrive, to the precise location where you need your vehicle delivered, shipping a car across the country can be a flexible process.
Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons of shipping a car across the country. But to make sure you get a clear picture of the process and the cost, you can request a free quote to know exactly where you stand, and add one more pro to the tally.