There are many reasons why an individual or family might need to have a car transported across the country. New college graduates may need to move their car after landing a job far away. Military personnel are reassigned to different bases constantly. Families relocate for career or lifestyle changes, or to be closer to other family members. The list goes on and on.
Likewise, there are many options for auto transport, and each has its advantages and limitations. Following are some considerations for different modes of personal vehicle transport.
Having a friend or family member drive the car
- This option is free or relatively cheap if you offer some form of reimbursement.
- Adds miles and road wear to your vehicle.
- Potentially subject to accidents or theft.
- Is he or she a good driver? Have they been in accidents in the past?
- Are they insured for liability?
Hiring a professional driver
- Adds miles and road wear.
- Still a slight possibility of accident or theft.
- This option may be best for short distances.
- The driver should have sufficient liability insurance.
- Should provide a detailed contract of services rendered.
Transporting by rail
- Railcar transport is covered and less expensive than an enclosed car hauler if it’s going farther than 750 miles.
- Most environmentally friendly. Rail transport reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.
- Transit times will be longer.
- Railcars take eight to twelve vehicles. Since it’s up to the shipper to fill up the railcar before it ships, it can take longer to fill, thus increasing overall transit time.
- You may need to arrange for truck-to-terminal and terminal-to-door delivery of your vehicle.
- Some terminals do not allow for personal pickup of vehicles.
Using a car hauler (truck)
- Can ship a single vehicle or multiple family vehicles. Drivers in our network can either haul a single vehicle, or build a full load with multiple cars heading to the same general destination.
- Can ship door to door nationwide.
- Will have shorter transit times vs. railcar.
- Provides the option of open or enclosed transportation. In general, enclosed car haulers ship luxury or classic cars.
- Through a reliable transport provider like ACERTUS, you can easily get quotes, track and trace your shipment, and get automatic verification of a hauler’s insurance.
Which option works best for you? It depends on your priorities, concerns and time constraints. The good news is that ACERTUS’ professional dispatchers can provide no-obligation consultation to you seven days a week. Our dispatchers will gladly explain the vehicle shipment process and help you decide what makes the most sense for your personal auto transport needs.
We have a nationwide network that can provide safe and reliable shipment of your vehicle.
To learn more, contact our team and we’d be happy to answer any questions.
