Avoid the Hazards of Driving Your Car Across Country

1. Factor in the Hazards
2. Consider the Mileage
3. What is your Time Worth?
4. Shipping Options

We know the comforts of living in a community for a long period of time. We know what it is like to be set in our ways. We have a short commute to work. Stores are easily accessible. Recreational activities are close by. Everything we need is convenient to where we have chosen to live. But sometimes work opportunities come up that make relocating to another part of the country too good of an opportunity to turn down.

So, the decision is made. The move is eminent. Long distance movers have been hired to get your household full of furniture and possession from point A to point B. But what about your car? Does it make more sense to risk the hazards of the open road to drive your car across country to your new home, or to let the experts do the job and hire a professional car transportation company?

Factor in the Hazards

When you contract with a professional transportation company, your workload is pretty limited. Once you prepare your car for shipment, your job is done. You don’t have to worry about a thing other than claiming your vehicle at the other end of the journey.

By comparison, when you drive your car across country, you put you and your vehicle at risk. You may face road construction, multi-car pileups, oil spills, flat tires, inclement weather, and a host of other travel woes. And, what if one of these hazards impacts your car and something goes wrong? Do you really want to have to try to find a qualified and affordable mechanic along the sprawling highways?

Another huge hazard to contemplate when driving across country is human fatigue. Logging hours behind the wheel will wear your down both physically and mentally. You won’t be as sharp, and this increases your chance of being in an accident.

In addition to avoiding the hazards of cross country driving, there are other factors that go into a decision to drive your car or have it professionally transported.

Consider the Mileage

While statistics show that Americans are traveling more by road for family visits and vacations, the emphasis is definitely on short trips. Driving a car for a cross country move is a lot more stressful than one might think. You’ll want to evaluate several factors to see if it makes more sense to drive your car across country or hire an expert transportation company like A-1 Auto Transport.

One of the first things you’ll want to calculate when making a decision to drive or ship your car across country is the distance of the move.

A move from New York to Los Angeles entails navigating 2,800 miles of road. That’s a lot of miles to put on your car in one trip. According to TravelMath.com, factoring an average gas price of $2.89 per gallon, the fuel expense for a trip of that distance would be under $350. But we all know the costs of driving are more than just for fuel. There’s also parking fees, road tolls, meals and lodging, and vehicle maintenance. Taking into account that the depreciation on your vehicle gets impacted with each and every mile, driving your car across country is not necessarily the most economical decision.

What is your Time Worth?

After calculating the mileage of the move, the next thing you will want to figure out is the time the journey will take. While you can keep a racecar pace going and get from one end of the country to the other in a few days, typically a cross country drive takes about a week. This allows for rest stops for the drivers. Driver safety considerations like taking rest stops is paramount for the welfare of everyone on the road.

While it would be lovely to make your drive into a mini vacation with stops at all the historical landmarks and tourist sites, do you have the freedom in your schedule to make those kinds of stops? If you have kids, is it going to be prohibitive to take them out of school for that length of time? If you use your time off from work to drive your car across country, are you going to have time for unpacking and getting your things organized and put away?

If you only have limited time available for your move, it may make more sense to ship your vehicle.

Shipping Options

If you decide that shipping your vehicle makes more sense than driving, you’ll want to make sure you use a transportation company that is fully licensed, bonded, and insured.

Automobile transportation companies typically offer a wide range of shipping options. These various shipping options can include:

• Open Air Transport
• Enclosed Transport
• Luxury, Exotic, and High End Transport
• Door to Door Transport

When it comes to cross country vehicle transportation, open air transport is the most economical shipping option. However, it does leave the vehicle open to some weather and road hazards.

By contrast, with a hard sided enclosed carrier, the vehicle is safely protected from all travel and weather conditions. For most vehicles, enclosed transport is just enough pampering to keep your vehicle happy on its way to your new home.

With Luxury/High End service, auto transporters offer additional precautions that include:

• Air ride suspension to prevent “chucking.”
• Wall and floor mounted brackets for a secure fit.
• Use of a hydraulic lift gate for loading and unloading.
• Drip guards to prevent potential leaks.

Door to Door transport is the most convenient shipping option. You vehicle is picked up from your home on one end of the journey and delivered to your new home at the other end of your journey.

Moving from one state to another can be a stressful thing, even when the move is a positive one. Don’t let the hazards of road travel become an albatross hanging round your neck.