Can You Ship Yourself With Your Car?

1. Can You Sit In Your Car While It's Shipped?
2. Can You Put Items Inside Your Car or Trunk and Ship Them?
3. Is it Legal to Ship Things in Your car?
4. What Are The Risks?
5. Best Practices for Shipping Items in Your Car
6. In conclusion

Have you considered transporting your car rather than driving it to a distant destination? Indeed when traveling between major cities, you've thought there must be a more convenient shipping experience.

That's where the auto transport industry comes in.

Today we will talk about your car's shipping process, whether you can ship household items alongside your vehicle, and if you can be present during transit.

Can You Sit In Your Car While It's Shipped?

Unfortunately, it's not possible to travel in transit with your car when shipping it. For safety reasons, you must be out of the vehicle during transport, and no passengers are allowed.

An auto transport carrier will not allow passengers to ride with their vehicle and sometimes even require that all personal items be removed from the vehicle's interior before pick-up.

When shipping a car, you can choose between two standard transport options. I can tell you that neither allows you to be present in the car when in transit.

The first way to transport your car is by open-air transport. This is the most common and cost-effective method in the auto transport industry for shipping an entire vehicle. Open-air carriers typically carry multiple vehicles simultaneously and can deliver cars over long distances quickly and affordably.

This is a convenient option, but with your car exposed to the elements during transit, you'll have to remember there's an increased risk of damage, especially to the outer body and paintwork.

The second method of car shipping is enclosed vehicle shipping. This enclosed transport offers more protection for your car, as the entire vehicle will be placed in a specially designed container before being loaded onto an enclosed carrier.

Enclosed vehicle shipping shields your car from poor weather conditions and nasty road debris, keeping it safe throughout the journey. However, this service is usually more expensive than open-air transport due to that added protection.

Can You Put Items Inside Your Car or Trunk and Ship Them?

Shipping your car with items inside of it's a relatively straightforward process, but it's essential to understand the legal implications and safety requirements of shipping a vehicle.

Organizing and packing your car correctly is essential when shipping your vehicle with belongings inside. Ensuring that anything packed inside the vehicle does not obstruct the driver's view is crucial. Either from outside of the front or rear window, and does not restrict access to the console or dashboard in any way.

These areas must remain visible for safety reasons. When packing items into the trunk, you should ensure they are secure enough so they don’t slide around in transit; if possible, use tie-downs and store heavier objects at ground level towards the back of the cargo space or securely in the footwells.

Secure lighter objects such as pillows and blankets using straps, nets, or other tools designed to move them safely.

Packing your vehicle correctly can help ensure that all your belongings make it safely through transport without causing damage to personal property or putting yourself at risk for any legal repercussions.

Is it Legal to Ship Things in Your car?

Auto-shipping is a convenient way to ship your car and other personal belongings. On average, it's perfectly legal to do so if you are transporting household items or personal items.

However, many companies have preferences for how to ship a vehicle that contains items properly.

If you plan to ship your car with its contents intact, it’s essential to ensure that you follow all of the guidelines set forth by the shipping company or state laws. The vehicle must be clear of excess weight, and certain types of hazardous materials might not always be allowed in the car.

Additionally, you must take out extra items that don’t have to stay in the car during the journey. Breaking down large parts and eliminating unnecessary weight can help reduce average freight costs. It's also a good tip not to include any personal items you would be upset about losing.

What Are The Risks?

Shipping items in your car can be risky. Car transport services typically require keeping personal things or baggage inside the vehicle below the window lines and inside the trunk to avoid theft. The high mobility of vehicles entering a vehicle transport service may increase the burglary risk.

Most car carriers don’t just drive straight from one destination to another; they make stops at rest areas and gas stations, where burglars could easily take advantage of an unattended full car without anyone noticing.

Furthermore, if someone can spot that a vehicle is loaded with a few personal belongings, this can act as a glaring sign for potential robbers.

No matter how secure the transport company may claim their services, it remains essential that all personal items in your car that you wouldn't want to lose are taken out before handing your beloved ride over for shipping.

If you wish to ship some items along with it, only include essential belongings and nothing valuable or irreplaceable. This is why most experts advise against sending items with your ride during transit, as it will increase the risk of robbery or any other damage caused due to mishandling.

Best Practices for Shipping Items in Your Car

Shipping a car with belongings can seem like a great idea to save money and trouble. After all, it's one less shipment to arrange for, and you're not paying extra for someone’s services. However, there are risks associated with shipping your car with items inside, and steps should be taken to eliminate potential damages that could occur in transit.

First, high-value items should not be shipped in a car as they could be vulnerable to damage during transport.

Furthermore, any suitcases or boxes must be hidden from view so they don’t attract attention while traveling. A good tip is to keep them below the windows' eye level.

Packages containing fragile items must also be adequately packed with padding and sealed securely before loading them into the vehicle.

To ensure minimal risk while transporting your belongings in the car, ensure no sharp objects are left around on floors or seatbacks that may scrape or puncture other items during transport.

Add some insurance coverage on the shipment from a good auto insurer, and you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re covered if something goes wrong.

By following these best practices when shipping cars and belongings together, you will simultaneously maximize security for your vehicle and cargo.

In conclusion

To wrap things up, it's possible to ship personal items with your car, but shipping yourself is, unfortunately, impossible.

It's important to remember that even when shipping personal valuables, there is an inherent risk of theft or damage to your belongings if they are transported with the car. Could you make sure you have good insurance coverage for peace of mind?

It's best to err on caution and remove any unnecessary items before handing your car to a shipping service.

In A-1 Auto Transport's hands, transporting your prized car is a breeze.

Please browse our website to see our services and what past customers say about their experiences. Log on to browse our instant quotes today.