Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Driveaway Service

A driveaway service is an auto transport service in which your vehicle is picked up by a professional driver and driven to its final destination. You should know that it'll be physically driven rather than placed in a trailer and hauled by a truck. A driveaway service offers many advantages compared to a more traditional carrier service, but it also comes with a few disadvantages.

Advantages of Using a Driveaway Service.

• Faster Shipping - Since your car will be picked up from an agreed-upon location and is then driven immediately to its final destination, it will be delivered much faster in comparison to choosing a traditional hauling service. There is no need for loading and unloading your or other vehicles to be loaded or unloaded. Instead, once he or she picks up your vehicle, the driver has only one focus: get your car and ONLY your vehicle to its final destination as quickly and safely as possible.
• Door-to-Door Delivery is Available—Since a large tractor-trailer, for example, doesn't need to navigate to your location, you don't have to worry about this not being an option. No matter your location, your car will be picked up by a professional driver and delivered to its final destination. There's no need to pick up your vehicle at a terminal or drive it to a drop-off location. This, of course, also contributes to it being hauled faster.
• Transport Personal Items, Including Pets. You, the driver, and the shifting service will have to discuss what is and isn't allowed beforehand, but in many instances, you can fill the trunk with your items. In addition, you won't have to remove various auto accessories like you usually would with a traditional relocating service.

Disadvantages of Using a Driveaway Service.

• More Expensive. Because the service is more personalized, it'll also cost more. You cannot split the costs with others as you would with multiple cars being shifted.
• Possibility of Wear and Tear. Granted, there are open trailers that will expose your vehicle to the weather and the elements if you choose that option, but you can also put your car in an enclosed trailer. However, with a driveway service, your vehicle will be exposed in the open road the whole time. This is something to consider if your car is valuable, such as it being a luxury auto or an antique. However, you will avoid the possibility of any damage occurring during the loading and unloading process, since your automobile will not have to go through this.
• More Mileage. The more miles your auto incurs, the lower its value will be. If your car needs to be driven a great distance, it will have more miles on it than if it were towed instead. This is why a driveaway service is perhaps better for those whose vehicle only has to be driven a short distance instead of being hauled across the country.

An auto driveaway company that's credible will run a full background check on the drivers they hire, including the person's driving records. Nonetheless, you should always make sure that you document how your automobile looks before the driver leaves and make sure to have copies of all of the relevant paperwork. In addition, you should visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov to see if your driver is officially licensed.

• Driveaway service costs $0.50–$1.00 per mile, making it more affordable per mile than enclosed transport but costlier than shared open-carrier options for long routes.
• Driveaway delivers door-to-door with no terminal stops, but cross-country routes exceeding 1,000 miles add significant mileage and road wear to the vehicle.
• FMCSA requires all driveaway drivers to hold valid operating licenses; verifying driver credentials at fmcsa.dot.gov before handoff is the owner's responsibility.