Transporting A Vehicle When Moving: To Tow Or Not To Tow

Moving day can bring a lot of stress with it and how organized and prepared you are can make all the difference. There are plenty of places online where you can find moving checklists and information about how to prepare, but in this article I’d like to address something that’s not often written about: transporting a vehicle.

If you’re moving a car in addition to your other personal belongings, it’s easy to entertain the idea of just filling it up with small items and driving it to your new home. This is especially true for shorter distance moves since it can be an effective way to save some money for movers on a budget. There is, however, a point at which you need to evaluate the mileage you’re putting on the vehicle, as well as your own time.

If you can make the trip in one day and you trust that your car is in good enough shape to get you there, it’s not a bad option to drive it yourself. Anything more than about 500 miles generally means a couple days of driving, potential missed work, finding lodging, and of course, the wear you’ll put on the vehicle. Something to keep in mind if you are entertaining the idea of the drive-it-yourself method.

Towing, Hauling & Other Options When Shipping A Car.

In the section above, we briefly covered two options for transporting a vehicle when moving: driving it yourself and hiring a professional to do the job for you. The other option, which is somewhat of a middle ground in terms of cost and work, is to tow the vehicle behind the moving truck.

There are, however, things you need to keep in mind when towing a vehicle, especially if it’s behind an already large moving truck that you’ll be driving. For some tips on how to handle towing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a good resource that covers the basics of what you’ll need to know.

Certain aspects of driving, like braking and giving yourself the appropriate distance to turn and park, are just some of the challenges that come with the do-it-yourself towing method. Make sure you have a good understanding of the proper safety procedures!

In short, it can be a good money-saving strategy to tow your vehicle when you move, but there are some risks associated with it. Weighing your options and considering the risk involved with each is the best way to come up with the right approach for you and your vehicle. For shorter moves that can be done in one day, the do-it-yourself route seems feasible, but anything more than that can become costly and time-consuming.

Have questions about shipping your vehicle when moving? Call us today at the number at the top of the page to find out how we can help! All cost estimates are free of charge & we’re happy to answer your questions!