Handy Tips for Shipping a Car to Another State

Whether you’re moving from one state to another or visiting for an extended vacation, you’re going to need your vehicle. Unfortunately, bringing a heavy vehicle from point A to point B can be surprisingly difficult, and all that additional mileage is going to be extremely costly.

On the bright side, there are alternatives to just driving your car cross country. For example, you can have it shipped by a transportation company. If you’re keen on shipping your vehicle to another state, here are 10 handy tips to help you get started.

Always Prepare the Necessary Documents

Before shipping your vehicle from state to state, it’s incredibly important to have all the necessary documentation to ensure the process goes smoothly. Paperwork will prove that the vehicle belongs to you, and it can also be used to pinpoint and identify your vehicle.

Make sure you have the following documents before shipping your vehicle:

• Proof of ownership to verify that you are the legal owner of your vehicle.
• Vehicle registration forms to help identify your vehicle.
• A government-issued ID, such as a passport or a driver’s license to verify your identity.
• Insurance documents in case your vehicle gets damaged in transit.

Don’t Hesitate to Hire Other Drivers

If you don’t know how to bring your vehicle to another state, you can try hiring another driver to deliver your vehicle for you. Make sure to hire someone you trust with your ride, whether it be a friend or a licensed professional.

Though this adds a lot of mileage to your vehicle, you can save a lot of money and effort by contacting a trusted concierge or transportation service. More often than not, these services also offer insurance coverage in case the vehicle gets damaged during the journey.

It’s also strongly recommended to hire drivers from an established transportation company that has carefully vetted its drivers to guarantee that your vehicle will be in good hands.

Do Your Research

Do your research and familiarize yourself with how interstate vehicle transportation works. Each company has a different process depending on their mode of shipping.

Read up on all the auto transport companies in your area. Check customer reviews and study shipping prices to get the best deal. Keep an eye out for the following green flags of a great auto transport company:

• The company is licensed and legitimate, and offers insurance for interstate shipping.
• The company has good customer service and responds to inquiries on time, clearly, and effectively.
• The company has consistently good online reviews.

Inspect Your Vehicle and Take Photographs

Another handy tip to keep in mind when shipping your vehicle is to take one last look at your vehicle. Get your vehicle serviced by reinflating the tires, refilling any fluids except fuel, and charging the car battery all the way.

Once your vehicle is all sorted out, take pictures of it — especially any parts that have been dented or damaged in the past. This way, you can tell if your vehicle sustained any damage during transit and show photo evidence if ever you have to prove it.

Keep an Extra Set of Keys

Having your vehicle transported from state to state only to realize that you’re missing your car keys is a miserable experience, so make sure to get yourself an extra set of keys just in case.

If ever you misplace your keys or they wind up missing, you’ll at least have a backup pair that you can use to access your car after it’s been transported to a different state.

Lighten the Load

Keeping your vehicle light before shipping is important because it makes it easier for the transporting company to move your vehicle around. It also makes loading and unloading your vehicle a lot easier if it weighs less.

Similarly, don’t forget to drain the fuel tank of your car before transporting it from state to state. It’s a good idea to leave a little fuel for when you have to drive to the nearest gas station but try and drain as much as possible. This minimizes the risk of fuel leaks and combustion during transit.

Pay Attention to the Seasons

It’s important to consider the seasons when transporting goods. Certain routes get blocked off in wintertime due to snowfall, and driving also becomes more dangerous due to inclement weather conditions, frost-covered roads, and obscured vision.

Generally speaking, the best time of year to have a car transported from state to state is between April and September. Summer is the best season to transport just about anything because there’s less road congestion and the weather is also a lot more stable.

Retrieve All Valuables Before Shipping

Before transporting your vehicle, make sure to retrieve any valuables you might have left behind. It wouldn’t hurt to look through your car once last time to see if you left anything important behind. The glove box might have a lot of valuable documents and other essentials inside so don’t neglect to check that either.

Tow Your Car With a Truck

Though it’s arguably safer to have your vehicle transported by train or boat, towing it with a truck that you’re driving yourself can be more reassuring. You’ll be directly responsible for taking care of your ride. However, you may also need to perform maintenance on your vehicle if it sustains damage.

You also get the added benefit of being able to go on a road trip, so why rush things? You can go on an interstate adventure with a big rig, all while towing your car and any other cargo you might need when moving.

Transport Your Car via Train or Boat

Some of the safest and most common ways to transport your vehicle across states are by having it shipped via train or boat. It’s far safer to have a large vehicle dedicated to transporting heavy cargo deliver your car than it is to rely on a truck. You also won’t have to worry about your car taking any damage while on the road.

Bear in mind that landlocked states are less likely to have access to shipping via boat due to a lack of oceans or rivers. Fortunately, you can still use a train to ship your vehicle across different states.