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I’m Moving. Should I Ship or Drive My Car?

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Should I ship My Car or Drive
  • Post category:Blog

You’re ready to move and now you have an important decision to make. Should you ship your car or drive it to your new location. There are a lot of factors that go into this decision. The biggest driving factor, pun intended, is cost. It is almost always cheaper to drive your car rather than ship it. This doesn’t mean that it’s a better idea. It may be cheaper to drive your car, but you could be losing money elsewhere if you choose to drive.

Driving Cost compared to Shipping

Moving long distances shows the biggest advantage of shipping your vehicle. For most moves, even to a neighboring state, the cost of shipping will double that of driving. In a research article that took the average price of multiple shipping companies, it was found that moving 150 miles would cost on average $470 to ship, while only estimating $200 to drive. However, if your move is 2750 miles, the estimated price for driving is $1220, while the average cost of shipping is $1270.

Those numbers don’t tell the whole story. If you are moving on your own, you may have to drive a moving truck across the country if you do not hire a moving company. This means you would need to come back for your vehicle and drive the trip a second time. That doubles the food prices, hotel stays, and, of course, gas. For those moving solo, shipping your vehicle almost any distance makes sense to ship.

Think of the Wear and Tear

Of course, if you have someone to drive the moving truck and another to drive the vehicle, some interesting observations can support the claim that it’s cheaper to ship than drive, even if the upfront costs don’t prove that. First, you will have to fuel up two vehicles when you stop. This also doesn’t include the damage you’ll do to your car while driving a long distance.

The average person drives around 1,100 miles per month. Every month you add miles to your odometer, you’re lowering your resale value. It also creates wear and tear on your vehicle, depressing the value even more. If you’re concerned about racking up too many miles, the best option will always be to ship your vehicle.

Safety Concerns

Another contributing factor to think about is safety. It is not likely you will get into a major accident on your trip. The bigger things to worry about is speeding tickets and unsafe road conditions. Driving down unfamiliar roads brings unfamiliar hazards. Driving a long distance increases the likelihood that you may pop a tire, scrape a bumper, or ding a side panel. Repairs could cost you the price of shipping.

Shipping Can Save Time

To some, time is more valuable than money. This is especially true if you’re relocating for work. If you only have a small weekend window to move all your belongings before you get back to work, shipping may be your only option. The Department of Transportation recommends not driving more than 500 miles in a single day.

If you’re moving a great distance, you could ship your vehicle and use a rental to commute to work until your car arrives. Shipping a vehicle on average takes about 9 days for a 500 1000-mile trip and 16 days to ship 2500 miles. This includes waiting for pickup after you book.

Driving in your own car can take a week or longer to get across the country. This includes hotel stays. If you can’t get time off from work, shipping may be your only option.

The choice is yours

For short moves across counties or to the next state over, it might be best to drive yourself. Unless, of course, you’re doing everything alone. For those who want to keep their car on the road for as long as possible, shipping may be the best option for you.

If you’re curious about how much it will cost to ship your vehicle, you can always contact Car Transport Depot for a reliable and friendly car shipping option. Get a quote today!

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