Traveling long distances is difficult, even before you factor in logistics such as timetables, budget, and how each person and each vehicle will arrive at the new destination. When people need to get their cars from New York to San Francisco, or even from one end of California to the other, they come up with some fairly creative ways to get the job done. Much of the time, these solutions are formulated in an attempt to save money and avoid using vehicle shipping services, or other well known specialized transportation services.
However, in an effort to be as thrifty as possible, well-meaning car owners might actually be racking up their expenses, risking their vehicles, or even their own safety. Before you try to forego professional vehicle transport, you should know what could go wrong. Here are three things that you don’t want to do when it comes time to get your vehicles transported.
Don’t Do It Yourself
If you’ve ever seen a movie themed around a road trip, then you already know that long trips by car are usually disastrous, and even at their best, they are uncomfortable, and expensive. The cost in fuel alone is enough to make even the most expensive car shipping company look cheap. Perhaps the biggest benefit to leaving the shipping to professionals is that you add no extra mileage to your vehicle. The mileage acquired from a cross-country road trip can add up to serious wear and tear expenses down the line. If you are very concerned about the expense of car shipping, then you can choose to have your car shipped with other vehicles to cut down on the shipping fees.
Don’t Multitask
If you have a motorcycle, and an RV, you might think that you are saving time and expense by loading the motorcycle onto the RV. This is a terrible idea. Not only do you risk injury in the loading process, but the chances that your motorcycle, RV, or both will be damaged on the drive are extremely high. Most auto shipping companies offer specialized transportation services, like motorcycle shipping and RV shipping, so there’s no need to treat your vehicles like Russian nesting dolls.
Don’t Choose Just Anyone for Vehicle Transport
If you find a small car shipping company online, or in your local wanted ads, you may be walking into a scam in your attempt to save some money. If you don’t find proper licenses, ISO 9002 business standards, or a well-established business with positive reviews, then you should be very wary. Some “companies” are set up for the sole purpose of stealing vehicles and the valuables inside of them, and others may move your vehicle at a very low cost, but your vehicle will be less likely to make it to it’s destination intact and on time.
Remember to inspect your vehicle before and after transport, and to take advantage of specialized transportation services. Transporting a car yourself, via a road trip, will ultimately mean more in wear, tear, mileage, fuel costs, and extra expenses as you spend nights in hotels and stop for meals. There are some things in life that work better when you do them yourself, or get creative, but car transport is not one of them. For your safety, and the safety of your vehicles, leave the transport to verified professionals. Find more on this topic here.
