When relocating across the country, the last thing you need is to struggle when searching for a car shipping service provider. With us, you will get all-in-one service, including auto shipping so there will be no need to worry about this aspect of your move. As a client-oriented company, we believe that one of the crucial parts of a stress-free move is to have all services you can wish for at the same place. See what kind of shipping service State to State Movers has in mind.
There can be many reasons people decide not to opt for an auto shipping company, and the most common one is that it is easier and more affordable to drive a car all the way to the destination. This is a common misconception based on wrong calculations. Even if you decide to go on the most minimal budget, you will spend around $1,300 to move from one side of the country to another, and even with the most popular and best car shipping company, this price will only be a couple of dollars higher.
One of the main reasons you should leave this to professionals is safety. As you know, roads can be dangerous for many reasons. You can get lost, have car issues, and someone may steal your car. Still, one of the most critical factors is the possibility of accidents, which can happen even to the most experienced drivers (there are around 10 million animal roadkills each year).
With years of experience in the relocation industry, State to State Movers realized that the best possible service is the one that can answer all your needs. That is why we offer car shipping alongside other services, like moving, packing, and storage. But unlike other services, car shipment can be booked separately. So if you wish only to ship your car with State to State Movers, we can arrange that.
One of the options we offer to our clients is open trailer auto transport. These trailers are commonly used and are the ones you can usually see on the roads. They are best if you wish to ship more vehicles simultaneously, and they are usually faster than enclosed trailers. The only downside is that your car will not be fully protected from outside factors such as bad weather and road debris.
The other option that most companies and so do we offer is an enclosed trailer. As the name suggests, these trailers are completely closed. These trailers are meant for more luxurious vehicles or sports cars. Of course, if you wish your SUV or Honda to be shipped with an enclosed trailer, no problem. These trailers will guarantee your cars will not be affected by any outside factors.
What we suggest is that you contact our agents to help you out with this decision. Because some car models may not even be possible to place on an open trailer, you will have to put them on an enclosed trailer. But if your vehicle model is OK for both trailers, you should decide based on factors such as price, safety, and time frame for distribution.
If you are in a hurry and wish to get your vehicle to a new location as soon as possible, an open trailer is the better option. These trailers are faster and more affordable than enclosed ones. You can ship all your family cars with this trailer at the same time. So how do these trailers work? As you may know, open trailers mostly have a capacity of up to nine vehicles, depending on their size. So naturally, we will wait for all the slots on the trailer to be filled. This is the main factor why these trailers are faster – they are more popular among our customers, and there is a trailer on the road at almost every moment. And even though we leave the distribution window of up to three days, with an open trailer, the chances are greater for the car to be delivered on the exact day we arranged.
If you have a Maserati, Lamborghini, or Ferrari, you should consider booking the enclosed trailer. As we mentioned, your car will be fully protected from any outside factors. For example, if you have some oldtimer that you wish to transport, you know how rain or snow can affect the vehicle. Also, drivers will use lifts instead of ramps, which will make transportation on a trailer much safer.
There are also two types of pick up and distribution systems we offer. You can choose between door to door and terminal to terminal pick up and delivery options. And which one you choose will also impact the final cost of your transportation.
Door to door is a bit more expensive, but it doesn’t require any effort (except providing State to State Movers with a correct address) from your side. With this option, our team of professionals will come to your home to pick up your cars and will deliver them the same way to your new home.
The terminal to terminal option costs less, but it requires that you drive your car to the nearest terminal and pick it up the same way at a new address. You will also have to arrange for someone to drive you there both times. Also, the State to State Movers company has a terminal in each major city, so if you are relocating far from any major town, the ride to the terminal can last longer.
Safety is one of our top priorities, and even though we will do whatever is in our power to protect your four-wheeler, there are still circumstances we can not influence, such as road debris or weather. For this reason, we offer car insurance to our customers. For an open trailer, you will get up to $100,000 for any external damage and up to $500,000 for an enclosed one.
Aside from the type of carrier you choose, other factors will impact your transport quote. For example, the quote will be higher if you ship a car during the holiday season or in the summertime when demand is higher. On the other hand, if you ship a car in a bundle with some other service we provide, a discount is something to count on.
Naturally, the things that will impact the cost primarily are distance and the route. The calculation will depend on the road the driver must take. So the price will be higher if there are bad roads or inaccessible roads. Also, if you wish to use our premium shipment where the car will be delivered in 24 to 48 hours, our agents will arrange that, but the costs will be higher.
When it comes to preparing your car for shipment, there are several things you need to do. First, you need to prepare all the vehicle documents from car insurance to proof of ownership. Secondly, you should remove most of the gas from your vehicle – leave only enough so the drivers can put it on a carrier. Also, if you take the terminal to terminal delivery option, calculate the distance you will have to drive when you pick up your vehicle.
Third, you should give your vehicle a good wash, especially the exterior. Then, you will need to take pictures of the car for insurance purposes. If you ask most car shipping companies, they will refuse to allow you to keep any items inside the vehicle. With us, this is not the case. Each customer can place up to 100 lbs inside the trunk or back seat. Still, the items left must be secured and not block the windows.
The best-case scenario for booking an auto carrier is to do it at least three months in advance. But if you have to do it in a shorter time period it shouldn’t have to be a problem. When searching for moving companies, make sure to book the one that can offer you car shipment as well. Our company will make sure you get a better final quote if you hire us for moving services and car shipping bundle deal.
As we mentioned earlier, when it comes to the auto shipment time frame, we leave a window of three days for your auto to be delivered in regard to the agreed delivery date. This window is a necessary measure of precaution. Even though auto will be delivered on a set date in most cases, some unpredictable things can happen, which is why we like to leave an option for late delivery. For example, some roads can be closed due to storms and bad weather, or some accidents can happen – in short, a lot of things can happen and influence the delivery.
Still, depending on the distance and route your carrier will have to use, there are some rules when it comes to the distribution time frame. So for one to 999 miles, we will deliver a car in up to 5 business days. One thousand miles to 1,999 miles takes up to 7 business days. Finally, ten business days will be needed for a millage of 2,000 to 3,000 miles and 14 days for 3,000 miles and more. Truck drivers usually cross no more than 400 miles a day. So based on that, you can calculate the cost by dividing the total mileage by 400.
If you are still in doubt about whether you should hire State to State Movers for auto-shipment services, you can always ask for an online free quote for your move, including car shipment. Of course, this quote will be initial and not precise but it will give you some idea of how much your move will cost and whether your budget can endure this cost. You can also contact our agents and ask them for a free estimate solely for vehicle shipment. They will be more than happy to help you with this.
Either way, in our experience, long-distance moving is a stressful and demanding project, and driving all the way across the country will be even more demanding and exhausting. And if you believe this is worth a couple of dollars that you will save then go for it. But if you don’t, we urge you to contact us as soon as possible so we can make all the necessary arrangements.