How does out-of-state car shipping works?
Moving to another country is a time-consuming process that involves a lot of moving tasks. If you want everything to run smoothly, you have to start planning the relocation well in advance. But, what about your car? If you’re not planning to drive it yourself or hire a professional driver to take your vehicle to your new location, consider hiring a reliable moving company that does auto transportation. With a handy moving guide and your vehicle safely shipped to your new home, interstate moving will be much easier. If you’re wondering how exactly out-of-state car shipping works, we’re here to help. Here are all the details you should know before relocating to another state.
Here’s how out-of-state car shipping works
Finding a way to safely transport your car when you’re relocating to another state is one of the most important moving tasks, but also one of the most time-consuming ones. Trying to hire interstate movers without getting scammed is becoming more and more difficult. However, you can have a safe and simple move and ship your car to another state with a few simple steps:
- find a reputable mover
- prepare your vehicle
- keep in mind the paperwork needed for out-of-state car shipping
- choose the right type of transportation for your car
- know the possible price range
The key is to find a reputable moving company
Finding a dependable moving company is the essential step when you’re shipping your vehicle interstate. With a concerning number of fraudulent movers out there, it’s clear why people have issues trusting companies and hiring interstate movers. However, you only need a few minutes to check if a company is reliable. You want to make sure that the movers you’re trusting your vehicle with are licensed and insured. That’s easy to verify simply by checking if they are registered with the FMCSA. If not, skip them. If you want to dig a little deeper, then check online customer reviews on websites such as Angie’s List, Google reviews, or Yelp.
Prepare your vehicle properly
Preparing your car for the move is also one of the most important things you should do. You want to make sure that there are no scratches or dents on your vehicle. If there are, make a note of them so that your movers know they exist. Because of that, you want to wash your car thoroughly. That way, you will know for sure if any new damage to your car appears during the move. Also, check if there are any leaks since most moving companies refuse to transport defective vehicles. Next, you want to empty your car. Take out all your belongings and ensure there’s nothing left in the vehicle. A thing most people forget is to disable the alarm, so keep that in mind as well. And lastly, you want to empty the fuel tank. Leave it about 1/4 full, since any additional weight will lead to a higher cost of transportation.
The movers will take care of the paperwork
When you move to another state, you will have a lot of paperwork to do. There’s the change of address, the paperwork if you’re selling your house or buying a new house, etc. On top of that, you also have to hire movers and decide “how many movers do I need and what kind of insurance is best”, but you should also keep in mind the paperwork needed when you ship your car to another state. Luckily, if you’re hiring an auto moving company, they will take care of all the paperwork. Not having to deal with any extra documentation can be a huge relief.
You do, however, have to remember that different states have different regulations when it comes to car registration after you move. You will have a very short time span to do so in some states such as Florida, which require all imported vehicles to be registered within 10 days after the move.
Choose the right type of transportation for your car
You can choose the type of transportation when you’re moving your car out of state. There is open-air auto transportation and enclosed auto transportation. The first is the most common way to ship vehicles, although it comes with certain downsides since your car is exposed to dust, dirt, and rain or snow. The latter is usually the best choice if you have an expensive sports car, luxury, or vintage car. Enclosed car shipping is more expensive, but your vehicle is protected from all outside factors.
The price of car shipping depends on the state and the type of your vehicle
One of the most important things that people think about when it comes to out-of-state vehicle transportation is the price. The cost of shipping your car will depend both on the state you live in and the type of car and transportation you choose. Some states such as New York or California are known to be expensive, so you can expect the cost of shipping a car to be higher in such states. The type of vehicle is also what impacts the price, so shipping a sedan out of state will be cheaper than shipping an SUV. And lastly, enclosed transportation and door-to-door transportation are the most expensive ways of car shipping. It will cost anywhere from $800-$1100 to ship your car to another state, on average.
Enjoy a smooth relocation knowing your car is safe with dependable movers
Following a few simple steps will ensure you have an easy interstate relocation and do not worry about your vehicle in the process. When you’re hiring movers, make sure to check if they are registered with the FMCSA website and get moving estimates from several companies. That way, you will be able to determine what’s the ideal mover for you and who offers the best deals. Figuring out how out-of-state car shipping works is not hard once you’ve gone through these steps. Have a safe and simple relocation with dependable moving companies – that’s the key to a stress-free moving experience.