Texas, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina are the most moved-to states since 2021. And perhaps the migration bug has bitten you too, and you want to move there.
Moving across the states is not too hard, but then there is the small issue of the car. Do you drive it across state lines? Do you move it with the train?
Do you sell the car and then buy a new one at your destination? The move has already eaten into your budget. Selling your car would make it harder on your budget.
Besides, hunting for another car when you get to the new state is time-consuming, and what you can get will depend on your credit score among other things.
The most viable option for moving with a car is to use a reliable auto transport company. It can save your life, your mileage, and peace of mind.
So, shipping the car it is!
You have the following options:
Best way to move a car across states – auto transport
The best option for car shipping across state lines is to use an auto transport company. Your car will be in safe hands, it will not rack up on the mileage and most importantly, you will save money.
When we say you will save money by shipping your car with auto transporters, you might wonder just how much money.
In 2023, it costs the average of shipping a car on an open trailer is $600 for a maximum distance of 500 miles (804.67 kilometers) and $940 for an enclosed trailer.
The charge for open and enclosed trailer shipping for a distance of 500 to 1000 miles (1,609.34 kilometers) is $920 and $1150 respectively.
To ship a car for a distance of 1000 to 1500 miles (2,414.02 kilometers), you shall pay $1195 and $1710 for an open and enclosed trailer.
Shipping a car for a maximum distance of 2500 miles (4,023.36 kilometers) costs an average of $1714. Shipping it for more than 2500 miles (4,023.36 kilometers) costs an average of $2001.
Of course, driving the car there would be cheaper, but then you would be dog-tired, and your car would have all that mileage on it. The cost of wear and tear would be higher than what you would pay for the car shipping services.
Terminal-to-terminal vs. door-to-door car transport
If your budget does not exactly add up, don’t worry. You can still find a cheaper car transport company.
There are still ways to save money when you use a car transport company. Start by asking for a discount. You will be surprised at how much money people skip on saving just because they don’t ask for discounts.
But even with a discount, consider shipping your car from terminal to terminal rather than door to door. The latter costs more because the company collects the car from your old home, and delivers it to the doorstep of your new home.
The local regulations might also compel you to choose terminal-to-terminal transport. Some towns do not allow large transport carriers on the streets. Thus, you would have to get the car from the terminal.
Please note: If the departure terminal has to store your car for days, you are not going to save money. The same applies if the car stays too long at the destination terminal. If you intend to save money, collect the car as soon as it arrives.
Tow the car to another state
If you have two vehicles, and one is an SUV or a pickup truck, you can consider towing the smaller car across the states.
To do that, you can hire a car trailer or car dolly. A trailer carries the entire car off the ground, and it is most preferred for high-end model cars. The car dolly lifts the car by the front such that only the rear wheels are rolling on the ground.
Secondly, the towing vehicle must be rated for towing the size of the car. Mostly, you need a pickup truck, van, or SUV.
Thirdly, check how much weight the towing vehicle is rated for. Do not tow a vehicle with more weight than what your towing vehicle is rated for. You can cause accidents easily.
Towing your car saves money, but not time. You will have to drive at a slower speed, and in some places, you might not be allowed to tow a car at night.
Open vs. enclosed trailer shipping
When you have decided to use a car transport service when moving across the states, you will have two options.
The first one is the open trailer shipping. Your car will be secured to the first or second level with the other cars, but it will be exposed to the elements all along the journey.
The open trailer method is cheaper. For instance, to transport a car for a distance of 500 miles (804.67 kilometers) or shorter on an open trailer, you could pay about $1 per mile.
You can transport any type of car this way, but it is mostly recommended for regular vehicles. Your car is 100 percent safe because the transport company has insurance.
Perhaps you have a high-end car, and you want a more protected method of shipping it. There is the option of an enclosed trailer. It will cost more than the open trailer method.
For instance, if you are transporting the car for a distance of less than 500 miles (804.67 kilometers), you will pay an average of $940. Of course, the rate per mile depends on the car shipping company.
Renting a truck and towing your car
Instead of hiring the whole package, that is, truck, driver, and packers, you can hire a moving truck, which you will drive yourself. This method is a real money saver.
The best thing is that you can tow your family car behind the moving truck. The benefit that you enjoy from this is that you get all of your things to your destination in one trip.
You will need to hire a car trailer or car dolly to use with the towing truck. A car trailer is recommended. This way, your car will be secured on the trailer.
You will have to drive at a lower speed, so the journey across the states will be longer. However, your car won’t rack up the mileage, and you only need to fuel the moving truck.
For this arrangement to work, you will have to hire a moving truck from a company that has a branch in the state you are moving to so that you can return the truck there. You will also have to rent the tow dolly or trailer from the same company.
Overall, anytime you find that you have to do part of the work when moving, you are going to save money. When hiring a self-drive moving truck, you are doing everything, so you will save more money.
Conclusion
Other car shipping options to consider include using the rail, which is actually the cheapest. But this is applicable to a few states only.
Of all these methods, the best is to let a reliable car shipping company do the work for you. You can choose terminal-to-terminal or door-to-door delivery, depending on your budget.
Before engaging such a company, compare quotes from different providers and select the cheapest. Also, make sure they have insurance, and they won’t charge you any terminal storage fees.
