Is Long Distance Car Moving Worth It?

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Is Long Distance Car Moving Worth It?

Staff Writer · Mar 4, 2010

Movers with multiple vehicles might look at long distance car moving as a possible solution for helping them make it difficult relocation or transition. Long distance car moving services help individuals and households get their vehicles where they need to be.  But how good of a deal are these third-party moving services, and when do you really need them? A few basic considerations can help customers decide if they really need long-distance car moving and whether it’s worth the cost.

Planning Trips

One of the main reasons to do without long-distance car moving is that someone in the family or household may want to make a one-way trip at some future time. If you have a place to store your car or other vehicle until your return, why pay extra for others to move your car when you could drive it back from a remote location on your own? Think about whether your remote vehicle can provide you with a nice relaxing one way road trip in the future.

If You Need Your Car Right Away

Long distance car moving can be a good value for those who need their vehicles to be available quickly. If you need an extra vehicle for small business, and you want to get it to your new home right away, quick car moving services can help you turn time into money.

Looking at Types of Long Distance Car Moving Services

Another way to figure out the value of the car moving service is to look at how the company accomplishes the move. Then compare their price to the price that you would pay to move your own vehicle, including gasoline and the value of your time on the road.

Some types of long distance car moving services just have a single driver drive your vehicle across the country. These single drivers are then picked up or return back to their location by public transit. The problem with this is that the company has to pay labor driving hours, the return ticket, and all of the gas plus other expenses for overhead. You’re not likely to get a better deal from these services then you could get by scheduling the return trip yourself.

Other long distance car moving services put several cars onto haulers. With this kind of efficient moving, you may actually be able to get your car moved for cheaper than it would cost you, because of the “economy of scale” involved in shipping multiple cars together.

Insurance Costs

In addition to the labor costs mentioned above, car moving companies also have to add specialized insurance if their workers will be driving your car. This is another additional cost that may cause car moving service fees to be out of your price range.

Risk

Some car owners with specialty or luxury vehicles are not very comfortable handing over their car keys to an outside company. If your car is more valuable than the common family sedan, you may want to think about how you will deal with the risk of letting it out of your sight.

Some of the above can apply to your next long distance car moving deal. Weigh the pros and cons of this kind of service and see if it makes sense for you to pay out what they are asking to have your car brought to you.

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