Can You Transport My Car During a Home Move?
As most people plan their home move, they have a good understanding of their belongings and how they will be transported to the new home. Boxes will be packed up, furniture will be wrapped, and loading onto the moving truck will begin. But what about the family car?
Moving an automobile is considered a “big ticket item” by most moving companies and subject to planning and additional costs. Some moving companies might have a division that offers the service of moving your vehicle to your new destination. But more often, moving companies are generally affiliated with an auto transportation provider as one of their trusted vendors. In many instances there are multiple automobiles, and even specialty circumstances such as moving a car collection, to accommodate.
7 Special Items You Can’t Trust Just Anyone to Move
When preparing for a move, it is necessary to plan on getting help with items that require special handling, packing, or storage. Many items in your home may not fare well with people who don’t have the training to move them, or in a facility without proper temperature and humidity control.
Moving Checklist
When you’re planning a move, it can feel like there are too many steps in your moving checklist to prioritize, let alone accomplish. This moving checklist gives you the most important steps, prioritized with a suggested timeline. Don’t worry if you’re starting less than eight weeks before your move date. You can customize this list according to your own timeline and add steps or leave out ones that don’t apply.
TRANSPORTING YOUR CAR DURING A HOME MOVE
Driving Your Own Car
Driving your vehicle may be a viable option, but sometimes may not be possible especially with long-distance moving trips and multiple family vehicles. You may opt for a combo-solution, where you drive one vehicle and then set up auto transport for your subsequent vehicles.
Contracting an Auto Transport Company
There are vehicle transport companies that specialize in moving automobiles to coincide with your home move. This is also considered “shipping” an automobile. You may have a valuable car collection that requires specialized handling, protected within an enclosed transportation vehicle, or you can share space on an automobile carrier. Moving overseas would most certainly require the help of an outside car shipping company, offering solutions to move an automobile by air or sea.
Hiring a Professional Automobile Driver
A reputable moving company will often have a network of specialty providers that can assist with vehicle transport options. A professional driver could be a possible option for moving your automobile to your new location, and often they come with solid references and a stellar driving record.
Specialized Destination Options
There are also special services depending on where you are moving to. For instance, if you are moving along a certain stretch of the East Coast in the US, you may find that the Amtrak Auto Train is an option to move your automobile north or south.
Suddath and its Partners will Help You Move Your Car
With our long history in the moving industry, Suddath works with some of the best in the business to provide specialized services such as moving an automobile. In fact, our affiliate, Atlas Van Lines, is well known for its top automobile shipping and moving programs.
With us, you can opt for an auto transport quote that provides door-to-door service. Sometimes, your travel plans may not allow for your vehicle being delivered to your new home before you get there. In those instances, you can choose a Terminal-to-Terminal option, where your automobile is transported to a holding facility for storage upon a scheduled delivery or pick-up at a later date.
There are an array of options available to transport your automobiles during your moving process. Your dedicated moving coordinator at Suddath will work with you to determine the best way possible to move your cars quickly and safely to your new driveway.
ADDITIONAL MOVING SERVICES
Piano Moving
Suddath has trained experts who understand every piece of wood, ivory, and steel your piano is made from. We understand how damaging moisture and unnatural positioning can be to your instrument and know how to safeguard against them.
Custom Crating
Unique items or items that are particularly delicate, fragile or irregularly sized, may require their own tailored, custom crates built to protect these types of items. Our team consists of experts who will take measurements and build a crate to spec to protect these items.
White-Glove Moving
Prefer a full-service, hands-free local move? Suddath is happy to provide white-glove service options that allow you to continue with your normal daily life while we handle every single aspect of your move.
Motorcycle Moving
If you need someone to carefully transport your motorcycle during your move, Suddath can work with one of our trusted partners to ensure it gets to your new destination safely, and ready to hit the open road.
AUTOMOBILE MOVING FAQ
Time can vary just like with the move itself, based on weather, road conditions, traffic and other extenuating circumstances. For example, a company such as Atlas Van Lines suggests their typical move time is 8-10 business days domestically, but all details will be outlined in the moving agreement with the company you contract with and tracked during the process.
That all depends on the method. If you choose to hire a driver, they may charge by the mile, time, and of course the cost of fuel. With auto transport companies, there are a number of factors to consider: number of cars, weight and size of vehicles, distance, timing, special transportation vehicle needed, etc. – all of which will be factored into a detailed moving quote. An average amount found during a quick Internet search for vehicle transport estimates costs starting at $500 and moving upwards from there.
Most auto transport companies will work with you to determine any specialty accommodations for unique or high-value automobiles. This may include the vessel needed to transport the vehicle, added insurance coverage beyond standard policies, and any tools or equipment needed upon delivery, especially if the vehicle is inoperable.
Yes, it is best to ensure that your vehicle is in a condition that would allow for safe transport. Be mindful to not leave anything of value in your automobile upon its move, remember to provide the appropriate keys and documentation to accompany your vehicle, and know the level of gas that is permissible as it could add to the weight of the transport.
Upon your automobile delivery, there will be important inspections, so it is important that yourself or a trusted individual is there to receive the item(s) and finalize the process with the provider.