Shipping Your Vehicle in Style

The search is over and you've finally acquired that one vehicle you have longed for, whether you bought it at auction, either online or on-site, or you ordered it from a dealership out of town. Maybe some benevolent relative or friend has bestowed or bequeathed a vehicular gift upon you. Or, you're simply making a personal move, and your second or third car, or that collectible family heirloom, the '57 Nomad, needs to find a way to get there. Whatever the reason, now your vehicle must get to its new home.


The challenge is that the destination is on the other side of the country and you are not about to fly there and drive it home. This is because a) you don't have the time; b) you love the car, but a 3,000-mile journey is just not in your game plan; and c) you're confident the vehicle is a good one, but you're just not 100 percent sure the car can make the trek, and you don't feel like pushing the envelope.

The Solution
Ever notice those bright orange enclosed tractor-trailers, some with flames, rolling up and down the freeways? Or similar transporters, some with fabric covers that serve as wraps around the entire structure, and some with "open air" configurations, comparable to conventional car carriers that distribute new vehicles to dealerships? These are private auto transport companies and you can trust and depend on them to bring your treasure home.


But like other forms of competition, there are a wide range of prices and services available, and it is up to you to make sure you get the best value for your dollar.

Carriers
For starters, you can perform a search engine query under "car carriers." Select the ones you may be most familiar with. These are some of the larger companies, which also may have some sort of association, typically via sponsorship with a large online or nationwide auction house, or maybe active with your specific car club.