Moving to a new state, starting a new life, especially one right near the beach sure sounds like a dream come true, right? But before you can even start admiring the scenic views, enjoying the bustling downtown crowds, or exploring the lesser known but equally beautiful spots around town, there’s one thing that you have to get over and done with: the big move.
I’m sure that the first place that comes to mind when we talk about sunny weather, sparkling beaches, and fancy hangouts is the beautiful state of California. There’s probably no person in the world who has not once dreamed of visiting or even living in “The Golden State.”
You would think that with over 3.8 million residents, this state would be “too crowded” for anyone to live comfortably but that can’t be any farther from the truth. California is vast and wide. It’s home to the famous Hollywood sign, Silicon Valley, majestic mountain ranges and forests, with the Pacific Coast stretching for miles and miles (see more). So, if you’re planning to join the thousands of people who are thinking of moving to this sunny state, let us help you plan your move right – especially with this one item people think of least: their car.
Why Start Planning To Ship Your Car Now
During a move, you would probably think about getting your car to your new place last. After all, something that’s built for transport and has literal wheels on it should be the least difficult to move, right?
Well, not exactly.
In fact, getting your car to your new place faster might prove beneficial if you look at the bigger picture. If your car gets there before all your other furniture does, or even before you get there, you are already securing a way to get around town faster after the move. And trust me, settling down in a new place will require you to run a lot of errands during the first few weeks. In a place such as Cali, securing a means to move around conveniently is very important.
When it comes to shipping your car over to the next state, you basically have two options:
Open Carrier
So, when a car is shipped, it has to be loaded onto a bigger vehicle which is often a large truck or car hauler. The most cost-efficient option is to hire an open carrier service to ship a car to California which is basically a truck with an open back. This service tends to be cheaper among car shipping services as this type of truck can carry more vehicles of varying sizes at the same time which helps split shipping costs between multiple car owners.
If you are coming from a neighboring state, not too far or too close to California, this may be a good option as your car is expected to be on the road for only a few hours. What you need to consider though is the make or model of your vehicle as shipping companies will usually board standard cars only as premium-type vehicles come with higher risk and liability.
What if you do own a premium vehicle? Then the next option would be more ideal for you.
Close Carrier
This option provides two main advantages that the open carrier shipping method does not provide completely or at all, which are protection and privacy. As the name suggests, close carrier transport means that the vehicle that will be used for shipping your car is concealed.
This can protect your car from external factors such as the weather and debris while traveling. The enclosed transport can also help you move your vehicle privately away from prying eyes in the case of shipping premium car models or high-value vehicles.
What If I Need To Ship Cross-Country?
If you are moving cross-country or to the opposite coast of the United States, there are also cross-country car shipping options that you can explore. There are additional requirements to get a car shipped to farther distances whether new or owned, as seen in this article: https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/moving-services/shipping-car-to-another-state-guide/, so you have to make sure that your car complies with the required paperwork before you even arrange for shipment.
You should expect higher costs depending on the distance that needs to be traveled and the make of your car. If the vehicle you are transporting is more “valuable” in a sense that it may be a luxury model or custom-made, the shipping cost is likely to be higher as the handling of such high-value items would differ from normal car shipments.
Nevertheless, the pros of getting your car shipped, especially across long distances far outweigh the cons, which is usually the cost associated with the transport. At the end of the day, the safety and condition of your vehicle is of utmost concern when it comes to moving it cross-country as damage due to poor handling may result in an even bigger spend on repairs.
