Should I Drive or Hire an Auto Transport Company?
The decision to drive your car cross-country or ship it professionally usually comes down to distance, personal preference and budget, and assessing the pros and cons of each car shipping options carefully.
On the positive side, driving your car cross-country can be:
- Fun and adventurous
- Relatively inexpensive
- Faster than having it shipped
Conversely, it can be stressful and dangerous due to:
- Driving through unsafe road
conditions and bad weather like ice
and snow. - Breakdowns in places like rural
Arizona when it’s 115 degrees, you’re
22 miles from the nearest service
station, and don’t have cellphone
service. - Having to stay at ratty and possibly
unsafe hotels off the interstate. - The increased risk of accidents,
which often end up costing more
than shipping your car would have. - The unpleasantness of being cooped
up with spouses, kids, and pets for
days on end.
The Verdict
Shipping your car with a professional auto transport provider is almost always safer and less stressful than driving, and in some instances it’s even cheaper too.