Whatever the reason for shipping a car, if you've never had to do it before you're going to want to gather some information on your auto transport options and what services are available to get your vehicle from point A to point B.
The reasons for needing to transport or ship an auto or other vehicle, your budget, and how fast the car needs to get to its destination will all play a part in helping you choose from the various auto transport options available:
- Self transport - you could rent a trailer and then move the car yourself door-to-door. If you choose this method, get comfortable with maneuvering the trailer and make sure the towing vehicle is equipped to properly handle the weight of your shipment.
- Driveaway service
- you can hire someone to drive the car to its destination for you. You'd need to either know someone you can trust or do a thorough background check on the driver. You don't want your vehicle to disappear or get crashed.
- Train transport
- you can have your car shipped on a train while you travel with it by
Amtrak or shipped by a private freight company to a terminal where you or someone else will have to go pick it up at the terminal. Amtrak's Auto Train travels nonstop between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, DC) and Sanford, Florida (near Orlando). The Auto Train is the only route in the Amtrak system that transports vehicles. The Auto Train accepts passenger cars, vans, SUVs, and motorcycles. Some size restrictions apply.
Auto transport company - you can choose from a variety of shipping methods offered, including open and enclosed trucks and other containers over land and sea.
