During the spring and summer months, when the weather is milder and there are fewer school conflicts, thousands of Americans choose to relocate. Statistics compiled by the United States Census Bureau show that the pace of relocations slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it resumed in 2023 from May to July. One interesting trend related to moving and relocations is that more Americans choose to ship their vehicles, particularly across longer distances. With this in mind, let’s review five car transport recommendations.

Doing Research and Planning Ahead

You will want to get started with planning and research as soon as you know where and when the relocation will take you. Once you have decided that you will not be driving, you want to start researching auto transporters and getting price quotes at least a month before your move. In general, you want to avoid moving during the summer and holidays; this is when demand and prices are almost invariably higher, and you might not be able to book a service on the delivery if all the transporters are busy.

The rule of thumb when evaluating a company to ship car across country is to substantiate the good reputation of the transporter; you will want to check for a solid track record of customer satisfaction.

Preparing Your Vehicle For Transport

It’s always a great feeling when you get behind the wheel of a clean and orderly car that is in good condition, particularly when you have just moved to a new place to start a new job, attend a new school, or start a new life. Try to get any maintenance and repairs done before the vehicle is shipped. Go ahead and clean the interior and exterior of your car; you don’t have to apply wax if the car is protected with a soft or hardcover, but you want to do so if you know the car will be exposed as it is being transported.

When preparing for car shipping from New York to Texas, it’s important to take certain precautions. Before handing over your vehicle, make sure to remove any personal belongings or valuables to ensure they are kept safe. While you can definitely pack your car with personal and household items, it’s essential not to obstruct the front or rear views to maintain the driver’s visibility. Additionally, disabling any alarms or active tracking devices will prevent any unnecessary interruptions during the transportation process. Lastly, to minimize weight, it is recommended to leave no more than a quarter of fuel in the tank. Following these guidelines will help ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey for your car from New York to Texas.

Getting the Right Insurance Coverage

Unless you pay for full or comprehensive auto insurance, you will not be covered for transportation on a carrier. When a carrier is transporting your car, it is not considered to be in your possession or control, and therefore, your typical liability insurance policy will offer little protection. The cost of shipping your car will include some level of coverage that the carrier extends to your vehicle so make sire you have done correct auto transport cost calculation pre hand.

Auto transporters carry liability and cargo insurance to carry their payloads; however, there is no standard level of coverage, so this is a point for you to inquire about.

Tracking Your Vehicle

As previously mentioned, you can safely disable your car’s alarm and tracking systems during transport because it will be under the watchful eye of the carrier. The transportation firm you choose will provide you with tracking; some of them allow you to install a mobile app to this effect, but most will direct you to a website.

Expecting the Unexpected

Shipping a car can take some time, especially if you are shipping it long distances. Delays are not so common in the vehicle transport industry, but they may happen occasionally, which is why having some contingencies in place makes sense. The worst-case scenario of a total loss is covered by the insurance policies carried out by the carrier and yourself, but other things may go wrong.

Think about what to do in case the car does not arrive on time; will you be able to get around with services such as Uber? Who else could do it for you if you are not there for the pick-up or delivery? Where can your car be stored in the meantime? These are all plausible scenarios for you to consider.

Between your planning and the professional service provided by the carrier, you should not have problems with shipping your car, especially if you follow the recommendations herein.