If you are moving across the country and do not, or cannot, drive your car across the U.S. yourself, there are ways to get it there without you. If you are short on cash, you can look for a stranger to drive it across for you as there are sometimes people who want to get across the country but don't have transportation of their own. The more common method of moving a car across the U.S. is by using a car shipping company.
Instructions
1. Post an ad on Craigslist looking for someone to drive the car across the country for you. If you are the trusting type, you can probably find someone on Craigslist that will take payment to drive your car across the country. This may be a cheap way to get the car from point A to point B, but it should be considered carefully as the person could wreck the car or cause extra wear and tear to it.
2. Select a car transport company if you like the idea of your car being on the back of a semi truck. With a car transport company, you can fly to your end destination and meet your car there. Your car can be transported in open-air trailer with other vehicles attached to a semi truck or by itself in an enclosed trailer attached to a semi truck. The latter of which is the more expensive option. The average car transport costs for 2009 range from $750 to $1200 for an open-air trailer to $1300 to $1700 for an enclosed trailer. Visit the movecars.com website (see Resources) for a directory of car shipping companies by state.
3. Get a quote from a few different car transport companies. Most of the companies in the car shipping directory have websites you can visit to get a free transport quote online. You will need to enter your car's make, model, year, if it is 2-door or 4-door, if it runs, if you prefer open or closed transport, the pickup city and date and the destination city and date. You will also need to let them know if you need them to deliver the car to a home or if you can pick it up at the shipping terminal. Picking up at the shipping terminal is the cheaper option.
4. Ask for proof of insurance from the shipping company you want to use. They should have insurance that covers damage and theft of your vehicle while it is in their care. Their insurance does not cover personal items so be sure not to leave anything in the car.
5. Request a list of references for the shipping company. While you likely will not get a list of individuals, you should be able to contact corporate clients who have used the shipping company. If the company cannot provide you with references, you may want to choose another company.
6. Confirm your pickup and delivery dates. Car transport companies usually offer a three-day window for pickups. Once the car has been picked up, they can provide you with an exact date that it will be delivered to your destination. If the delivery date is too early, you can ask them to hold the car at the shipping destination terminal. In most instances, they will allow this, but you will be expected to pay extra for the storage fee. When you pick up your car, check it over for any damages before signing off on the pickup slip.
