New Jersey Auto Transport
If you need to transport a car or other vehicle and you haven't had to do it before, you should be armed with information to avoid potential New Jersey auto transport pitfalls. Moving-NewJersey is here to provide you with the information you'll need to have a better New Jersey auto transport experience.
A variety of New Jersey auto transport options are available. Which method you select depends on your individual situation, including the type of car or other vehicle being transported and your budget.
- Self auto transport is one option. You could buy or rent a towing trailer to pull your vehicle if you don't want to put mileage on it or you have one more vehicle than you have drivers or if the car isn't running. If you choose this option remember to make sure that the towing vehicle needs to be equipped with a transmission and cooling system that can handle the job and needs to be rated for the proper towing capacity and rigged with the proper hitch. You should also practice using the tow vehicle with the trailer attached so you can get a feel for maneuverability before you take it out on the highway. Be sure to abide by all local NJ laws.
- Train auto transport may be available from New Jersey auto transport companies and other shipping companies that offer freight hauling by train. Amtrak also provides its auto train service, which lets you bring your car along for the ride non-stop from Virginia to Florida.
- You could hire a driveaway service to drive your car for you.
- You could hire an auto transport company. This is a growing business and car shipping companies are getting easier to find and provide better nationwide and international coverage than they have in the past because of the growing need for auto shipping services. A variety of shipping methods are offered by auto transport services, including open and enclosed trucks and other containers over land and sea.
NJ Auto Transport Services
Probably the most common and one of the least expensive methods of auto transport offered by a car shipping service is provided on an open car carrier. Pickup and delivery can be on a "door-to-door" basis or from a designated terminal location. These are the same car carriers you see on the highway that are delivering new cars to your local Garden State car dealer. The only real downside to this method of auto transport is that your vehicle is exposed to the weather for the entire duration of the trip. While you might not want to subject an especially valuable vehicle to harsh weather conditions, your car would be subject to the same conditions if you drove it yourself.
Door-to-door service in an enclosed container is the premier car shipping option. Not only is your vehicle not exposed to the weather, some car shippers that provide this service also offer a variety of extra cost options that provide additional protection for your vehicle while it's in transit.
In addition to New Jersey auto transport companies, most NJ Long Distance Moving companies will ship your car. Since your car travels in the moving van you get enclosed container protection for your vehicle. The moving company just loads up your household goods and drives your car into the van. You can get free estimates from moving companies and free estimates from auto transport companies and compare prices and options.
If you use a mover to ship your car, you'll also want to be familiar with the information on our moving insurance page.
It's not uncommon for a car shipping company or other freight company to use an agent or broker to handle transporting your car through a third-part transport service. If this is true in your situation, ask the auto transport company to see the third party's certificate of insurance. You'll want to see the insurance certificate for the company they're using to ship your car. In fact, always ask to see an insurance certificate no matter who moves your car.
In addition to comparing auto transport company rates, you'll also want to know how your car will be insured while it's in transit. Auto transport companies generally offer better insurance than NJ moving insurance on your car. You'll also have insurance from your auto insurer. Be sure to ask the moving company how much experience they have in moving vehicles. Some movers prefer to leave this part of the job to the experts and will provide a referral to a reputable auto transport company if they're not able to ship your vehicle with your other possessions.
More Auto Transport Information
Our nationwide network of auto transport sites contain much more information on shipping vehicles, including how to prepare your car for shipping, what to look for when you pick up the car, importing and exporting vehicles and much more. See the USA Moving Services page for links to these comprehensive auto transport web sites.
