Are you someone who frequently needs to transport their cars, but you haven’t really been sure how to do that? Often, we assume that one of our only options is to drive there ourselves. However, this is far from the truth – there are plenty of other ways we can move a vehicle.
These days, a lot of people are moving to Texas to find jobs or just to start a new life. You can find some statistics on that on this page if you’re curious, but just know that if it’s something you’re pursuing or that you’re interested in, you’re not alone. More often than not, the most difficult part is finding a way to get our vehicle there.
Today, that’s what we’ll be covering. There are all sorts of car shipping options, so if you’d like to learn more about the process, then make sure to stick around! We’ll be going as in depth as possible.
How Does Car Shipping Work?
Theoretically, you can transport a car from any state to any other state, even Hawaii and Alaska – there may just be some extra charges in those circumstances. The distance will factor into how much you pay for the transit as a whole, as well as the specs of your car. Have the year, make, and model on hand if you do plan to get estimates.
With Washington to Texas car shipping, you’ll find a mix of prices based on what time of year you’re aiming for as well as the details of your vehicle. Just keep that in mind and know that pricing does sometimes fluctuate, so you may want to wait a week or two if you aren’t sure about something.
Picking a Container
If you’re planning to ship a car, there’s something that you’ll want to think about pretty earlyin the process. Namely, you’ll want to choose between open containers and closed ones. What’s the difference between them?
Open containers are less expensive than their counterparts, which is their main appeal. The downside there is that they also tend to expose your car to the elements more than it would otherwise during the shipping process. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not it’s worth the risk.
Closed containers are the inverse of the above, of course. They’re slightly more expensive than the other ones, but they will keep your vehicle safer along the way. Again, it’s a decision you’ll have to make yourself.
Getting Ready for Car Shipping
The other half of the process that is often forgotten is this: the preparation involved. Now, at first glance, this might seem like a lot. However, once you get started it really isn’t as bad as it looks.
Make sure to remove any personal belongings out of the car before you ship it, whether you’re selling the vehicle or you’re moving and will be the one receiving it. Obviously, you don’t want to ship anything off to a buyer that you’ll need in the future. However, if you’re moving, you still don’t want things to get lost during the trip.
While it’s not common for that to happen, it still is a distinct possibility. Just keep that in mind as you start to vacuum the interior of the car, and don’t forget that mobile charger. As far as the exterior goes, you’ll probably want to give that a scrub down as well.
When a driver comes to collect the vehicle, they’ll probably want to document any current damage to it prior to the transit process. This is for liability reasons on both sides of the equation, so it’s in your interest to have everything nice and clean to speed that along.
The other big thing that you’ll want to get done beforehand is that you’ll want to gather your important documentation. Obviously, you’ll need to show your photo ID before you can have a car shipped. However, you’ll also need to provide proof of purchase as well as proof of insurance. There’s a chance you’ll be asked for more as well.
If you have any questions or doubts about the process, don’t forget that you can talk to your shipping company, and they should be able to help. No matter what your issue is, there are very few circumstances that won’t be able to be fixed. If you’re shipping from Washington to Texas, there’s a good chance that you could have it done within days, which is a pretty nice deal – you’d skip over a lot of waiting or driving time!
