Shipping Your Car Vs. Driving It

For some people, driving their car a long distance is the dream. Driving up and down the steep slopes in the Rockies. Taking in the ocean as you drive through Washington and Oregon, down to California. Driving through the desert as you make your way to Arizona. 

For others, it’s a nightmare. Those slopes in the Rockies are dangerous. Driving along the coast takes way too long. The desert? It’s hot and dry, and it goes on forever, with no gas stations for hundreds of kilometres.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether or not you should ship your car or drive it.  We’re Professional Car Carriers, and our car shipping company wants to ship your car safely—if that’s the right option for you.

To help you decide what’s best for your needs, we’re going to compare driving and shipping over four key categories: Safety, convenience, speed, and price. 

Shipping Vs. Driving: Which Is Better?

Safety

When it comes to safety, car shipping is the clear winner. Unless you’re going at an extremely leisurely pace, you risk becoming tired behind the wheel—and that increases the risk of crashing, especially over long distances. 

In most cases, you’ll also be driving along unfamiliar roads, using navigational assistance to get around, and possibly finding yourself distracted—all of the above can contribute to the risk of accidents.

Shipping your car removes all of that risk. Our drivers are professionals with years of experience in the industry—they know the roads, they know the best routes, and they’re put on a schedule to ensure they never drive tired. Accidents happen, even in the world of car shipping—but when you ship with us, we take on the liability, so you’re not out any money, even in worst-case scenarios. 

Convenience

Driving across the country—or to a winter home in the States—can be a lot of fun. A thrill, even.

But convenient? Definitely not.

You’re on the road all day, every day—and you might be on the road for more than a week before you arrive at your destination. During that time, you probably won’t be able to work. Moving to a new place? That’s a week that you won’t have to get your things together or a week you won’t have to prepare your new place.

When it comes to convenience, shipping is the clear winner. With properly scheduled auto transport, you have your car immediately after you land—and you might be on the road for more than a week before you arrive at your destination. And you’ll have the energy to drive it. 

Speed

You might be surprised to learn that driving to your destination is often faster than shipping your car.

When you ship your car, it travels along with other vehicles that are being shipped. That means there are a few stops along the way, and all the logistics of loading and unloading vehicles while ensuring their safety.

We will say, however, that if you’re being careful and resting well before driving, you may find the difference in speed is marginal—you might be able to drive to your destination a day or two faster than it would take to ship your vehicle. 

Price

You won’t be surprised to learn that car shipping is more expensive than just driving your car, at least when it comes to the cost of gas.

There are other factors you need to consider when driving to your destination, though. Every night you spend in a hotel is going to add to your total bill. Then there’s the cost of food—you’ll be buying takeout, not getting groceries, in most cases. Finally, there are the hours of work you may lose to driving.

In many cases, when you add all of those factors up, shipping your car is actually less expensive than driving. Something to keep in mind.

The Verdict?

Want a nice long road trip? Not afraid of spending money on hotels and not being able to work? Fine with missing out on days that could be spent getting ready for a move or moving in? Not terribly worried about added safety? Driving yourself might be the best option.

 Most of us don’t have those luxuries—and that’s why car shipping remains a viable business.