Tips for Shipping a Car Across Canada
Sometimes you need to transport your car through the provinces but you don’t want all that wear and tear on your car, or you can’t do the driving yourself. That’s okay. You can still move your car across Canada; you just need to be thoughtful about your methods.
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Road or rail
Although you really only have two modes of transportation to choose from — road and rail — there’s plenty of levels, that deal with cost, efficiency, and speed within both, according to Driving.ca writer Lisa Felepchuk.
“Depending on your vehicle type, having it loaded onto a carrier that hauls four or more cars at once will cut costs, as the company you book with will usually organize other cars to be dropped off at various points along the route,” she writes adding that the multi-carrier method is cheaper than a private transfer. It’s also better for the environment as it economizes fuel.
Pick it up
Sacrificing the convenience of having your car delivered to your home address will save you money, too. Of course, if you are transporting a rare automobile and prefer the peace of mind of door-to-door service to retrieving it at the vendor’s terminal, the extra cost might be worth it.
Plan ahead
You won’t snag any bargains or cheaper rates by waiting to the last minute to book your vehicle’s transport.
“Companies that handle large, long-distance loads strategically book and plan in advance, and a last-minute booking that requires quick turn-around delivery can wind up costing you three-fold,” according to Felepchuk.
Read the fine print
You’re investing a lot into shipping your car; you want it to go as quickly, safely, and error-free as possible. Take time to review the insurance policy of the company you choose. If it doesn’t satisfy your needs, look into a company that has a policy that does.
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Online tools will help estimate the cost of your transport, says Felepchuk. Crunching the numbers of multiple companies will help you outline a realistic budget. The more research you do before your book your transport, the more confident you’ll feel during the process.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.