Moving Your Vehicle Guide
The household goods are not the only thing that has to arrive. This guide compares driving yourself, shipping the car, and following the moving truck, and flags the insurance and re-registration steps people miss.
Your options
- Drive yourself — Cheapest for short moves and gives you a second vehicle at the destination, but adds days of mileage, wear, and lodging — and someone has to drive the moving truck separately.
- Ship the car (open or enclosed carrier) — Open carriers are the default; enclosed costs more and suits classics or low-clearance cars. Get quotes by route, distance, and season, and confirm delivery windows.
- Follow the moving truck — Driving the car behind the van keeps the household together, but the truck can be delayed days — build buffer for hotels and the rental-return clock.
- Fly and rent — For distant moves, flying and renting short-term can beat two cross-country drives, especially with kids or pets. Reserve the rental before prices spike at month-end.
- Confirm auto insurance in transit — Carrier cargo coverage is limited; verify your own auto policy covers damage while the car is on a trailer, and whether your renters or homeowners policy bridges the gap.
- Re-register in the new state — Most states require new registration, title, and emissions within 30–90 days of establishing residency, and may charge back-tax on the vehicle.
Get real vehicle numbers
Shipping quotes swing with route, distance, season, and whether you choose open or enclosed transport. Size the car-shipping and drive-yourself trade-off with a vehicle cost tool before you book, so the vehicle leg does not quietly become the most expensive line item.
VehCalc models car shipping, fuel, and the true cost of driving yourself vs transporting — pair it with the household estimate to see the whole move.
Insurance you must confirm
Carrier cargo coverage on a trailer is limited, and your auto policy may not cover a car in transit the way you assume. Confirm what your own policy and any renters or homeowners coverage actually bridge before load day.
Insurtool compares auto, renters, and home policies — including insurance for a move and your goods in transit — so you are not relying on a mover’s minimal liability.
www.fmcsa.dot.gov, www.protectyourmove.gov, www.bls.gov, www.eia.gov, www.irs.gov, www.usps.com. Figures are model benchmarks, not quotes. ReloFig never sells your information.