Pros and Cons of Door-to-Door Auto Shipping

Door-to-door auto transportation implies you as the client will choose the pick-up and drop off locations for your automobile. The alternatives are terminal-to-terminal, door-to-terminal, and terminal-to-door services. There is no clearly superior option, as each one can be better depending on the situation. We’ll explain some of the pros and cons of door-to-door shipping in the following paragraphs.

The advantages of this type of service are:

1. Convenience. This is the biggest reason people opt for door-to-door. It’s far simpler to pick a place and leave the auto transport company to worry about getting there. The following 2 advantages are derived from this one.
2. Easier pick-up/delivery. If you choose a terminal to terminal option, you’ll have to drive your car to a terminal, and then return home without your car. You’ll have to go through a similar journey when taking back your car. Depending on how far you are from a terminal, it can be much easier to request door-to-door shipping.
3. Less time consuming. If you live far from a terminal, it may take you a full day to deliver your car and return. While you’ll still have to wait for the truck when using the door-to-door option, how you spend your time while waiting is up to you. The pick-up/delivery won’t take long, so you can take care of chores or work on your garden in the meantime.
4. The best option for non-running vehicles. If your car cannot be driven, you can either invest in getting it to a terminal or invest in having a truck come to you. The expenditure is likely to be the same, so the second method is usually better.

Disadvantages

Of course, every option will also have disadvantages. For door-to-door shipping, they are the following:

1. More expensive. Because you’re asking the carrier to come to you instead of maintaining his usual route, you will have to pay for the fuel and time expenditure derived from the detour. You can request a quote for door-to-door transport and one for terminal-to-terminal, then compare the 2. Remember to include in your calculations the fuel/time you’ll need to drive your car to/from a terminal.
2. Can be more time consuming. If a terminal is close by, then you can drop your car off on your way to work. If you’ve picked a door-to-door service, you’ll have to take a day off to wait for the driver. Whether you save or lose time with this option depends on your situation and priorities.
3. You need to be available on the pick-up/delivery day. If you’re unable to show up, you must notify the company, and the day must be rescheduled. If you don’t have a fixed schedule or are unable to take a day off at your discretion, this may be a problem.
4. Reading and signing the contract. The driver will bring you the shipping contract which you must sign. If you take too much time to go through it, you can end up delaying the driver. It can be uncomfortable for everyone, so we recommend going through an electronic copy of the contract before our arrival. You can then compare the 2 for modifications.
5. Local roads may not permit the truck’s access. In this situation, you can meet up at the closest possible location. If your vehicle cannot be driven, then you’ll need a way to move it. If a terminal is nearby, it may be simpler to move the car directly to it.

Although the pros/cons ration in this article is 4 to 5, door-to-door transportation is still the best option in many situations. To make a good decision, we recommend you consider the price of each shipping option, the distance between the nearest terminals and your current/future homes, as well as your own schedule and commitments.