{"id":48004,"date":"2019-02-11T09:38:20","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T09:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/?p=48004"},"modified":"2023-03-22T10:17:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T10:17:47","slug":"car-shipping-or-towing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/car-shipping-or-towing\/","title":{"rendered":"Car Shipping or Towing | Explaining the Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So you need to move a car from one place to another; how do you choose whether you need car shipping or towing? Does it make a difference at all? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re new to the business of transporting cars, you might be shocked to learn that there are several distinct methods to ship cars, and options within options. For instance, you could choose to tow your car with another car, either with all four wheels on the road, or with two raised. Likewise, if you choose car shipping, you could choose to have your car transported in the open air, or in an enclosed container truck. While one method is more suitable to one type of transport, both have their own benefits. It really depends on your reason for car shipping or towing and the specifics of your car. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Auto Shipping is Popular<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One example is car dealers who buy vehicles from <a href=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/auction-to-dealer-car-shipping\/\">auctions<\/a>. Now, one dealer cannot drive more than one car at a time &#8211; and some salvaged cars can\u2019t be driven &#8211; and it is unproductive and costly to bring along several people to drive away all the cars they\u2019re buying. The challenge is that most auctions charge a storage fee, and demand that cars be removed from the premises within a certain deadline &#8211; usually 24 hours. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaai.com\/\">Auctions<\/a> also tend to have strict car loading policies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your decision to choose car shipping or towing would hinge on:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The distance the car(s) must be taken<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether a car carrier can easily load the car in the yard<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The type of vehicle<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether the vehicle is operational<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/car-shipping-or-towing-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48006\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Car Shipping or Towing: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest difference between car shipping and towing is that tow trucks are usually called as and when a vehicle needs to be transported for a short distance on the <a href=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/same-day-car-shipping\/\">same day<\/a>, while car shipping is booked in advance. When you tow a car, you typically have to remove any personal belongings, while you can usually <a href=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/blog\/shipping-personal-items-in-the-car-info-tips\/\">ship up to 100 lbs<\/a> or personal belongings (permitted items only) when you ship your car.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Towing?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They work mainly for parking lot companies, handling illegal parking, and recovery of repossessed vehicles. It would typically be taken from an accident scene to a repair shop or a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wrecking_yard\">junk yard<\/a>. Or, in the case of a breakdown, a truck would tow your vehicle from the roadside to the mechanic\u2019s workshop. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there\u2019s another type of towing to bear in mind when you choose between car shipping or towing, which can work over longer distances, for instance, between two neighboring cities. With this method, you would hitch the non-operational car to one that does work, and take a road trip. The nice thing about towing a car, is that you stay with your car the entire time, and it gives you a sense of control. However, there are some drawbacks &#8211; mainly the costs of:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fuel<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hotel stays<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food for the road<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hiring a tow dolly or trailer<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wear and tear on both cars<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you call a standard tow truck, rather than a car carrier or a flatbed, there\u2019s the risk of damage as many tow truck drivers tend to be in a rush to attend to their next job. They are paid on a per-project basis, so they are under pressure to handle as many jobs every day as they can and this might lead to clumsiness or recklessness. This might be a factor in whether you choose car shipping or towing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wear and Tear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See, if you the wheels are on the road, a car is subject to wear and tear. Likewise, the major interstates are dangerous, and unless you are used to towing heavy cargo, it becomes even more dangerous &#8211; no matter what the trailer rental companies try to tell you. What makes it more complicated and dangerous is:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re in control of handling double the amount of weight that you\u2019re used to handle (the towing car plus the towed car);<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>P<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">roperly secure the dolly or trailer;<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>S<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ecure your vehicle;<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>N<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">avigate major highways;<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Don&#8217;t forget<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> parking lots and small roads with not one, but TWO cars when you stop in towns;<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to handle your own security, permits and navigation.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/car-shipping-or-towing.jpg\" alt=\"car shipping or towing\" class=\"wp-image-48007\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Car Shipping?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people feel that when it comes to choosing <a href=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/car-shipping\/\">car shipping<\/a> or towing, the former stands out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While a single towing vehicle (conventional tow truck, flatbed, or your personal vehicle) tows your car, car shipping companies use a special flatbed or double-decker car carrier to transport your car along with up to ten other cars at the same time. The car shipping industry is huge; Nationwide Auto Transportation has access to a fleet of over 2,000 carriers that transport cars across the lower 48 states. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each car is on a rack that can move autonomously for easy loading, and secured using specialized equipment. Yes, your car will be exposed to the elements while it is on the truck, but no more so than when you\u2019re driving it on the road in rainy or windy conditions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With car shipping, you have the option to ship your car on an open trailer or in an enclosed truck. If you have an expensive exotic or <a href=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/classic-cars-auto-transport\/\">classic car<\/a>, you might choose enclosed shipping, as this option provides added protection.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/open-car-transport-3.jpg\" alt=\"car shipping or towing\" class=\"wp-image-47946\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which to choose?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people use the circumstances surrounding your need to move your car to make the decision between car shipping or towing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This table should give you a good idea whether you should opt for car shipping or towing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x: auto;\">\n<table style=\"height: 225px;\" width=\"539\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Circumstances<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Shipping<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Towing<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Distance shorter than 100 miles<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Distance more than 100 miles<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interstate car shipping<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Valuable vehicle<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salvage vehicle<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-operational vehicle<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe <\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Car Shipping or Towing: The Smart Choice<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Car dealers, classic car clubs, motorcycle clubs, exotic car owners and experienced car owners rely on Nationwide Auto Transportation. When they are faced with the decision: Car Shipping or Towing, they call us to ship their vehicles. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span> If you\u2019re new to the business of transporting cars, you might be shocked to learn that there are several distinct methods to ship cars, and options within options. For instance, you could choose to tow your car with another car, either with all four wheels on the road, or with two raised. Likewise, if you choose car shipping, you could choose to have your car transported in the open air, or in an enclosed container truck. While one method is more suitable to one type of transport, both have their own benefits. It really depends on your reason for car shipping or towing and the specifics of your car.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1199,63,699,4420,1090,111,23,1],"tags":[5425,4685,4658,4687,5001],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48004"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48004"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109919,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48004\/revisions\/109919"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationwideautotransportation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}