Planning Your Move
Should You Drive Your Car or Ship It?
When you're relocating a long distance, your car doesn't have to get there the same way you do. Driving it yourself, towing it behind a moving truck, using a rail-based auto-train service, or shipping it with a carrier are all approaches people use, each with real tradeoffs. This guide lays out the practical differences to help you think through which fits your move, without pretending one is universally better.
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- Guide
- Planning Your Move
- Reading
- 7 sections
- Applies to
- Contiguous US shipments
- Cost to ask
- Quotes are free
Photo: Illustrative transport image, Created for Velocity Auto Transport Group
Driving it yourself
Driving your own car to your new home keeps you in direct control of the vehicle the entire way and avoids handing it off to anyone else. It also means adding significant hours or days of driving on top of everything else involved in a move, plus fuel, lodging, meals, and wear on the vehicle from the trip itself. For some people this is a manageable or even enjoyable part of relocating; for others, especially with multiple vehicles, tight timelines, or long distances, it adds a demanding extra task during an already busy period.
Towing behind a moving truck
Some movers offer or allow towing a vehicle behind a rental moving truck using a tow dolly or trailer. This can consolidate your move into a single trip, but it requires a truck and driver comfortable and legally permitted to tow the added weight, and not every vehicle (particularly all-wheel-drive vehicles) can be towed safely without special equipment. If you're considering this route, confirm directly with the moving truck rental company what their specific equipment supports and what restrictions apply to your vehicle.
Rail and auto-train options
In certain corridors, a rail-based auto-train service allows you to put your vehicle on a train while you ride along or separately, covering long distances without driving. Where available, this can be an interesting alternative for specific routes, but it only operates on set corridors and schedules, so it isn't an option everywhere. If you're looking into this, confirm current routes, scheduling, vehicle restrictions, and any other details directly with the rail operator, since this is outside what an auto transport broker arranges.
Shipping with an auto transport carrier
Booking your vehicle with a carrier through a broker like Velocity means the vehicle travels separately from you, on a truck alongside other vehicles, while you handle the rest of your move (flying, driving a different vehicle, or however else you're getting there) without needing to drive the car yourself. This separates the vehicle logistics from your personal travel plans entirely, which is often the appeal for people managing a lot of moving parts at once.
Thinking through mileage and wear
Driving a car a long distance adds real mileage and wear, which matters more for some vehicles than others, particularly if resale value, warranty mileage limits, or an older engine are considerations. Shipping avoids adding that mileage, while driving it yourself means the vehicle arrives with additional wear reflecting the trip.
Thinking through your own time and schedule
Every option other than shipping requires you personally (or someone else) to be behind the wheel or physically present with the vehicle for a stretch of time. If your schedule around the move is already tight, that added time commitment is worth weighing seriously against the coordination involved in booking a shipment.
Weighing multiple vehicles
If you're moving more than one vehicle, driving both yourself generally isn't possible without a second driver, and towing typically only covers one additional vehicle behind the moving truck. Shipping scales more naturally to multiple vehicles, since each can be booked and coordinated as its own shipment without requiring extra drivers.
When you are ready, request a written quote or contact us with questions about your specific vehicle and route.
Velocity Auto Transport Group LLC is an auto transport brokerage. We arrange vehicle transportation through qualified motor carriers and coordinate your shipment from quote to delivery — the carrier assigned to your vehicle operates the truck.
How we work
What you can expect from us
We are a licensed-carrier brokerage, not a trucking fleet
Velocity Auto Transport Group LLC arranges your transport with qualified motor carriers. The carrier assigned to your vehicle operates the truck; we coordinate the booking, the paperwork and the updates.
Written quotes, reviewed by a person
Your route, vehicle and timing are reviewed against current carrier-market conditions before we send a quote. No instant algorithmic number that changes after you book.
One point of contact from quote to delivery
You reach the same team for scheduling changes, pickup windows and delivery updates rather than a call queue.
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Common questions
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