What is Driveaway Service?
They sometimes go by other names, but they all operate the same way – a company that will drive your vehicle from point A to point B. No loading of trucks, and you don’t have to be in the car.
How they make that trip sometimes varies. For some, it’s a team of employed drivers who switch on and off or are positioned throughout the country and turn vehicles over from one person to the next. Others rely on freelance and seasonal workers, meaning the folks driving your car may not be direct employees of the company they work for. They might be full-time drivers who work for multiple companies or be part-timers who work when needed.
So why would you pay someone to drive your vehicle on a long trip? Is it worth it? Or are there more cons to the idea than pros?
Advantages of Driveaway Service
One of the best reasons to go with having someone drive your car, truck, or SUV is that your vehicle will have the driver’s full attention for the entirety of the trip.
Some services even allow you to ride along – great if you’re super concerned about your vehicle and how it’s treated. It may seem like it defeats the service’s purpose since you’ll still be in the vehicle. However, if you’re that paranoid, it’s there, and it’s something you won’t get with hired automotive transport carriers. No riding along in the trucks!
Another great advantage is that, with driveaway services, you can load up your vehicle with personal items that may need to go with it or even use it for extra cargo space if you’re making a massive move! Carriers have weight limits, and a full vehicle would not be welcome on them. Simultaneously, the security of a single driver or driving team going cross country is impossible to match, and cargo is less likely to shift and get damaged or damage your vehicle when it is being driven versus being hauled.
Disadvantages of Paying Someone to Drive Your Car
That being said, there are plenty of disadvantages to these services where you pay someone to drive your car instead of shipping. For one thing, it might sound like a great job to have, but when you’re footing the bill, it’s not as appetizing.
To begin with, it’s not cheap. Unlike a multi-car carrier, this is one vehicle, multiple drivers instead of multiple vehicles and a single driver. There’s no splitting of the costs. You’ll be paying for fuel, rest breaks, food and accommodations (usually included in the overall price), and any other transport expenses. This makes it much more expensive, especially with cross-country moves, than multi-car transport – albeit not all that more expensive than using a single-car or specialty transporter option.
But that’s not the only issue. The wear and tear on your vehicle is a major concern, as that mileage may rack up over the trip. The advantage of vehicle transport by the carrier is that even if your vehicle is traveling 2,000 miles, it is getting zero miles of wear and tear on the wheels, brakes, drivetrain, and other components.
What about an incident or accident along the way? While vehicle transporters all carry insurance, driveaway service has a bit of a gray area. In most cases, the driver is insured by the service but not your vehicle. At the same time, your personal auto insurance may have a clause that states they don’t cover your vehicle when these services are being used. You’ll need to triple-check the fine print in your insurance and the service’s insurance to ensure your vehicle is fully covered.
Along those lines, how can you be sure of the person who will be driving your vehicle? Auto transport carriers are industry experts and professionals. The person who ends up behind the wheel of your vehicle might not be an expert or a professional. They may not be reputable. They won’t have the motor carrier numbers you can use to verify reputation and experience. You might not even know the people handling your vehicle at some of the interim driver switches.
Finally, there’s the question of if it is even possible. Is your car, truck, or SUV more than seven years old, has high mileage, or is unique, rare, or exotic? These are likely to lead to rejections – these services don’t want to risk it with older, high-mileage vehicles. They can only move vehicles that their drivers can operate – so right-side drive vehicles, exotic sports cars, and sometimes even manual transmission vehicles may be passed on.
So, What Works Best For You?
Is paying someone to drive your vehicle to its next destination instead of shipping it a legitimate option? Absolutely! But is it the right option?
It may be. Compare the price and include the services of each quote, and understand what you are comfortable with. After all of that, we think you’ll conclude that many cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycle owners have – using Number 1 Auto Transport is the best option.
At Number 1 Auto Transport, we can do what these driveaway services and driver hiring firms can’t: provide speedy, safe, insured delivery by carriers who have made the auto transport profession their career focus. Putting your vehicle in the hands of trained, experienced professionals using the right equipment and procedures ensure your car, truck, motorcycle, or SUV gets the best treatment in long-distance transport.
