Why People Don’t Like Auto Shipping By Rail

When it comes to their cars, people take things very seriously — and why shouldn’t they? Your vehicle is the second most precious investment after your home, so it makes sense to ensure that it is always handled with care.

So, when it comes time for people to ship their car to a new city or state, they are often confused about the mode of transportation they should use. Sure, you can definitely get your car transported by rail  and auto shipping by train can be cost-effective; however, there are many reasons why it is much less favored than a reliable car shipping service like HaulMatch.

Here are some of the reasons why car shipping by train isn’t a great idea:

 Trains Run on a Defined Unchangeable Route

One of the major drawbacks of shipping via rail, when one is considering options on how to transport their vehicle, is that trains follow a clear and unchangeable route. This means you have fewer options on where you can get your vehicle transported.

The problem is not the defined route though, but the destination where the train will finally stop. For example, if you want to get your car shipped from Pennsylvania to Texas, but the train does not have a direct route to Texas, it will be very problematic for you. To transport your car, your train will later need to go to Texas, but that can mean several days or weeks of delay and will also not be very cost-effective. Since cost is one of the major reasons why people sometimes consider rail transport, this renders that benefit useless.

Trains Usually Don’t Carry Privately Owned Vehicles

One of the biggest reasons why most people don’t consider shipping their car by rail is that most trains do not routinely ship privately owned cars; they usually ship publicly owned cars. So even if you find a train that will be able to transport your vehicle directly to the destination of your choice, they may not be willing to ship your car since it is owned by you. This can seriously limit your ability to find a train that will get your car transported to the desired drop-off point.

Auto Transport By Car Takes a Lot of Time

Even if you find a train that is willing to transport your car to your preferred spot, one another factor that can make your vehicle shipping experience very undesirable is that trains can take a very long time to deliver your vehicle. Even though its route may be straight, trains have to make stops at certain stations or make railroad switches.

This can prolong the transit time of the train and can result in a delivery delay of your car.

On the other hand, car mover trucks only stop once or twice a day and can ship your vehicle in much less time.

Train Transport Will Still Require Car Carriers

When your car is transported by train, it can only be taken to a set terminal or destination. Your vehicle will then need to be unloaded from there and loaded onto a car carrier so that your car can be delivered safely to the terminal of your choice or right at your doorstep.

This means that you will still need the services of a car carrier and you will need to pay extra to get it done. In fact, the carrier cost can be quite large and you may end up paying more money than if you had arranged for the services of an auto transportation company in the first place.

Auto Transport by Train Does Not Allow Personal Items

This is one of the biggest drawbacks of train transportation. Although auto transportation companies discourage keeping too many personal items inside of the car at the time of delivery for fear that they can cause damage to the interior of the car, you are still allowed to place a few things if they are properly secured and if the weight is under the prescribed limit.

However, keeping personal items inside a car is strictly forbidden by railroad authorities. This can be a big turnoff for people who are traveling to a different state or city.

One of the biggest reasons why people consider shipping cars by rail is that a train can house several cars and the relative amount of fuel used by trains is much less per car. This leads them to the assumption that their cost may be reduced. However, that is not strictly true.

As mentioned above, the reduction in fuel cost will compromise the time of arrival. You will also have to dole out more money to have your car transported from the terminal where the train unloaded it. This can be a very big hassle and you want your auto transportation experience to be completely worry-free.

This is why we recommend you use HaulMatch auto transportation service that will transport your car safely in good time and at a reasonable amount. Call us at 866-213-4966 to get a free shipping quote.