All over the world, people keep shifting from one location to the other. The reasons can be many – related to pursuing higher education, job-related transfers, personal reasons, etc. While shifting does bring the prospect of getting to see and work in a new place, there are several associated worries. The worries related to transporting all the furniture to the new place and also your car.
Car shifting needs specialized skills. Not every neighborhood relocation transporter agency is capable to do it successfully. That’s why, those whose cars are to be shipped remained worried, understandably. And if the destination is slightly challenging, then the worries might increase – e.g. Alaska.
Shipping to Alaska
Located on the northern tips of the North American continent, the U.S. state of Alaska sees a lot of movement of people every year. Apart from the usual influx of tourists round the year, about 50,000 people move out of the state, and approximately 40,000 move into it annually. So if you are in the second category, you would surely want to ship your car to the state, instead of spending money on buying a new one when you reach there.
And that’s what poses a challenge – quite often!
The huge state of Alaska poses a lot of challenges – climatic and infrastructural. The state isn’t actually very favorable to drivers, owing to its climatic extremities. And if you are relocating to Alaska from the mainland U.S., then your car has to pass through Canada. This poses certain customs-related challenges.
So – how is it to be done?
Well, you need not worry. While shipping your car isn’t among the easiest transportation activities, there are ways to make the act manageable. Let’s look at how you can get it done.
Available Carrier Types
To ship your car to Alaska through a transporter, you will have to use either of two types of carriers
i) Open car hauler and
ii) Enclosed car hauler.
Open car hauler – This type of carrier carries multiple vehicles on several rows. However, these cars are exposed to the weather as there’s no roof over these carriers. These carriers are more easily available. So, if you are in a hurry to get your car shipped to Alaska and if your car isn’t new, you might consider this option.
Enclosed car hauler – This option works best if you want your car to travel to Alaska under a cover. These carriers have closed containers in which the cars are shipped, protected from weather hazards. Owners of new or expensive cars would surely prefer this option. But these carriers are less in number, so you might have to wait for a while.
How to Ship Your Car to Alaska?
Well, you have two options to do it. One is, drive your car to Alaska yourself. And two, hire the services of a professional transportation company. Both the mentioned options have their own pros and cons. Let’s take a look at both options.
Drive it Yourself – Pros
- You would be rewarded with some of the most astonishing scenery in the world. Crossing a variety of landscapes, your sense of thrill and adventure would be at its peak.
- The control of your vehicle will be with you at all times. So, you won’t have to worry about any damage being caused to your favorite car.
- You can camp in the wilderness during your travel. This gives you more opportunities to be at one with nature during the drive.
Drive it Yourself – Cons
- The drive would be a long one. Really long. It can take you anything between 40 to 60 hours to complete the entire drive. So, if you are hard-pressed for time, this is not the option for you.
- The trip would be expensive. Not only would be spending a small fortune on gasoline but also on the hotel/motel night stays and refreshment breaks. You would also have to buy your food on the way. All this would add up to a substantial amount.
- There’s always a risk of one or multiple breakdowns. It’s a very long journey and you would have to encounter challenging terrains on the way. Even if your car is at the peak of health when you start your journey, there’s no guarantee against breakdowns. And if this happens in the desolate country, you would be in a spot of bother.
As you can see, the cons seem to outweigh the pros if you are considering shipping your car to Alaska by driving it yourself. A better and sensible option is to take the help of a specialized transportation services provider. The reasons are:
- The cost factor is arguably the most important reason to get your car shipped through a transportation company. You would be saving on gasoline, hotel stays, food and refreshment expenses, and a lot more. Yes, you would have to pay the service provider. But in the end, you would save money if you get it shipped through the provider.
- The car would be traveling in an open/closed truck/trailer. In either case, there would be almost zero wear and tear that would be unavoidable had the car been driven over such a long distance. So, your car would reach its destination in Alaska in a much fitter condition.
- There are two border crossings involved. First, when you cross over to Canada from the mainland USA. And second, when you move to Alaska from Canada. There is considerable paperwork involved in both cases. Why take the hassle? Let the transportation firm do it as they have the expertise.
So, as you can see, the cheapest (and much safer) option of getting your car shipped to Alaska is through an authorized and capable trucking service provider. This organization would do an expert and professional job of it. Overall, you would save on the costs as well as get rid of the worries involved in such a long-distance shipment.
There are various trucking service providers that ship cars from the mainland USA to Alaska. You can have their details available online. Contact them and talk to their representatives. This way, you can get hold of the cheapest way to ship your car to Alaska, without compromising on service quality.
