Shipping a Car to College: A Complete Guide for Students and Parents
Moving away to college comes with a long list of things to figure out. There are dorm supplies to buy, classes to schedule, flights to book, and everything else that comes with starting a new semester.
For students attending college far from home, there is another big question:
How are we getting the car there?
Driving may seem like the obvious answer, but a long road trip can add hundreds or even thousands of miles to a vehicle. It can also mean fuel costs, hotels, meals, tolls, extra travel days, and wear on the car.
For many families, professional college car shipping is a much easier option.
Corja Auto Hauling is based in Agawam, Massachusetts and provides fully insured vehicle transportation throughout the continental United States. With more than 10 years of experience, we help customers move vehicles between New England and destinations across the country.
If your student is heading away to school this semester, here is what you should know about shipping their vehicle.
Why Ship a Car to College Instead of Driving?
The farther away the school is, the more sense auto transport can make.
A student traveling from Massachusetts to a college a few hours away may have an easy drive. A student attending school in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, or another distant state has a very different trip ahead.
Shipping the vehicle allows the student to fly to school while the car makes the trip separately with a professional auto transporter.
That can mean fewer miles on the vehicle, less time spent traveling, and one less major part of the move for parents and students to handle themselves.
How Does College Car Shipping Work?
The process is straightforward.
First, provide the pickup location, destination, vehicle information, and preferred transportation dates.
Once transportation is scheduled, the vehicle is prepared for pickup. Before loading, its condition is inspected and documented.
The vehicle is then loaded onto the carrier, properly secured, and transported toward the destination.
At delivery, the vehicle is inspected again and released to the appropriate person.
For college students, it is important to think about where the carrier can safely meet you. Large auto transport trucks cannot always access narrow campus streets, dorm entrances, parking garages, or areas with low trees and tight turns.
In those situations, the driver and customer can coordinate a nearby location that provides enough room to safely unload the vehicle.
When Should You Book College Car Transport?
Do not wait until move in weekend to start looking for transportation.
Late summer is a busy travel period, and thousands of students are heading back to school at roughly the same time.
Booking ahead provides more flexibility when planning pickup and delivery.
If your student has a specific move in date, orientation, athletic program, or other deadline, mention that when requesting transportation.
The earlier the transportation company understands your schedule, the easier it is to discuss realistic options.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car to College?
There is no single price for college car shipping because every shipment is different.
Several factors can affect the cost.
Distance is one of the biggest factors. Moving a car from Massachusetts to Connecticut is very different from transporting one from Massachusetts to Texas.
Vehicle size also matters. A compact sedan takes up less space and weighs less than a large SUV or pickup truck.
Pickup and delivery locations can affect pricing as well. Major transportation routes are often easier for carriers to service than remote areas located far away from commonly traveled highways.
Seasonal demand can also influence transportation pricing.
The best way to determine your actual cost is to request a quote based on your specific vehicle, locations, and schedule.
Shipping a Car From Massachusetts to College
Massachusetts families send students to colleges throughout the country every year.
For students attending school far from home, bringing a vehicle can provide independence once they arrive. It can make grocery shopping, internships, jobs, trips home, and everyday transportation much easier.
Corja Auto Hauling is based in Agawam, MA, making vehicle transportation from Western Massachusetts and surrounding areas an important part of what we do.
Whether your student is leaving from Springfield, Agawam, Worcester, Boston, the Berkshires, or elsewhere in Massachusetts, we can help coordinate transportation to destinations throughout the lower 48 states.
College Car Shipping From Connecticut
Connecticut students frequently attend universities throughout the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and beyond.
For longer moves, shipping the vehicle can eliminate a lengthy drive at the beginning and end of the semester.
Families looking for car shipping from Connecticut to college can use professional auto transport for moves to states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and many other destinations.
College Car Shipping From Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be a small state, but students travel a long way from home for college.
If your student is leaving Rhode Island for school several states away, vehicle shipping provides an alternative to putting hundreds or thousands of highway miles on the car.
Professional auto transportation can also be useful when parents do not have the time to make the drive with their student.
College Car Shipping From New Hampshire
Students leaving New Hampshire for schools in warmer or more distant parts of the country may face a significant drive.
Shipping the vehicle can simplify the move, particularly for families coordinating flights, housing, and move in schedules at the same time.
It is also worth considering transportation for the return trip when the semester or school year ends.
College Car Shipping From Vermont
Vermont students attending college outside New England may have a long trip before they even reach a major interstate route.
Professional vehicle transportation allows families to arrange the car separately instead of building the entire college move around a long distance drive.
Whether the destination is in the South, Midwest, Southwest, or another part of the country, planning ahead is important.
College Car Shipping From Maine
Driving from Maine to a college in another region of the country can easily become a multi day trip.
For students attending universities in states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or other distant locations, shipping the car can make the beginning of the semester much easier.
The student can concentrate on getting to campus while the transportation company handles moving the vehicle.
Shipping a College Student's Car to Florida
Florida is a popular destination for students from New England.
But Massachusetts to Florida is a serious road trip. The same is true when starting from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine.
Rather than spending days driving south, families can arrange transportation and have the student fly.
This can be especially convenient when the student needs to arrive on campus by a specific date for orientation or classes.
Shipping a Car to College in Texas
Texas is another destination where professional vehicle transportation can make a major difference.
Driving between New England and Texas means a substantial amount of time behind the wheel and significant mileage on the vehicle.
For families sending a student that far from home, shipping the car allows the vehicle and student to make the trip separately.
Corja Auto Hauling regularly transports vehicles over long distances, making interstate vehicle transportation a core part of our business.
Shipping a Car to College in North Carolina or South Carolina
The Carolinas are home to many colleges and universities that attract students from New England.
Although driving is possible, the trip can still take a full day or longer depending on the starting point and destination.
Shipping provides families with another option, particularly when they are already coordinating a complicated move.
Shipping a Car to College in Georgia
Students traveling between New England and Georgia also face a significant drive.
Professional car shipping can reduce the amount of travel required during an already busy move in period and keep unnecessary mileage off the student's vehicle.
Can You Ship the Car Back Home After the Semester?
Yes.
College vehicle transportation is not only useful at the beginning of the school year.
Students may need transportation when returning home for summer, transferring to another university, completing a semester abroad, graduating, or moving after college.
Some families also choose to ship vehicles seasonally rather than having students make a long drive twice every year.
How to Prepare a Car for College Auto Transport
Before pickup, take some time to prepare the vehicle.
Clean the exterior enough that its current condition can be easily inspected. Take your own photos for your records as well.
Remove valuables and unnecessary personal belongings.
Check the tires and make sure the vehicle is in suitable condition for loading and unloading.
Make sure the transportation company has accurate contact information for both pickup and delivery.
If a parent will be present at pickup but the student will receive the vehicle near campus, make sure everyone understands the transportation plan.
Can a Car Carrier Deliver Directly to a College Campus?
Sometimes, but not always.
Car carriers are large vehicles that require significant space to maneuver safely.
A college campus may have narrow streets, pedestrian areas, low hanging branches, security gates, parking restrictions, or other limitations that prevent a large transporter from reaching a dorm.
That does not necessarily create a problem.
The driver and customer can arrange a nearby meeting point with enough space to safely unload the vehicle.
This is common in auto transportation and can make delivery easier for everyone involved.
What About Shipping the Car Home for Summer?
The same process works in reverse.
As the spring semester comes to an end, students can arrange transportation from their college area back to New England.
Planning early is helpful because many students finish school around similar dates.
Families who already know the approximate end of the semester can begin thinking about return transportation before finals week arrives.
Is College Car Shipping Worth It?
That depends on the distance, schedule, vehicle, and family's priorities.
For a short trip, driving may make perfect sense.
For a student moving hundreds or thousands of miles away, shipping can become much more attractive.
When comparing the two options, do not look only at the transportation quote.
Consider fuel, tolls, hotels, meals, mileage, vehicle depreciation, travel time, and the logistics of getting the student and their belongings to campus.
The value of avoiding a two or three day drive can be significant.
Why Families Choose Corja Auto Hauling
Corja Auto Hauling has more than 10 years of experience transporting vehicles.
We are based in Agawam, Massachusetts and provide fully insured vehicle transportation throughout the continental United States.
We understand that sending a student away to college is already a major transition for a family. Vehicle transportation should not make that transition more complicated.
Our goal is simple: safely move the vehicle from pickup to delivery while providing dependable service throughout the process.
Going Away to College? Let Us Handle the Car.
If your student is attending college hundreds or thousands of miles from home, you do not necessarily need to make the drive.
Corja Auto Hauling can help transport the vehicle so you can focus on everything else that comes with college move in.
Whether you're shipping from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, or another state, we provide vehicle transportation throughout the lower 48 states.
Ready to get started?
Visit Corja Auto Hauling and complete the Contact Us form to request a quote for your student's vehicle.
Less time driving to college. More time getting ready for what comes next.
