Monday, March 25, 2013

The Pros and Cons of Shipping vs. Driving from VA to UT

In 2012 I decided to take my Jeep to California to drive on the Rubicon trail then to Utah to experience the trails in Moab UT. Prior to leaving I wanted to make sure that I found the most cost effective way to facilitate the journey. Here is what I found: To ship the Jeep to Salt Lake City then drive to Moab Utah, then ship it back to VA Pros: I won't get a sore butt from driving so much. I can get there in a half day of travel on a plane. I can't wreck the jeep on the way out west. I save $100 in camping fees, $100 in food costs, and $570 in gas (one way from VA to SLC, UT) Cons: You cannot get a guarantee of when you vehicle will arrive in SLC (despite what they tell you, they will not guarantee it) You cannot ship your vehicle with ANYTHING inside it. Nothing, no clothes, no camping gear, no spare parts, nothing. You need a storage location in SLC to store your vehicle until you pick it up. This adds $. Lets say for sake of argument that the shipping cost for the vehicle alone is $500. What about shipping costs for your tools, spare parts, camping gear, camera, video equipment, etc. etc., etc.? How much is that going to cost? How are you going to get there? Right now its $500 round trip from RIC to Las Vegas. I am assuming a similar fee to SLC. So, $500 for the Jeep (one way), $250 for me (one way). Plus a shipping charge for gear, parts, etc. ?? The mileage from RIC to Moab is 2022 miles. At 15 MPG, that is 135 gallons. Assuming $4.00 per gallon, that's $540. So, you are already nearly 1/2 the cost to drive out there instead of shipping/flying. For me, the real deal killer is the lack of guarantee of when your vehicle will arrive at its destination. What happens if you fly out there and your jeep doesn't arrive for another 3 days? They will not agree to a pickup date in RIC, they will not agree to a drop off date in SLC, so what is the use? Just my two cents worth.

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