If you’re shipping your car within the continental US, there are few (but very important) restrictions to keep in mind. These can affect everything from shipping time to price to services available. For example, door-to-door car delivery is not available in Hawaii or Alaska, where all shipped cars will be left at the port and must be picked up directly by the owner or an authorized party (a signed letter and advanced notification to the company are usually necessary).

Other restrictions to consider include:

• If you live in a residential area with lots of hanging trees, a truck may not be able to drive through and will have to leave your car at a shipping station instead.
• Certain types of terrain, such as cul-de-sacs, steep hills and dirt roads may not be appropriate for large trucks.
• Many cities have weight restrictions for vehicles getting into the city. If your destination city has that in effect, car delivery will be made to an alternate location outside the city center, and you will be responsible for picking up the vehicle yourself.
• Trucks may not deliver (or delivery times can stretch out considerably) during harsh winter conditions, especially if roads are icy.

Rough weather makes driving dangerous. Snow, sleet, ice and steep road grades all make for loss of control while driving. To counter this you will need to use tire chains. Additionally, many mountain areas will require chains before your able to continue down the road. Rule number one: plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute, consult with your local automotive supply, and make certain you both try the chains on before departure and that the fit of the chains is correct. Also, if the car is front wheel drive the chains go on the front tires and on the back for rear drive. There are basically three types of chains:

1. Link tire chains are just that: links of chain. The most common of the three, these chains are often bulky.
2. Diamond chains are so named for the pattern they form across the tread. Their advantage lies in more chain touching the tread thus giving more traction.
3. Cable tire chains are small bars of metal that sit horizontally across the tread. Cable chains are less bulky and easier to attach generally.

How much it costs to ship your car internationally has a lot to do with where you’re going and who you are. If you’re shipping your car from a foreign place to your home country, you probably will be exempted of any taxes, VAT or import duties. However, car delivery to a foreign country where you are not a citizen (or, depending on the country, a permanent resident) may mean having to pay full import duties, which can sometimes be in the thousands of dollars. Cars that are more than 20 years old are usually exempt of having to pay customs duties, but newer models may be subjects to amounts of up to 35 percent of the cost of the vehicle. This is in addition to any VAT the country imposes on imported goods.

Another thing to keep in mind regarding vehicle shipping is that certain areas have restrictions regarding door-to-door delivery or the use of trucks in residential roads,so you may have to pay for storage or make sure you are there before your car, so you can pick it up on the spot. Certain countries may also have limitations on the type of vehicles you can import. Certain car models or makers that may seem common to you could be considered exotic in other places and subjected to higher taxes or special fees.

The dashboard of your car requires routine maintenance. Magnification of the sun’s intense heat as it moves through the windshield will cause the dashboard skin to dry, fade and crack over time. Unlike other parts of your vehicle, replacing a damaged dashboard is expensive. There are a few different ways to combat this that take little time and effort.

First, if you think of the covering of your dashboard as the outer layer of skin on your body you will more clearly understand this. How do you protect your skin? You protect it from the sun, keep it clean and apply protection of some kind, like aloe vera or sunblock, for example, to help maintain it. If you don’t, you wind up with gnarled looking skin over time. The same goes for the dashboard. Here are a few basic steps to follow.

1. Clean the dashboard regularly with a damp cloth. Soap is not necessary and can often dry out the fabric. Do this once a week.
2. Use a protecting product, like Armor All, made specifically for the material of the dashboard (usually either some type of vinyl or leather). Do this three times a month.
3. Purchase a windshield cover. Cheap ones made of cardboard will do while ones made of reflective material are even better.

While auto shipping is often the best option for cross-country or international moves, there are some cases in which driving or selling your car makes the most sense. This is especially true if you’re in a tight spot for money, as shipping is expensive, more so if you incur in penalties or extras because you need to store your car or need additional services, like special warranties or expedite shipping.

Other reasons NOT to use vehicle transport options include:

• Knowing you’re going to need the car as soon as you move. If you’re moving next week but the earliest you can have your car shipped is three weeks from now, you may want to reconsider shipping. This is true especially if public transportation is not easily accessible at your destination.
• It makes more sense to sell and then buy another car once you settle in. This could be because money is tight, because your car is old and its value is close to null or just because you’re ready for something different.
• Because your car won’t be useful where you’re going. A Hummer may make sense in the wilderness, but it will probably be cumbersome to drive in the streets of L.A.
• Because owning a car will be more problematic than useful where you’re going. NYC is a great example of a city where you don’t need a car, as public transportation is top.

Understand whether you actually need to ship your car or not will make a huge difference in the long term.