If you're making a long-distance move and own a car, you want to be sure you can count on your vehicle safely making the trip. Whether you plan on driving or towing your car yourself or having expert movers and packers take care of this task, it's important to be prepared.

Let's look at some important tips for each option.

Driving cross-country and other long distances yourself

Driving to your new home can easily be looked at as a one-way road trip. In this context, there's plenty of practical advice out there for lowering the odds of complications on the way and keeping you and your car safe for the duration.

The first thing you should do is bring your car to your regular mechanic for a checkup, or a basic review of fluids, hoses, belts and coolant, along with tires, brakes and batteries. This will help you get a repair finished when it's easy. You'll avoid a potential problem quickly turning into an expensive job in unfamiliar territory while on the road - not to mention delaying your carefully planned move.

You can also use this time to thank your mechanic for their help during the course of your relationship while asking about any longer-term issues that your next mechanic should look out for. You should also make sure your spare tire and jack are in good shape, as well as have an emergency kit containing the supplies suggested by the National Safety Council.

Beyond making sure your car is in tip-top shape for the drive, you should also make the trip as comfortable as possible. Clean your car ahead of time, bring a small bag for trash and stock up on water and snacks. If you're covering especially long distances, take a look at your trip on Google Maps or a similar app to make sure you can realistically and safely cover the distance in the time allotted, and find lodging and places to eat ahead of time, if necessary.

You should also set aside space for the items that movers can't transport in their vehicles or suggest you bring yourself, as well as basics like clean clothes and toiletries. Finally, look for a few ways to have a little fun on the trip. Whether it's stopping at some classic roadside attractions or finding some especially interesting audiobooks and podcasts to listen to along the way, the drive doesn't need to be an all-business affair.

Letting the experts transport your vehicle to your new home

Whether you have more cars than people to drive them or want to fly to your new home instead of making a multi-day drive, dependable professional movers are more than happy to carefully transport your car. Atlas agents across the country move cars, motorcycles and boats, offering not only the ability to do so but plenty of relevant experience from similar efforts in the past.

The obvious advantage of this approach is there's no need to plan for a long trip in your car nor spend the many sometimes tedious hours behind the wheel. And, travel preferences aside, if you're short on time or need to handle some specific tasks at your new home as soon as possible, you simply may not have the luxury of making the drive. No matter why you want or need Atlas to bring your car along for the ride, we're ready to do the heavy lifting for you.

To learn more, get in touch with the experts at Atlas today!