March 7, 2022

Moving Across the Country and Planning on Driving Your Car? Here’s What You Need to Know

British Columbia has been the top destination for interprovincial migration and new immigration for a long time. However, it has recently been dethroned by another popular coastal community- PEI or Prince Edward Island. If you plan on picking up and heading East, you’re not alone. According to the most recent figures from Stats Canada, the population of PEI has grown 8% since 2016 with British Columbia coming in a close second at 7.6%.

East to West or West to East, one thing is for sure that it’s a lot of ground to cover. Many families making the trek chose to downsize as much as possible before making the move to save moving costs. But what to do about your car?

Auto transport services are a fast and affordable solution to lain-distance moves. While you’re seated comfortably on a flight snacking and watching movies, someone else is taking care of transporting your car across the country. However, some families decide to make an adventure out of auto transport and decide to drive their vehicle themself. It’s not a terrible idea if you have the time and patience but here are a few things you should consider before you go.

It’s a Lot of Driving

You probably already knew this, but using BC to PEI as an example, you are looking at approximately 60 hours of driving – in perfect conditions that are. You might breeze through the Prairies but just wait until you hit traffic going through Toronto or Montreal. When is rush hour around these cities, you may wonder? Pretty much all the time.

If you drive 8 hours a day, the drive will take at least a week. If you’re going with kids, add countless bathroom breaks and stops. On the flip side, if you are willing to put in the effort then there are many cool things to see along the way. Unfortunately, most of them will be detours off your faster route which will add more time to your travel.

It May Get Very Expensive

When you hire a car transport service you know exactly what you are paying for your auto transport upfront. You may find this number high or low but one thing you need to weigh it against is the cost of driving yourself.

When you drive across the country, you will spend on four areas- gas, food, lodging, and incidentals (kitschy bumper stickers, anyone?).

Supposing that you drive a standard size SUV with a fuel economy of 11L/100 km, at current gas prices, you’ll be spending approximately $1,200 on gas alone. Now add in several hotels stays at $100 a night and food expenditures of around $50 per day per person. For a family of 4, before incidentals are included, driving from BC to PEI may very much cost at least $3,300.

While you’re driving, you’re also adding to the wear and tear on your vehicle. That’s brakes, oil changes, and decreased value from adding 6,000 km to the oedometer or the equivalent to half a year of driving for many families.

Armed with this information, you’re in a better position to decide whether you are ready to embark on a great Canadian adventure!