You’re stopped at a red light, and there is a lot of traffic anyway – so you figure ‘What’s the big deal?’ You justify in your mind that it’s ok to whip out your cell phone and check your email or Facebook or your missed calls…because technically, you’re not driving at that moment. Suddenly, you’re startled by someone honking at you, and that’s when you realize how engrossed you’d become in your cell phone activities that you failed to notice the green light.

But it’s not a big deal.

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Driving While Texting Statistics

While sending or receiving a text message while driving may not seem like such a big deal; it actually is. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics below:

• In 2011, at least 23 percent (or 1.3 million) of car crashes involved cell phones .
• It takes a minimum of 5 seconds for your attention to be drawn away from the road when texting while driving. If you’re driving at 55mph, this is equivalent of traveling the length of a football field without looking at the road!
• Texting while driving makes you 23 times more likely to crash your car.
• 77 percent of young adults interviewed claim that they can safely text while driving.
• Teens who text while driving spend an average of 10 percent of their driving time, NOT driving in their lane.
• 1 in 5 drivers admit to surfing the Internet while driving.
• 39 states (including Washington D.C.) prohibit the use of texting while driving.
• 10 states prohibit the use of a hand-held cell phone at all.

[source]

The Solution to Texting while Driving

If you don’t think that sending or receiving a text message doesn’t affect you, then think again. In the split second that you’re glancing at your cell phone screen, you could be missing a moment where an animal suddenly runs into the street or a child wanders into the road or the car that you thought was so far ahead of you suddenly stops short.

The best offense is a good defense, and nowhere is this more true than when you are on the road. Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right. We need to be more vigilant and that means keeping our eyes on the road at all times, prepared for anything.

More people are using car transportation companies for the safe, fast shipment of their vehicles from destination to destination. For instance, car transportation may make more sense in a situation where you are relocating from Texas to Maine for a career move. Hiring a reputable car transportation company can reduce stress, time spent on the road and unnecessary wear and tear put onto your vehicle.

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Trusting Your Car Transport Company

It can sometimes be difficult to turn your car keys over to a stranger and trust that they will be able to safely and effectively transport your car from your current location to a completely different city and state, located hundreds of miles away. This is why it is important to research several different car transport companies. Look at their websites, the services offered and what other past customers have said about their experiences. Do they offer a free car transport rate quote? Compare prices and give them a call!

At National Transport, our car transport drivers are licensed and insured, trained professionals in the area of shipping various kinds of vehicles. Whether you’re moving across the street or across the country, a trusted car transport company can significantly reduce your stress and wear and tear on your vehicle. Give us a call today at 1.800.665.5022.

Fast Car Transport When You Want; Where You Want

We live in an increasingly mobile society. People have smartphones, laptops and careers that take them out of the ‘traditional’ office environment and into a home office or even to other locations around the country on business trips. Think about how car transportation companies make your life more manageable when you’re preparing to move or when you’re preparing for a job relocation.

National Transport provides door-to-door car transport, meaning that we pick your vehicle up directly from your driveway and deliver it to your next designated location. From eBay car sales to military personnel, to car manufactures to college moves; there are numerous reasons to hire a car transport company. Call National Transport today and find out, first-hand, why car transportation is safer, better and faster than ever before.

I can still remember driving in my grandfather’s old Chevy pickup. Back when it was built, there weren’t all of the seatbelt laws that exist today, so we didn’t worry about putting on seat belts. But then again, my grandfather also lived out in the countryside; and the pickup was used mainly to haul stuff around his farm. I still think back to those days, to the cracked leather seats as I enjoyed sliding around on those seats at every turn.

The Cars of Today

There was an indescribable feeling that you felt, riding around in one of those old classic cars. It’s the same feeling that vintage enthusiasts will tell you about when they slide behind the wheel of a well preserved vintage ride today. The cars that we have today are unique in their own ways as well. But, will they be the classics of the future?

Years from now, will someone hand down their fully-loaded Toyota Prius to their grandchild and have it mean something? Will the iPhones and electronic gadgets be replaced with something else in the same way that 8-track players and cassette players were replaced by 6-change cd players and iPod docks?

Making the Transition to the Future

Today, there are more people and vehicles crowding the roadways. We have rear-view backup sensors and cameras built right into our vehicles. We have built-in GPS navigation systems. We have blue-tooth capable sets built right into our steering wheels, and we are on the brink of going mainstream with cars that drive themselves.

And while all of it is exciting and convenient, I still can’t help but feel like it is important to continue to preserve the memory of the classic vehicles of the past- the vehicles that many of these newer cars were modeled after- vehicles who stood the test of time and were sturdier than some of the cars you find out there today.

I’ll be interested to see which vehicles become the classic cars of tomorrow. Which ones do you think will stand the test of time?

You may have heard about the United Airlines flight recently that was diverted because of a family who had some concerns over the movie that was being played. I know- it sounds crazy, right?

I think that this story just goes to show you how serious airlines are taking security measures these days. If you haven’t heard the story yet, you can read the whole thing over at NBC- but basically, the family was upset because the in-flight movie was too violent. This then began a back and forth between the flight crew and the family, which ultimately resulted in the plane flight being diverted and the family being placed on a different plane.

[image by Gordon Werner]

Change of Plans

The incident with this family actually took place back in February of this year, but the story about this flight is only recently coming under scrutiny due to the fact that the family wrote a letter to The Atlantic about their flight experience.

The family consisted of a father and mother who were traveling with their two children, ages 4 and 8. According to a recent article published by NBC, the father, whose name has been withheld – said he was traveling with his wife and their 4-year-old and 8-year-old sons when the movie “Alex Cross” began to play on drop-down screens above the seats.

NBC reporter, A. Pawlowski continued, reporting:

Alarmed by the opening scenes, the passenger said he asked two flight attendants to turn off the monitor nearest his kids, but was told it could not be done and that crew members had no authority or ability to change or turn off the movie.

What Would You Do?

I believe that you can’t protect your kids from everything. However, some stuff is inappropriate to be showing kids at such a young age. Quite frankly, I’d be curious to know how many other passengers on that same plane flight felt as though they were in agreement with the family regarding the violence in the movie.

Whenever you show one general movie to a group of people, there’s a good chance that there will be someone who doesn’t like the selection, but who was at fault here? The airline or the parents? And was the reaction of the airline appropriate?

Recently, Raleigh, NC was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Having said that, I can certainly attest to that because I just made a car transport run through North Carolina just last week. It wasn’t my first time driving through the state or driving through Raleigh either.

Raleigh Car Transport Then and Now

I can remember driving through the city of Raleigh at least a half dozen times over the span of my auto hauling career; and since then, I’ve been able to witness the dramatic change that Raleigh has gone through. Why, just last month, I had twenty different orders for cars that needed to be shipped to Raleigh from all over the country. If that’s not a sign that the city is growing, I don’t know what is.

Now, when you drive through, it seems as if there isn’t a road in sight that isn’t under construction. Everywhere, they seem to be expanding the roads, building schools and slapping up new housing developments- all because they can barely keep up with the influx of people who have decided to relocate there and make it their new home!

Relocating to Raleigh from Around the World

When I drop off a car to someone’s home, it’s hardly ever just a ‘drop-and-go’ situation. I find myself getting into friendly conversations with folks. These people are just so incredibly thrilled and fascinated at how car transport works; and they’re even more thrilled by the fact that their vehicles have made the long journey in one piece!

I get asked a lot of questions sometimes about the places I’ve seen from behind the wheel of my big rig, and I’m more than happy to share. Again, it’s interesting to see the transformations that different cities go through. If there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about which places folks seem to be moving to, it’s auto transport drivers. After all, we’re the ones who have to navigate the various roads, figure out which roads have recently been added and find the best way to get people’s vehicles dropped off at their designated drop off points.

If you’re ever planning to move somewhere, regardless of whether it’s to Raleigh or to somewhere else, I would certainly recommend looking at the bigger picture. Do you want to settle down in a quiet town, or do you want to make your new home somewhere where there is plenty of growth potential? Crowds and big cities aren’t for everyone, but in my opinion- Raleigh seems to be a nice mixture of the two. It provides a little something for everyone.

Moving into a new house can be a pain- especially if that new home is located on the other side of the United States.

In my days as an auto shipper, I can tell you that I have helped countless families in the relocation process. With so much to worry about packing, having to stress out over how their vehicles are going to get where they need to be is the LAST thing they need to worry about.

National Transport is an awesome car shipping company, and their car carriers are the best (not that I would know anything about that! wink:: wink!). We make the process of auto shipping super simple and hassle free. Simply visit the National Transport website and fill out their free, car shipping rate quote form. It’ll ask you for a few simple piece of info- such as the dates you’re planning on shipping your car, etc.

You get your free quote in a matter of SECONDS, and then the real fun begins when someone like me comes to pick up  your precious vehicle! I’ll go through a thorough inspection of your car, truck or other vehicle that you’re shipping. I’ll have you sign off on it, grab your keys and load ‘er up! You’ll be able to keep tabs on where your vehicle is at during any part of the trip by calling us at 1.800.665.5022. We’re licensed and insured for added peace of mind, should anything happen. Keeping that in mind, I thought I’d throw in a few tips below to help you prep for your big move. Check ‘em out:

Contact an Auto Shipping Company

As you are already aware, contacting an auto shipping company should be at the top of your list when prepping to relocate to a new home. This is especially true if your new home is located hundreds or thousands of miles away. Shipping your vehicle often proves to be significantly easier, hassle free and cost-effective in the long haul.

When you ship with National Transport, we make the process of vehicle shipping super easy and simple, so that you never have to worry about your car getting where it needs to be.

Make a List

After contacting a reliable auto shipper, the best way to start prepping for a big move is to make a list. List out items by category and importance. Some folks choose to list things by room and order of importance. For example, you may have one category labeled “guest bedroom”. Then, you can create sub categories of items that should be packed first.

Pack Important Things Last

When packing items, make sure that you pack up the most important items last. Ideas for this include things such as medications, important papers such as the deed to your house or car as well as other important paperwork that you may need to have handy during the move, such as the contract with your movers or auto shippers, etc.

Whatever you do, don’t panic! By starting early in your preparations, you’ll avoid having to rush or do last minute things. Remember, it’s the lack of preparation that most often leads to feeling stressed out. In the meantime, one thing is for sure- you’ll never have to worry about your vehicle when you choose me as your auto shipper with National Transport!

Happy packing!

*Note: This is a guest post written by one of our readers. For more information on how to submit a guest post, please read our guest posting guidelines.

Ever heard of a balance transfer? Well, whether you have or you haven’t doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that you pay attention now because making one could help you immediately get ahold of your vehicle’s title, allow you to pay off debt faster, and save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest and fees.

It’s understandable if you think all that sounds too good to be true, but certain credit card issuers will indeed assume new customers’ debt obligations and provide low introductory interest rates in return for them opening a balance transfer credit card.

Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers

Balance transfer credit card offers have been around for a while now, but they didn’t truly get interesting until after the Great Recession. The downturn taught credit card companies how important it is to have a dependable customer base, and they began using lengthy 0% intro terms (as well as lucrative initial rewards bonuses) as a sort of bait to attract people with excellent credit. The overarching strategy is to solidify the customer base and then cross-sell more profitable products as well as directly profit off fees and interest assessed to whatever balance remains at the end of the intro period.

Cards with 0% introductory terms as long as 18 months are currently available, but lowering the cost of your auto loan is slightly more involved than simply identifying the most attractive offer. While you can theoretically transfer debt to a credit card from an auto loan, student loan, personal loan, another credit card, etc., some issuers will only accept credit card balances. It’s therefore important to read the fine print and speak to a customer service representative before submitting an application.

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Verify your savings.

Before deciding to take advantage of a balance transfer, you must also verify that it will actually save you money. A credit card calculator makes this easy, but you can also do the math yourself by:

1. Calculating the balance transfer fee (it’s expressed as a percentage of your debt);
2. Determining the monthly payments you can comfortably afford;
3. Figuring out how much debt, if any, will remain when regular rates take effect;
4. Assessing the cost of paying down the remainder with interest;
5. Comparing the total cost of a balance transfer to the interest charges on your remaining auto loan payments.

Just to give you an idea of the savings that are possible, if you have $7,000 remaining on an auto loan with a 3.20% interest rate and you want to pay it off in 24 months, a balance transfer credit card could save you nearly $240 without necessitating that you make higher monthly payments.

Consider the benefits of an auto loan balance transfer.

Ultimately, if you aren’t quite sure that such savings are worth the hassle, consider the other primary benefit of an auto loan balance transfer: getting your hands on your vehicle’s title. Car loans, as I’m sure you know, are secured by the value of the vehicle they’re used to purchase. If you don’t make payments as agreed, your car could be repossessed.

Credit card debt, on the other hand, is unsecured. You’ll incur credit score damage and interest if you become delinquent, but you won’t have to give up any property (unless, of course, you go bankrupt). So, when the credit card company pays off your obligation to the original lender, you get both the title and a somewhat less risky type of debt.

That’s at least something you have to consider.

About the Author:

Odysseas Papadimitriou is the CEO of the credit card comparison website Card Hub as well as the personal finance social network Wallet Hub.

For most people, choosing an auto transport company boils down to three things: safety, reliability and cost. And while these three things are important, too often, a decision is based on cost alone.

Reliable Auto Transport

Finding a reliable auto transporter who will ship your car for an extreme bargain price can sometimes seem too good to be true, and that’s because it often is! Rather than focus solely on the cost factor, consider other important issues such as how long it will take the car shipper to pick up and drop off your vehicle.

Additionally, what other caveats have they failed to mention? For instance, some low cost auto transporters are able to offer extremely low prices because they do not offer door-to-door auto transport services. Rather, it is up to the customer to drive their car to a designated drop-off location or terminal where their vehicle will be parked alongside other vehicles that are waiting to be transported. If this is the case, it can sometimes be weeks before your car is finally picked up and shipped off to wherever it needs to go.

Auto Transport and Your Car

In order to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your auto transport experience, prepare yourself ahead of time by figuring out what it is you need. For instance, do you have more than one vehicle that needs to be shipped? Are you worried about the safe shipment of a brand new, luxury car?

At National Transport, we provide our auto transport customers with a FREE, no obligation auto transport quote form. You can see this button just to the right of this post, at the top of the screen. By clicking here, you will be taken to a simple form, asked to input a few key pieces of information about your auto transport request; and in a matter of seconds, we’ll provide you with an accurate auto transport quote. We also offer specialized auto transport rate quotes for customers who may have a ‘unique’ auto transport request.

Again, when using an auto transport company to ship your car, you really want to make sure that you’re hiring a company that has been around for a while and is rated with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Pay attention to any other credentials that they have. See what other auto transport customers are saying about them. Take everything with a grain of salt.

Buying a car is one of the biggest investments that people make next to purchasing a home. Therefore, wouldn’t you want to be sure that the auto transport company you hire will be one whose reputation for shipping cars exceeds your expectations?

Before You Ship Your Car

Before you ship your car, make sure that it is empty of any and all personal belongings as items have a tendency to shift during the transport process. Also, emptying your vehicle of personal belongings reduces the likelihood of criminal activity and items being stolen.

Take your car to a licensed mechanic, and just have a simple checkup performed. Make sure that the tires are properly inflated, that there is some gasoline in the gas tank; and also make the decision as to whether or not you’d like to use an enclosed shipping option or an open auto transport option.

Doing all of this will only help to ensure a much smoother auto transport experience!

While Hurricane Sandy may have brought devastation to the East Coast of the United States, it has also brought with it an increase in the number of vehicles being purchased before 2012 comes to a close. But this may come as bad news to those consumers who were hoping to purchase a used car at a lower price point.

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), prices for used vehicles are expected to see an increase from 0.5% to as much as 1.5% before the year is over; and this percentage could be even higher for those who are living in areas that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst with the NADA Used Car Guide stated:

“The loss of used-vehicle supply and the increase in replacement demand after Sandy will have the greatest impact on used-vehicle prices in December.” [source]

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Auto Shipping and Used Cars

While the prices of used cars may be on the rise, one thing will remain the same: the ability to have your used car shipped directly to your doorstep, no matter where you live in the United States. With National Transport, auto shipping for used cars is easy, fast and affordable. Regardless of whether you are buying a used BMW or a gently used Acura, now you don’t have to worry about where you buy it from or how you’re going to get it home.

Some of the auto transport options that National Transport offers includes enclosed auto transport as well as open auto transport. We also offer specialized auto shipping quotes, depending on the specific type of used vehicle that you’re thinking of shipping. But to get started to see how auto transport will fit into your budget, we invite you to fill out our FREE auto shipping rate quote form, located on the left-hand side of our main website. Just click on the “Car Shipping Instant Quote” button at the top, right-hand side of this page to take you there. You can also give us a call today at 1.800.665.5022 to speak to one of our many, friendly customer service reps.

Finding the Best Bargains on Used Cars

While the news that used car prices are on the rise may seem grim, there is a silver lining. There are still plenty of great prices on used cars to be had; you just have to know where to look. For instance, many late-model used cars are still very affordable. The trick is to research which car brands rate well on reliability and safety. Also pay attention to the re-sale value. For example, buying a used Honda will yield you more money when you sell it back versus a used Jeep.

Forbes magazine contributor, Jim Gorzelany, recommends avoiding cars that are sold with big cash rebates because these vehicles tend to take a greater hit in terms of depreciation, as do those models of used cars that are popular among car rental companies. Because they are used by car rental companies, it means that there is a steady market for them to be re-sold each year.

Are you in the market to buy a used car? If so, what brand are you looking at, and what lead you to your decision?

Could you imagine a world where no one actually drives their car? A world where we no longer have to stress out about passing a driver’s ed road test?! According to a recent article published in NBC, robotic cars could be the wave of the future.

According to industry experts, having a robotic car will allow drivers to clear intersections more safely and quickly than human drivers (Just think about what happens when a light happens to be out at an intersection and people struggle to figure out how a 4-way stop works). Besides this, with the assistance of an automated intersection controller, robot cars would (hypothetically) be able to move through intersections while avoiding crashes. This is according to Ismail Zohy, a civil engineer student at Virginia Tech.

Sound scary? Statistics point out that you should probably be more terrified of that person who’s in the lane next to you in traffic, texting while they are driving.

Automated Driving and Auto Transport

So, with all of this talk about automated driving and robots controlling cars, it makes one wonder whether this will only affect passenger cars or if it will spread out to include bigger vehicles such as auto transport carriers and other semis. For now, the talk seems to be centered around passenger cars, specifically with the recent testing of the EO Smart Connecting Car in Berlin back in July. See the video at the end of this post for an example of the EO Smart Connecting Car being driven through the busy streets in Berlin, where the self-driving car was being tested.

Another example of a self driving car (though slightly different) is Google’s Self Driving Car, which are legal in the state of California. At the end of the day, it seems that there is no limit to where technology may take us; and in a world that is becoming increasingly crowded-particularly in major metropolitan areas, such as New York, California and elsewhere around the world, the idea of cars that would drive themselves seems pretty neat. However, all of this talk about robotics begs the question, “What will happen to the livelihood of those people who make their living by operating vehicles such as auto transport haulers, moving trucks and big-rig fuelers, etc.? Will self driving vehicles like these still require an actual person to be present in the vehicle in case something goes wrong? Or will they just go along for the ride but not get paid as much?

There are certainly many factors to consider. But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. We haven’t quite yet reached the point where we’re like The Jetsons- flying cars around while our robotic maids tend to the household chores. But I wouldn’t say that we’re that far off either.

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