Buying a car is usually pretty easy. It can be as simple as going on AutoTrader, finding a car you want in your area, then going and buying it. Sometimes, however, finding the right car in an area near you can be very difficult. This is especially common with very rare or specific cars. Say someone wants a BMW M235i, with a 6-speed manual, but there aren’t any around. Or perhaps you live in a big city, like Chicago, so you want something new, small and economical, but also exotic and fun.The BMW i3 is perfect, but sometimes, you might not be able to find the right specs or even the best price locally . These scenarios can be very stressful, but don’t have to be disappointing.

Sometimes finding a car out of the local area can get you more of what you want in a car, and often result in a lower price or tax savings. In the case of my BMW i3, I found the perfect one, with the exact specs at a great price, at JMK BMW in New Jersey. Manny Antunes has once again come through for us.

That’s where a shipping company comes in. Instead of flying there and driving my car back– not really doable today with an i3 Range Extender–I decided to have it shipped to my home in Chicago.

If you’ve never shipped a car before, the idea can be intimidating. If you had just bought a brand new car, especially something luxurious or exotic, you don’t want any Joe Shmoe picking up your newly acquired vehicle on the back of an old, rusty flatbed. You must search high and low for a reputable shipping company that will provide shipping insurance and expert care for your vehicle.

A reliable and established shipping company will ship your car to you in either an enclosed or open carrier. Enclosed transport is a bit more expensive, but the safer if you prefer extra care to accommodate your special vehicle. Open car transport is what you see most often on the highway. Open vehicle carriers aren’t unsafe, per say, but they don’t shield the car from the elements. It is, however, the most common and economical shipping service. During transport, the car is exposed to elements like rain, sun, and dust, but this is no different than when you are driving it on the highway yourself.

You want a company with a good reputation they’re willing to stand behind. After doing research, I decided Montway Auto Transport was the best choice to deliver my new car. They’ve grown from a family-owned company started in 2006 to become one of the largest car shipping companies in the country. They’re also one of few “A+” rated by the Better Business Bureau with a 5-star rating on over 1190 reviews on TransportReviews.com.

All of that info is necessary when searching for a company to transport your beloved vehicle, like my new i3. And be ready to pay for it, as a quality shipping company won’t accept twenty bucks and a bottle of Rumple Minze, like the independent guy with the flatbed. However, the payment is worth the quality when it comes to shipping a prized possession. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is choosing a mover based only on price. After giving you a seemingly incredible low price, less-reputable shippers will add fees, ransom your car, refuse to make good on damages they cause, or have even vanish once they get a hold of your new car.

Montway is fully licensed and insured broker and carrier, with a network of over 25,000 experienced and dependable drivers. They provide full insurance coverage for your vehicle during transport and their customer service agent will address any of your concerns seven days a week. The price you get may seem a bit higher, but you know there won’t be any surprises later, and that you can depend on the service and protection you’ll receive.

What Montway would do for this exact situation, is provide the kind of truck requested to pick up the purchased car up at the dealership and deliver the car right to your door, anywhere in the country. Now, it can do this multiple ways. If you cannot wait for your car and must have it immediately, Montway will send a specific truck to pick up only your car. This, however, is obviously more expensive. If you have the luxury of waiting a week or two, your car will be picked up along with others being shipped to the same area, and then delivered to your house. Before the truck gets to your house, the Montway agent calls to give you a two-hour window time, enough for you to make the necessary arrangements. It usually takes between 3-5 business from the date of pickup to arrive at your house.

I chose to go with open carrier transport with Montway, mainly because it was more cost-effective, but even dealerships regularly ship new cars across the country primarily by open trailers, so I wasn’t concerned.

I spoke with a logistics agent to set up the pickup details, drop-off location, timeline, and, of course, payment information. After I had booked, until they had assigned a carrier and could give me the set pick-up date ,the agent called to keep me updated on my order status and estimated time of arrival. When the car was picked up, I received an automated email , outlining my order details and information on the carrier.

From pick up in New Jersey to delivery in Chicago, it only took 48 hours, despite some weather issues on the East Coast. With the i3’s built-in GPS tracker, I was also able to monitor the transport in real time. Before the carrier got to my house, the Montway agent called to give me a two-hour window. The i3 was delivered in perfect condition and after a quick wash, it looked just as new as the one from the local showroom. A day later, Montway called to follow up and ensure that the transport process was up to my standards. Shortly after, I also received a customer satisfaction survey via email.

To have an i3 delivered from New Jersey to Chicago, it costs around $800, depending on where in the state your car is being delivered. Now, if the price of the i3 in question is thousands of dollars cheaper, then this works out quite well. It can also work out even better if you purchase the car in a state with no sales tax. So using a shipping company like Montway can not only save you quite a bit of money, despite having to pay for the shipping, but it can make purchasing the exact car you want at the right price a little bit easier, as there would be no distance restriction. This can come especially in handy when looking for a classic, rare, or exotic car, where finding one in proximity to you can be a problem.

So car shipping is more viable of an option than many people think. It can take the stress out of buying the perfect car as well as allowing you to find the best price. But make sure you use a quality company like Montway and not Rusty-Flatbed-Rick.

Disclosure: BMWBLOG has been offered a small discount on the shipping because of the delivery time frame, the open carrier and cool story angle. But the payment came from our accounts.