Moving a car sounds simple — just drive it. But what if you want someone else to get it from A to B? Is the only option to have someone drive your vehicle the whole way, adding kilometres and wear and tear?
Luckily, no. In South Africa, there are a few common ways to move a vehicle between cities — and some options keep your mileage exactly where it is.
You have several options at your disposal, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
This is the most straightforward option, but it’s not always the easiest.
Best when: it’s a family trip, you’re already travelling that way, or you have time.
Main drawback: it takes time — and long-distance driving can be tiring and expensive once you factor in fuel, tolls, food, and possibly accommodation.
A driver takes your car to the destination while you fly or travel separately.
Benefit: you don’t have to do the drive yourself.
Drawbacks: your car still gets the miles, and long-distance trips come with the normal road risks. It can also be pricey because you may need to cover the driver’s transport back (and sometimes overnight costs too).
This is what most people mean by “car transport”: a carrier collects your vehicle and transports it on a trailer. Some trailers carry one car, while others carry multiple vehicles.
Benefits:
No extra kilometres on your car
Less exposure to road risk compared to someone driving it long distance
Convenient for long routes between major cities
Possible drawback: price can be higher than driving yourself — but often not by as much as people think once you compare full costs.
In the car transport industry, you’ll often hear vehicles can be moved door-to-door or depot-to-depot. Here’s what that actually means:
The carrier uses set locations (depots) for loading and offloading vehicles. When you book depot-to-depot, you’ll need to:
Drive your car to the departure depot
Collect your car from the arrival depot
Depots are typically positioned for convenience in major hubs — often near airports or central access routes — which makes drop-off and collection easier.
Benefits:
Usually more budget-friendly
Efficient and well-organised handovers
Great for major city routes
Drawbacks:
You need to arrange drop-off and collection yourself
Delivery timing can be slightly longer depending on scheduled loads and routing
The carrier collects your vehicle from your chosen address and delivers it to your destination address (or as close as possible, depending on access).
Benefits:
Most convenient option
Less planning and admin
No extra trips needed to depots
Drawback:
Usually more expensive because you’re paying for the convenience and route flexibility
Choose door-to-door if you want maximum convenience and minimal effort.
Choose depot-to-depot if you want better value and you don’t mind the depot drop-off/collection.
If you’re unsure, compare both options — on many popular routes in South Africa, the price difference is smaller than expected, and the right choice comes down to convenience versus cost.
The easiest way to decide between door-to-door and depot-to-depot is to compare prices side by side. Get a quick car transport quote for your options (based on the route and vehicle type) and you’ll immediately see which options are available and what makes the most sense for your budget.
Wise Move is South Africa’s leading moving service, helping thousands of customers with home moves, furniture removals, car and motorcycle transport, and more. Since 2017, we’ve been delivering reliable, affordable, and well-reviewed moving services in just a few simple steps. Our focus has always been on making moving as simple and effortless as possible for our customers.
