Recent Alaska Shipping News

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Legality
Environmental impact
Final word
 

Legality

Idling is when your car sits parked with the engine running. Some people may do this out of forgetfulness but in Alaska, many do it because it will allow them to get the interior cabin of the car warm or to keep it warm. So, the question is, how legal is idling in Alaska?

Well, in Alaska idling is legal if you are in your car in the driver’s seat or if you have an automatic starter. The maximum time that you are allowed to idle in either circumstance is twenty minutes. There are other exemptions for things like emergency vehicles but for regular citizens, being in the car in the driver’s seat or using an automatic starter (with no key needed in the ignition) are the only two ways to idle legally. If you get a ticket for excessive idling, expect it to cost over a hundred dollars.
 

Environmental impact

Unfortunately, just because you might be able to avoid legal consequence if you are idling your car properly, it does not mean that there are not other consequences. The biggest of which is likely the environmental implications that idling your car has. Idling your vehicle’s engine can and does cause unnecessary greenhouse gas and air quality emissions primarily in the form of carbon dioxide. These things directly contribute to smog as well as to global warming.

Not only does excessive idling have a serious environmental impact, but it will also hurt your wallet because idling is a great way to waste gas as well. Typically, when you idle you end up using a gallon of gas for every hour that you idle. So, if you idle your vehicle in Alaska for just fifteen minutes a day in Alaska, five days a week, you will be wasting over a gallon of gas a week. If you estimate a gallon of gas costing three dollars per gallon, this comes out to be almost two hundred dollars of wasted gas per year.
 

Final word

Allowing your car to idle has some serious costs for you financially, for the environment and possibly even legally for you. It is legal to let your car idle for up to twenty minutes in Alaska if you are in the driver’s seat or if you have an automatic starter that does not require the key in the ignition. However, you will be wasting a considerable amount of gas as well as causing significant pollution. Do your best to keep your vehicle idling to a minimum at all times.

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Correct and legal use of your car horn
Illegal use of your car horn
Final word
 

Correct and legal use of your car horn

Laws that define the legal use of your car’s horn vary across the country from one state to another. However, they tend to be pretty similar. In general, the vast majority of these laws define the legal use of your car’s horn as when you need to warn another driver of the potential for imminent danger and/or collision. In Alaska, the legal use of your horn is defined as “The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but may not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway or other vehicular way or area.”

What that means in the most basic terms is that you can legally use your horn to warn other drivers of a potential collision with yourself, another car or an object/hazard. For example, if you are driving in the lane next to someone and happen to be in their blind spot and they start to merge into your lane quickly where they might collide with you, using your horn in that situation is completely legal and recommended.
That
 

Illegal use of your car horn

Using your horn to do anything other than warn another driver of a present and potential accident or danger is illegal. This means that if you use your horn to express displeasure after someone cut you off or even if you use your horn to quickly and politely get a driver sitting at a green light moving, it is illegal and you technically risk getting a ticket. However, car horn laws are quite rarely enforced in Alaska as well as in other US states. These tickets almost always only get issued when someone is aggressively leaning on their horn or honking over and over.

Regardless, the penalty for improper use of your horn is no joking matter. In Alaska, if you receive a ticket for you will be fined seventy-five dollars plus the applicable fees. So, if you are caught throwing a fit of anger with your car horn in Alaska, it can easily cost you over a hundred dollars when all is said and done.
 

Final word

Your car’s horn is intended only to signal other drivers on the road of imminent danger that they might not be aware of. This can include when a car is driving to close to yours or when you are driving through an intersection and another car runs the red light or stop sign. Using your horn that way is legal. Any other use is illegal. That includes when you use your car horn to express anger. Illegal uses of your car horn are rarely enforced by police, except when it is excessive.

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Avoiding roadkill
Contact the authorities
Final word
 

Avoiding roadkill

When there is a dead animal in the road in Alaska, it is both a sad and unfortunate sight. Most importantly, it is a potential driving hazard which can lead to a dangerous accident. Thus, it is very important that you do everything that you can to avoid driving over it or swerving too quickly to avoid it.

Although it is ideal to avoid running over the animal carcass, both for safety as well as for the condition of your vehicle, it is critically important that you not quickly swerve or slam on your brakes in order to avoid it. Doing so can cause an accident with another driver which is much worse than driving over it. However, if you are approaching a significant roadkill carcass you can switch lanes but do so safely by signaling and ensuring there is room for you to do so before you do. If it is a one lane road, you can use the shoulder to avoid making contact with the roadkill but do so with your signal on as well as at a significantly reduced speed.
 

Contact the authorities

Once you are clear of the roadkill, you should make note of its location and contact the proper authorities to get it removed from the road so that it does not pose a hazard to future drivers. Make sure you are stopped and/or pulled over when you do this.

You should never try to move roadkill yourself because it is a significant health risk as the animal may possibly be diseased. Also, it is extremely dangerous to be in the middle of the road, even momentarily, with oncoming traffic. The proper authorities such as highway maintenance, employees of the roads department of the particular municipality or animal patrol are equipped to do so correctly as well as safely.
 

Final word

Roadkill is always a sad and unsightly situation, but it can also be a road hazard that can cause an accident if you do not safely avoid driving over/into it. It is yet another reason to always pay extremely close attention to the road ahead of you. If you do see roadkill in the road, safely and slowly navigate around it and then be sure to get it touch with the proper authorities as soon as you are not actively driving and let them know where it is so that it can be correctly removed from the road. If you ever need any type of vehicle transported to or from Alaska at any point during the year, give our car shipping experts a call with any questions or for a free quote at (907) 331-3100!

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Basic information about seat covers
Why you should consider using seat covers in Alaska
Final Word
 

Basic information about seat covers

Seat covers will protect your car seat’s material whether cloth or leather from stains and damage caused by spills, dirt and other debris. This will protect the appearance of your vehicle’s interior as well as prevent completely preventable and unnecessary depreciation from occurring. On top of preventing damage to your car’s interior, car seat covers are almost always customizable as far as their appearance and can add to your interior’s aesthetic.

They are also extremely easily cleaned whether by hand with a cloth or by machine wash which will make cleaning your car or getting it cleaned much easier and time effective. They are also quite easy to install as most can be easily slipped and fit over your actual seats using straps or Velcro. Most car seat covers will cost about thirty to a hundred dollars for each seat. The actual cost will depend on whether you choose custom or universal covers as well as what type of material they are made out of.
 

Why you should consider using seat covers in Alaska

In Alaska, you will have several months where there is snow falling, on the ground and all over. As a result, it is very easy to track snow and dirt into your car which can easily end up on your seat and damaging the upholstery or leather. Seat covers will keep the original seat and its material in mint condition for as long as you are using them barring a car accident or puncture incident. This will make a very big difference if you ever plan on selling your vehicle in the future as the overall value will not be negatively impacted by an interior in poor condition. Consider always using heavy duty floor mats as well to keep your interior in great condition.
 

Final Word

Car seat covers will go a long way in terms of keeping you interior clean and looking brand new. A direct effect of this is the fact you will greatly slow the depreciation of your vehicle which will really help if the time ever comes that you are going to sell your car. These covers can also add to your cars look as they are customizable and can be made out of top-quality materials such as sheep skin. Getting car covers in Alaska is a very good idea because of the potential for tracking snow and dirt into your car. If you are shipping your car and have seat covers, you may want to consider removing them because if they happened to get damaged at all, car shipping insurance will not be able to cover it.

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The benefit of car detailing
What you need to know about car detailing
Final word
 

The benefit of car detailing

When you get your car detailed in Alaska or anywhere else, you are essentially choosing to get your car cleaned in such a meticulous way that your vehicle will be put back to near new apperance. There is much more labor and effort involved in car detailing than you get with a typical old car wash. As you might expect, car detailing is considerably more expensive than a typical car wash. Detailing will also take more time as well.

The benefit versus just getting your car washed is big. It will help you tremendously if you are trying to sell your car, trying to use your car as a ride-share driver or even if you just want your car looking as good as it can possibly can. If you plan on shipping your car, you will need to get it cleaned before your auto transport driver shows up to load it onto the carrier. Getting your car detailed prior to shipping can help expedite the amount of time that your driver will have to spend inspecting your car for preexisting damage. This will get your car on the road and enroute to its destination a bit quicker.
 

What you need to know about car detailing

As we mentioned, car detailing will cost a bit more and take more time than a regular car wash. Typically, car detailing will run you between one and two hundred dollars, possibly more, depending on where you take it for the service. As far as how long it will take, car detailing usually last between three to five hours. So, plan on going home while you wait or at least have a good long book to read.

You will likely also need to schedule an appointment for detailing. This is because most car detailing services can only detail one or two cars at a time because of the staff and space the service requires. Finally, much like you would with a car wash, try not to get your car detailed right before lots of bad weather because your car can then get dirty again quite quickly.
 

Final word

There is a world of difference between getting your car detailed and just getting it washed. When you get your car detailed, it is a much more thorough cleaning that will restore a good amount of your vehicle’s brand-new look (obviously not including any preexisting damage). It will cost more and take more time than a car wash, but the overall value is worth it in the end. You might want to consider getting your car detailed if you are selling or even shipping it.

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The proper ways to-de-ice your windshield
What you should not do in order to de-ice your windshield
Final word
 

The proper ways to-de-ice your windshield

On a cold winter morning, there is a good chance that precipitation from the previous night has left a film of ice over your windshield. This is a big inconvenience as you will not be able to start driving until you are able to completely de-ice your windshield. Fortunately, there are several effective and safe ways to do so.

The most typical way to de-ice your windshield is to clear any snow off of your windshield, run your car and defrosters for five to ten minutes and then use an ice scrapper. However, that method can be time consuming, up to a half hour in fact. Another method would be to use rubbing alcohol where you mix two thirds rubbing alcohol and one third water in a spray bottle. You spray it on your windshield, wait a minute or two and turn your wipers on. The ice should then be completely clear. Yet another method for clearing ice off your windshield will be to simultaneously use your car’s defrosters and a plastic bag with very hot water. You take that bag and drag it along the ice on your windshield. This way, you are heating the ice from both sides.
 

What you should not do in order to de-ice your windshield

Just as there are several ways to properly de-ice your windshield, there are ways that either will not work and/or will damage your windshield in the process. Always avoid trying these methods no matter how much of a rush you are in.

Never pour hot or boiling water on your windshield in an effort to de-ice it. This will be effective in the short term but in the slightly longer term it will cause your windshield to crack due to the extreme and rapid change in temperatures. You should also avoid striking the ice on your windshield with anything other than an ice-scrapper designed for cars. If you do use something like an ice pick or screwdriver, you can easily chip or crack your windshield. Finally, do not just try to use your windshield wipers, this will be largely ineffective and can easily damage your wipers in the process.
 

Final word

De-icing your windshield is a huge inconvenience and will take some time that you might not have in the morning. Be sure you are smart about the way you de-ice your windshield so that you do not damage your windshield, your wipers or end up costing yourself more time than you would have if you just did it the right way in the first place. A smart idea is always to give yourself extra time on mornings where there might be a possibility of having to de-ice your windshield.

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Basic tire pressure info
What to know about tire pressure and cold weather
Final word
 

Basic tire pressure info

Tire pressure is much more important than it might sound. It can be the difference between driving safely to your destination, getting a flat on your way or worse, having a dangerous blow out. That is why your tires should always have the proper pressure. That does not just mean making sure the pressure is not too low. It means checking that the pressure is optimal or very close to it. Optimal tire pressure will mean not too little as well as not too much pressure. Believe it or not, too much pressure can be worse for your tires because it can make a blow out much more possible whereas low tire pressure will likely just lead to a regular flat tire.

In terms of optimal tire pressure, the exact PSI range that your tires should be at will depend on several things. This includes the type of tires that you are using, what the temperature is outside and what kind of surface you are driving on. In general, you should ensure that your tire pressure is always between thirty and forty PSI (pounds per square inch). However, in the winter you should consider having an additional three to five PSI of pressure in your tires. If you happen to be off-roading, you should consider driving with tires that have considerably reduced tire pressure. You can always find specifics regarding exact tire pressure in your car’s owner manual and/or by consulting your mechanic.
 

What to know about tire pressure and cold weather

On top of typically keeping optimal pressure in your tires over the winter when it is cold out, you should also know that your tires tend to lose a bit of pressure during the winter at a more rapid pace than they do during more temperate or warmer months. In fact, your tire’s pressure can drop one PSI for every ten degrees it drops.

However, you should not constantly refill your tires with air when it gets really cold out. This is because when the temperatures rise again the tire pressure will likely go back up a bit. If that happens and you added more air on top of it, the pressure in your tire could end up too high which, like we stated above, can make a blow out much more of a possibility which is extremely dangerous. Only add more air to your tires in the winter if they are significantly under thirty PSI of pressure.
 

Final word

Your tire’s pressure will definitely be something that you will need to keep your eye on on a regular basis. It is recommended that you check each of your tire’s pressure at least once each week. If your tires are below thirty PSI of pressure, you should add a bit of air. Low winter temperatures will drop your tire pressure’s PSI a bit. Be sure you never over-fill your tires with air because you will then be risking a potentially dangerous blowout.

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What can you do to prolong the life of your car in Alaska?
Advice for keeping your car running strong in Alaska
Final word
 

What can you do to prolong the life of your car in Alaska?

In order for you to prolong the life of your car in Alaska, you will need to take the time and effort to take car of it. This means going further than just driving carefully and occasionally getting the car inspected. You will need to go the extra mile in order to make sure that the car continues to run correctly. This means taking car of the individual parts of the car, not just the car as a whole.

This includes taking care of things like the battery, wiper blades, windows, oil, tires, and more. It is most important to pay attention to these things during the winter, which is when they are more prone to develop issues. You should keep some sort of log and record when you are checking these things and what state they are in. If you notice any damage on any of these individual parts, you should get the fixed, replaced or serviced as soon as possible.
 

Advice for keeping your car running strong in Alaska

Use the following tips to keep your car running strong in Alaska:

• Take care of the battery – Regularly check your battery’s fluid levels. If they are low you can add some distilled water. If the battery is several years old and is getting corroded, replace the battery as soon as you can. Having a working and fully charged battery will prevent your car from being unable to start in extremely cold weather which is something that you will definitely want to avoid. If this seems like it might be out of your range of expertise, you can always get the battery checked/tested at a service station. We recommend doing this at least every two months.
• Change the oil – You will also want to get your oil changed over the winter to ensure the highest performance level. Get your oil changed to an oil that is designed for winter use so that it does not freeze up. Make sure that you also get your oil filter changed as well.
• Replace your wiper blades more often than you have been – Wiper blades usually will not make it past a year. However, if you are driving around in a lot of inclement weather as you probably are in Alaska, you should replace them every six months. In fact, it is not a bad idea to keep an extra pair of wiper blades in your car so that you are prepared in case the ones you are currently using break because of the cold weather.
• Do the windows – Taking care of your car’s windows, especially the windshield is critically important. Keeping them clear of snow and ice is vital during the winter. However, make sure that you clear any snow and ice that accumulated while you were away from your car with an ice scrapper rather than with your wiper blades. This is one of the easiest ways to damage your wiper blades instantly. If you end up with chips or cracks in your windows, make sure that you get them treated and fixed right away.
• Make sure that the heat is functioning correctly – In order for you to prolong the life of your car in Alaska, you will need to make sure that the radiator and the heater hoses are in good shape. We recommend that you not try and do this yourself. You can get this done annually by the mechanic that you use.

Final word

Keeping your car running properly for the maximum amount of time in Alaska is no easy task. The weather during the winter can potentially cause an array of issues for the upkeep of your engine as well as your car as a whole. It is important that you stay vigilant and constantly check the condition of the individual parts of your vehicle such as the wiper blades and internal engine parts.

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Shipping your car to Alaska
The requirements for shipping your car to Alaska
Conclusion
 

Shipping your car to Alaska

If you need to ship your car to Alaska, you do not need to worry as shipping your car there is as easy and uncomplicated as it has ever been. You just need to do a few simple things, most of which are just checking on certain things, prior to your vehicle being picked up for shipping.

The two biggest things people usually want to know are how much shipping a car to Alaska costs and how long it will take to ship a car to Alaska. These things depend on a few different factors.

When it comes to the cost of shipping a car to Alaska, the distance you are shipping your car, what type of car it is, and what time during the year that you are shipping it are the primary factors. There are other factors such as the current cost of fuel as well as carrier availability, but you cannot personally do anything to change those.

As far as how long your shipment will take, distance of your shipment and the time of year that you are shipping are the biggest factors. Things like carrier availability and weather also affect your transit time.

To give you a better idea of what your shipment might cost as well as how long it might take for your car to be dropped off, lets take a look at a specific example.

If you had a 2014 Ford Focus that you were shipping from New York City to the Anchorage port in Alaska, and you were shipping it at the beginning of September 2019 (about a month after this post was written) it would cost about $3,500. The shipment would take about two weeks total to arrive at the port where you would pick it up.

Now, keep in mind that both of those things could change based on the difficult-to-predict factors we mentioned earlier. Car shipping quotes are as accurate as possible but, in the end, they are still just data-based estimates. So, if the price is higher or lower by a hundred bucks and the shipment arrives a day or two later or earlier, realize that is the margin of error you normally deal with when getting a car shipping estimate.
 

The requirements for shipping your car to Alaska

As we mentioned above, there are a few things that you need to get done before your car gets picked up for its shipment to Alaska. The following are the requirements for shipping your car to Alaska:

• Your car must be completely ready to drive – This means that your car has to be operational with no issues such as fluid leaks, underinflated tires, broken windows etc.
• The car must be clean – When your car is picked up to be shipped, the auto carrier driver will need to perform an inspection in order to check for any pre-existing damage. To be able to do this, the exterior of your car needs to be completely cleaned.
• Your car must be under a certain size – Your car cannot exceed twenty-one and a half feet in length, seven feet in width and seven feet in height. It also cannot weigh more than 4,000 pounds. If you have questions about this, you can call (907) 331-3100.
• Your gas tank must not be more than a quarter full – In order to be able to ship your car to Alaska, you need to have enough gas in your tank for the auto carrier driver to drive the car on and off the truck as well as the ship. However, fire regulations stipulate that every cars gas tanks on the ship must not have more than a quarter tank of gas.
• Personal items – You might be able to ship some personal items in your car during your shipment. However, this needs to be discussed with your auto transport company beforehand. You also will be charged extra for this. Keep in mind that these items will not be covered by your auto transport insurance if the items are lost or damaged. Items that you cannot ship include firearms of any kind, fire extinguishers, or drugs of any kind. You can ask your car shipping representative about specific items.
• Alarms – You must give your auto transport driver the remote for the alarm or the alarm must be disconnected before transport.
• Valid ID – You will need valid picture identification when your car gets picked up or when you drop it off. Examples of valid ID include your unexpired license or unexpired passport.
• Car registration – You will need to have the current vehicle registration with you when you have your car picked up/dropped off.
• Keys – You obviously need to hand over your keys, so the driver is able to drive your car on and off of the carrier. However, you also need to supply keys to any other locking compartment in the car such as the glove box or trunk if those take separate keys.

Conclusion

That list might seem like a lot but, realistically, you can get all of that stuff done and prepared for your shipment in just a few hours’ time. Either way, it is very important that you do go through that list and make sure that your car is ready for shipment, otherwise it might not be able to ship and then you would need to start the entire booking and preparation process over again.

Remember, if you have questions or concerns that are specific to your shipment or a shipment that you are planning on, you can always call Alaska Car Transport at (907) 331-3100.

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How to avoid heavy traffic
How else can you save time driving
Final word
 

How to avoid heavy traffic

The last thing that anyone ever wants to do is spend more time than they have to in their car driving somewhere. On occasion, that can be unavoidable. However, most times, spending extra time in traffic can easily be avoiding with the proper planning. There are two main components to avoid being stuck in heavy traffic: avoiding rush hour and avoiding roads where traffic jams have occurred due to something such as an accident.

In terms of avoiding rush hour, you really just need to plan ahead as we mentioned above and travel during the hours before and/or after those periods. The average person wastes over forty hours per year stuck in traffic which is over a day and a half of your life that you could have used doing literally anything else. Rush hour in Alaska typically occurs in the morning from 7:30 AM until 9 AM and in the afternoon/evening from 4 PM until 6 PM. Do your best to avoid driving during these times. Always check on the traffic reports prior to leaving for any sort of an extended drive as well.
 

How else can you save time driving

On top of keeping your eye on traffic reports, you should also always keep your eye on weather reports as inclement weather can really increase your drive time significantly. People tend to reduce their average speed on roads when it rains by one third. On roads with snow, drivers tend to cut their average speed in half. This means rain can increase drive times by over thirty percent and snow can increase drive times by fifty percent. If you see bad weather in the forecast, do what you can to avoid driving during or immediately after it.

You should also consider using a traffic app on your phone. These apps update your route based on real time conditions in order to get you to your destination the fastest. These apps factor in overall traffic congestion, weather, car accidents and more. The most popular and widely used of these apps is Waze which uses crowdsourced info from users to update routes.
 

Final word

Spending extra time in traffic can be a real annoyance as well as a bore. The vast majority of drivers will obviously want to avoid delays driving somewhere. In order to do so you should keep your eye on traffic and weather reports as well as use a real-time traffic app like Waze. If you would like to avoid an outrageously long drive during a move or relocation, you can always choose to ship your car and take a plane instead. Call (907) 331-3100 for more information if you are interested in shipping your car with Alaska Car Transport.