Recent Puerto Rico Shipping News

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The higher risk for an accident in Puerto Rico
Taking care of your fenders
Final word
 

The higher risk for an accident in Puerto Rico

You are at a bit of a higher risk of getting into an accident or a fender bender when you are in Puerto Rico. This is partially because of the condition of the roads and partially because of the low obedience to traffic laws by other motorists.

The roads in Puerto Rico have been improving in the several years since hurricane Maria but they are still not in great condition. There are a considerable number of potholes and cracks remaining in the roads of Puerto Rico. If you hit a larger one of these, it can jar you from control of the vehicle momentarily which can lead to an accident.

Other drivers in Puerto Rico put you at an even higher risk of getting into a fender bender or worse. The issue is that traffic laws in Puerto Rico are enforced much less than they are in other places such as the United States. Thus, many drivers rarely or never obey basic traffic laws like stopping at stop signs, waiting for someone who has the right-of-way to go before them or not parking in the middle of an active street.

It is because of that; you are more likely to end up in a fender bender on the roads of Puerto Rico than anywhere else. So, you can begin to see the importance of your car’s bumpers in Puerto Rico.
 

Taking care of your fenders

Taking care of your fenders is pretty simple. First and foremost, you should always drive with caution and defensively when you are in Puerto Rico. Being proactive and doing your best to prevent any damage from occurring is the best way to care for your bumpers.

If you do end up with any damage, you should get it fixed or repaired as soon as possible because a damaged bumper will not perform nearly as well in any future accidents. If your fender gets scratched or chipped, it is possible that you can repair it yourself as long as you have the know-how and the proper tools but we recommend that you take it to a professional. The same goes for dents or cracks but those are higher priority as they will heavily affect the performance of the fender.

Finally, you can also be proactive by getting bumper guards for your car. These are usually heavy-duty foam pads that will prevent scratches and chips from occurring in much lower speed crashes. They will not prevent dents or cracks in higher speed accidents. You can read more about the different types of bumper pads here.
 

Final word

Your car bumpers are an important line of protection against damage to the rest of your car that many people forget about or neglect. They are even more important in Puerto Rico where the roads in certain areas can be in poor condition and drivers across the island can be aggressive or careless. So, be sure that you drive carefully, you get any damage on the bumper repaired and consider bumper guards for your car as well.

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Financing a car
Leasing a car
Shipping a car
 

Financing a car

When you finance a car what you are essentially doing is taking out a loan and using that money to make payments on a car that you will eventually own once you have made all of the payments. This means there will be a third party involved where you will take the loan from. This could be a bank or an independent company that deals with these types of loans.

The pros of financing a car are that you will eventually own the car, there are no restrictions on what you can do with it, you can get it repaired wherever you would like, and you will not need to worry about trading it in one day if you do not want to.

The cons of financing a car are that the payments are more expensive than leasing, you will need to pay interest on the loan that you took, and it will likely take a few years before you officially own the car.
 

Leasing a car

Leasing a car is another way that you can have your very own car in Puerto Rico. It will obviously also be more convenient option than renting a car will be. When you lease a car paying for the use of a car over an extended period such as three years.

The advantages to leasing a car in Puerto Rico are that you will have lower monthly payments and you will also be able to drive a different car that is new or pretty new every few years. On top of that, trading in any leased vehicle will be much easier than a car you owned or financed.

The downsides of leasing a car are pretty numerous. You will have a mileage limit, there will be restrictions on what you can do with the car such as no off-roading, you will never own the car, you must return the car without any damage, there are limits to where you can get your car repaired and more. Odds are that you are better of financing or shipping a car that you already own.
 

Shipping a car

The best choice you likely have is to ship your car to Puerto Rico. It involves the least work and time on your part of any of the options. It is likely also the cheapest and most convenient. There are also the fewest number of downsides as well. Just about the only downside will be that you will be without your car for between a few days up to two weeks while it ships.

The upsides are numerous. That includes the lowest cost of any option and a one-time cost at that. It also includes the most convenience as we just mentioned. Finally, once your car has been delivered, you will be able to do whatever you wish with your car. You can contact Puerto Rico Car Transport today if you wish to ship your car to PR.

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Puerto Rico’s climate and weather
How you can weatherproof your car in Puerto Rico
Conclusion
 

Puerto Rico’s climate and weather

Puerto Rico has year-round hot weather and the potential for heavy rain as well as strong sunshine and salt air. These conditions are great for people enjoying a day out at the beach. But they are not great for your car and its finish.

All of those things can potentially cause costly damage to your car’s finish. In Puerto Rico, the average temperature fluctuates between about sixty and eighty degrees throughout the year depending on the time of the year and where you are in Puerto Rico exactly. The amount of rain that you will end up dealing with will also depend on where you are in Puerto Rico. In San Juan, for example, there are nearly two hundred days of rain per year on average. However, in areas that are more in-land the amount of rainy days per years is slightly less.

On days where it is not raining, you get a lot of very strong sunshine. This could cause some minor issues on its own such as causing your car’s paint to fade if it is a darker shade such as black. However, in combination with the ever-present salt air in Puerto Rico due to the proximity to the ocean, there could be more severe consequences for your car’s finish.

When the air has salt in it from the ocean, it can get stuck to your car and bake in the sun causing corrosion and rust. This can be quite costly to get fixed. Your other option will be to be proactive and take preventative measures in order to stop this sort of weather effect from occurring to your vehicle in Puerto Rico.
 

How you can weatherproof your car in Puerto Rico

Weatherproofing your car in Puerto Rico, especially in areas near the ocean such as San Juan, is definitely something that you should not put off for long. The first thing you will want to do in terms of weatherproofing your car in Puerto Rico is to protect the paint. You can do this by getting your car washed and waxed regularly. The wax will add another layer of protection against Puerto Rico’s weather.

You should also keep your car sheltered whenever you can. This could mean keeping your car in a garage or using a car cover to keep it covered. This way you can completely prevent ay weather-related damage from occurring to your car.
 

Conclusion

Puerto Rico’s weather is some of the most beautiful weather in the entire world with the exception of some rainy days. However, the sunny weather and salt air can cause some serious issues for your car and its finish. That is why you need to be proactive and keep your car covered when you can as well as getting it washed and waxed regularly.

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Getting your vehicle to and from Puerto Rico
Going the extra mile during the pandemic
Final word
 

Getting your vehicle to and from Puerto Rico

If you are trying to get your car from one place to another, you usually will have the option of driving it there yourself. This is obviously not the case with Puerto Rico. You will only be able to ship your car to Puerto Rico. Thankfully, shipping your Puerto Rico is not difficult at all.

Shipping your car to Puerto Rico will simply entail getting quotes from any companies that you are considering, booking your shipment, doing a few simple things like getting your car washed to prepare, and picking your car up at the port in Puerto Rico. The same is true if you are shipping your car from Puerto Rico with the only difference being that you will need to drop your car off at the port rather than pick it up there.
 

Going the extra mile during the pandemic

Unfortunately, right now we are in quite trying times as we are in the middle of a global pandemic where safety and social distancing are paramount. So, the extra precautions we all must take each and every day obviously also extend to shipping your car.

Thankfully, there are few extra things that you can do while you are shipping your car to keep yourself safe from covid-19. You can rest assured that your auto transport driver will be doing everything in their power to maintain safe standards during any interactions with them as well.

When your driver arrives to pick up your car, you can simply make sure that you are wearing a mask and that you sanitize your hands before you leave your house to meet them. You can take it a step further by wearing protective gloves in addition to this.

Finally, you can make sure that your driver is safe during the transport during the transport of your car by disinfecting the surfaces inside. You should do this as soon as your car is delivered as well.
 

Final word

Shipping your car during a global pandemic might seem very intimidating. However, it will be your only option in terms of getting your car to or from Puerto Rico. You can rest assured that shipping your car will be just as easy as it normally is, you will just need to take a few extra precautions to ensure that you stay safe and maintain the proper social distance during the pickup and drop-off off your vehicle.

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Getting your car repaired in Puerto Rico
The benefit of using after-market parts to repair your vehicle
How you can get after-market parts for your car
 

Getting your car repaired in Puerto Rico

Having to get your car repaired is not a fun experience no matter where you are. The same goes for Puerto Rico. The vast majority of car repairs here will cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars just like anywhere else. Thankfully, the currency in Puerto Rico is no different than it is in America – the US dollar. Many places will also accept credit although few, if any will accept, checks for repairs unless you give them the check prior to the work being done.

In terms of where you can get your car repaired in Puerto Rico, you will be able to get it fixed at many garages through out the island. However, you need to be sure that you are near a populated area such as San Juan or Carolina because there will not be anywhere to get your car repaired in remote areas.
 

The benefit of using after-market parts to repair your vehicle

Car repairs are always a pain primarily because of how expensive it can be. Dishonest mechanics can make that issue even worse. That is why you should do whatever you can to keep the cost of your car repair as low as you can.

One of the lesser known ways that you can do this is by using after-market cars parts. These are parts that are either used or off-brand. So, they are not as expensive as a result. If you are able to use only after-market parts for your repair, you will be able to save a considerable amount of money on the repair. Sometimes, after-market parts can be three or four times cheaper than factory parts.
 

How you can get after-market parts for your car

There are two primary ways for you to get after-market parts to use for your automotive repairs. You can ask your mechanic to get them for you if you feel that they are honest or you can look on the web or in stores yourself for the after market parts that you need.

Getting after-market parts through your mechanic in Puerto Rico will come with a bit of a markup in price on the parts. However, getting the parts through your mechanic will save you a lot of time and effort. You will also still be saving a considerable amount of money even with the slight markup in price.

If you choose to go to Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone or look for an after-market part online, you will save additional money on the cost of the markup by the mechanic. However, you could possibly end up getting the wrong part if you do not know what you are doing or looking for. Even if you do know exactly what you are looking for, it will take a considerable amount of time and effort.

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Puerto Rico’s warm climate
Advice for getting the most out of your car’s air conditioner
Final Word
 

Puerto Rico’s warm climate

As you likely already know, Puerto Rico has quite a warm climate. As a result, you will do whatever you can in order to keep cool. That includes running the air conditioner in your car. Puerto Rico’s climate is different than most places for the fact that it will stay hot throughout the vast majority of the year.

In fact, temperatures across the island will only range from sixty to about ninety degrees throughout the year. As a result, it is quite possible that you find yourself using your car’s air conditioner every month of the year. Thus, it is important that your A/C is running and doing so properly and efficiently.
 

Advice for getting the most out of your car’s air conditioner

Most of the time when you are driving in Puerto Rico your air conditioner could be running. So, it’s important to take care of you’re A/C so that you do not get stuck traveling around in a sweltering hot vehicle.

One of the key things you can do in terms of taking proper care of your car’s air conditioning system is not to neglect your air filters. If your air filters are not changed frequently enough it can effect the quality of the air, reduce your car’s fuel efficiency and, most importantly, it will affect the ability of your air conditioner to push a maximum amount of cool air into your car. Normally, you should get your car’s air filters changed about every ten thousand miles or so. For some people that is once a year. For others, it is two or more times a year. It depends entirely on how much driving you are doing.

Next, you should always keep enough engine coolant in the car. If you run out of coolant, your engine can run much hotter than it is supposed to. This will make it considerably more difficult for your air conditioner to cool the air. Thus, it will take longer for the air to get cool and it will likely never get completely cold.

When you get in your car and start driving, you should not just start blasting the A/C. You will put too much stress on it like that and it will not last as long overall as it could if you did a better job of preserving the system. We recommend starting out driving on a hot day by leaving your windows down for a few minutes, then rolling them up and using your air conditioner at a low level. After that you can finally increase the A/C level without worrying about putting any stress on it.

Finally, you should be sure to get your car serviced at least once each year and when you do, make sure that the mechanic checks all the components of your air conditioning. This includes the air filters and compressors as well.
 

Final Word

You do not want to get caught in Puerto Rico with a car where you cannot turn on the air conditioning and cool down. Temperatures in Puerto Rico are consistently seventy, eighty and ninety degrees depending on where you are. So, you will want to be sure that you take great care of your A/C. Be sure to change your air filters, not overuse the A/C constantly, and to get your car and air conditioning system serviced at least once a year.

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Puerto Rico’s roads and safety features
Standard Safety Features
Higher-end Safety Features
Conclusion
 

Puerto Rico’s roads and safety features

Driving on Puerto Rico’s roads can greatly increase the need for top-of-the-line safety features in your car. The roads themselves are not in great shape with a good number of potholes and cracks as well as the fact that other drivers on the road often drive recklessly or with low levels of caution. In terms of the other drivers, motorists in Puerto Rico tend to view traffic laws as suggestions rather than hard rules. So, you will often see people rolling through stop signs and red lights as well as doing things like turning without signaling at all.

That is why safety features such as airbags and anti-lock brakes are so important here. With the increased possibility of being involved in a car accident in Puerto Rico, the better safety features you have in your vehicle, the better off you will be driving. This means having a car with additional safety features such as blind spot warning and forward collision warning could be a big help.
 

Standard Safety Features

Standard safety features come with all cars at the time of their original purchase. However, over the life of a car some of these features can work less efficiently or stop working all together. That is why when you have your car serviced it is important to have every single safety feature checked and, if they are not working right, get them repaired before you drive the car again.

Standard safety features include seatbelts, airbags, antilock brakes, and stability control. These features are the first line of protection against injury from an accident. Without any of these working properly, you are putting yourself and your passengers at serious risk of injury in case of an accident.
 

Higher-end Safety Features

For cars that are newer, primarily cars that were made in the last fifteen years or so, additional safety features are commonly included or available as an upgrade. These types of features tend to be more preventative in nature rather than just reactive. What this means is that safety features like airbags and seatbelts react to a bad situation as it happens in order to keep you safe. Newer safety features like collision detection or a rearview camera act to protect you from accidents before they happen so you can avoid them altogether.

Newer safety features include collision, detection, rearview cameras, brake assist, pedestrian detection, blind spot waring, lane keep assist and more. If you have a car with these features, you will have even more safety and piece of mind when you drive around the hectic streets of Puerto Rico.
 

Conclusion

Your car’s safety features are crucial to your protection as you drive in Puerto Rico. The roads can be chaotic and hard to predict and maneuver. So, safety features keep you prepared for an accident and more advanced safety features help you avoid them altogether. Always keep safety as your first priority when you are on the road in Puerto Rico and abroad.

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How tire traction will keep your drive smooth and safe
The effects of Puerto Rico’s weather on traction
Advice for maintaining proper tire traction in Puerto Rico
Final word
 

How tire traction will keep your drive smooth and safe

Tire traction is as important in Puerto Rico as it is anywhere else. It will allow you to be able maneuver your car safely. Without proper traction, you are at a much higher risk of getting into an accident. When you consider the haphazard driving of many motorists in Puerto Rico, you can see how an added advantage like good traction will be important.

Traction allows your tires to grip the road better. So, you will be able to make turns and manipulate the steering with more precision so long as you have tires with better traction.
 

The effects of Puerto Rico’s weather on traction

Puerto Rico has a considerable amount of rain. It also has some great locations that you can go off roading. However, you are going to need tires that have a good amount of traction that you can trust in order to be able to drive in those conditions safely.

The rain in Puerto Rico depends on where you are. In many areas it is at least 1500 millimeters per year. That is higher than most places in the United States. However, in other areas in Puerto Rico the rain can reach levels of 4000 millimeters per year.

Rain decreases traction by reducing friction between your tires and the street. This is why driving in the rain can lead to your car sliding when you try and stop. If you have tires with better treads, your car will be able to mitigate some of these negative and dangerous effects.
 

Advice for maintaining proper tire traction in Puerto Rico

In order to maximize and increase traction, make use of the following advice:

• The right tires are everything – Some tires traction are intended for driving in the snow while others are better suited to driving in the rain. Be sure that you do your research and get the correct tires for your particular traction needs.
• Deeper treads are better for offroading – The fact of the matter is that the deeper and better treads you have on your tires the more traction you will have. When you are offroading, you will need all the grip on the road that you could possibly get.
• Avoid wear and tear with rotation – Your front and rear tires do not wear evenly. You should get them rotated at least once each year in order to ensure that they do wear evenly.

Final word

Your tire’s traction is likely much more important than you think in Puerto Rico. Good traction will allow you to handle your car with maximum precision in conditions such as rain and when you are off-roading. Most of all, traction is important in terms of remaining safe while you drive.

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Basic Spanish is necessary for street signs in Puerto Rico
The different signs you need to know
Final word
 

Basic Spanish is necessary for street signs in Puerto Rico

Spanish is the primary language in Puerto Rico. Many people do speak English though. However, the street signs are all in Spanish. So, you will need some basic Spanish in order to be able to navigate around Puerto Rico while you are driving.

Thankfully, driving apps like Waze take a lot of the work out of having to read the signs on the highways in Puerto Rico. However, you cannot solely rely on that. Sometimes you might not have an internet or data connection and the app might not be working. On occasion you may not be able to access your phone while driving.

The point is that it is always good to be able to read and understand basic Spanish both on and off the road when you are in Puerto Rico.
 

The different signs you need to know

You can expect the same sorts of signs on the highways and streets of Puerto Rico as you would see in the United States. Signs that say “No Parking”, “Exit 25”, “Lanes merge” etc. The only difference will be that they are in Spanish rather than English.

With that in mind, it is easier to fundamentally understand basic words and phrases rather than each and every specific street sign. So, the following are common Spanish words and their English translations which will help you interpret the street signs of Puerto Rico with ease.

• autopista — highway / expressway
• calle — street
• carratera — road
• carril derecho — right lane
• carril izquierda — left lane

ceda — yield

• cuidado — caution
• estacióne — parking
• este — east
• hacia — toward
• interseción — junction – can also frequently be see abbreviated as INT
• no estacióne — no parking – a large letter “E” with a slash through it also means “no parking”
• norte — north
• oeste — west
• pare — stop
• peaje — toll
• salida — exit
• solo — only
• sur — south
• transito — You will see this word accompanied by an arrow. This tells you whether traffic flow is one-way or both ways on a road.

Final word

Understanding the streets signs in Puerto Rico is an absolute necessity if you are going to be driving while you are there. If you speak only English, you should really learn some basic Spanish so that you can read the signs on the streets and highways with ease. You will not always be able to use your phone on the fly for translation or directions.

If you need your vehicle transported to or from Puerto Rico, you can always entrust us with your shipment. You can talk with one of our dedicated car shipping experts by calling us at (904) 322-7644 today!

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Moving to San Juan
Getting your car to San Juan
Final word
 

Moving to San Juan

Moving to San Juan is a big step for anyone. That is especially true when you are moving there from the United States. You will need to get used to several things such as many people speaking Spanish as well as the street signs being in Spanish. However, because Puerto Rico is a United States territory some things will be the same such as not having to apply for citizenship or the US dollar being the official currency.

Either way, you will still need to figure out how you will get all your stuff there. Trucking it or driving it there will not be an option as Puerto Rico is obviously an island surrounded by water. So, you will need to either move your things there by boat or plane.

You will also need to find a new home or apartment long before you arrive. You can do so by hiring a real estate agent in Puerto Rico to do some of the groundwork for you. They will also be able to help you with the language barrier if you cannot speak Spanish.
 

Getting your car to San Juan

The same goes for your car in terms of not being able to drive to Puerto Rico. So, your only option will be to ship it too. However, shipping your car to Puerto Rico is actually quite easy. You just need to book your shipment, complete a few simple tasks to get ready for your shipment and then your car will be shipped. Specifically, a car carrier will arrive at your house pickup your car, drive it to the port, it will then get shipped to the port in San Juan which is where you will be able to pick the car up.

In terms of getting ready for your vehicle transport, you will first need too remove any personal items from the car before your shipment. These things will not be covered by the auto transport insurance in the case that they are damaged or lost during the shipment. After that, you also need to be sure that the outside of the car is clean during the pickup so that your transport driver can perform their inspection for pre-existing damage.
 

Final word

Moving to San Juan, Puerto Rico is a great life decision, but it will be a transition that requires time and effort just like any other move. Some things will be easy like using the same money. Others will be more difficult like having to having to speak and read Spanish in certain situations.
Regardless, you will have no choice but to ship your car and the rest of your things to San Juan. Thankfully, the car shipping process is quite simple and stress free with Puerto Rico Car Transport.