Recent Puerto Rico Shipping News

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How mileage affects your vehicle
How to limit the mileage on your car
Conclusion
 

How mileage affects your vehicle

Mileage affects your car in two related ways: it accounts for wear and tear on the car and its parts, and it is an indicator that helps determine the value of a car. The more miles a car has on it, the more wear and tear there will be which in turn leads to a steady depreciation of value. You should use your car as you need to and as you see fit but you should also always be careful to not rack up too many miles on it too quickly.

If you do put a lot of miles on your car quickly, it will end up costing you more in maintenance fees. Now, if you do take care of your car and keep up on maintenance, you will be increasing the re-sale value, but you will never be able to fully recoup the value of putting too many miles on it. That is why you should do everything in your power to limit the amount of mileage you put on your car in Puerto Rico or anywhere else.
 

How to limit the mileage on your car

Obviously, the sum total of limiting the mileage you put on your car is by driving it less but having success in doing so is more complex than that. You will need to do specific things to keep the mileage that you put on your car low. One such thing usually is not taking super long road trips. However, because of the small size of Puerto Rico, you will not be able to rack up thousands of miles in one trip. Technically you could possibly do so in Puerto Rico, but you would have to drive the length of the island several times just to break one thousand.

Putting less mileage on your car will come down to using the car less. You can do this easily in areas like San Juan by choose to walk or bike somewhere. You can also choose to use public transportation. You can also choose to carpool to work with friends and/or coworkers. Finally, you can choose to use cabs or ride-share services occasionally.
 

Conclusion

The mileage that goes on your car simultaneously increases wear and tear as well as decrease the vehicle’s value. That is why you should do your best to limit the number of total miles you put on your car. You should not get crazy and try to avoid driving altogether but you should try things like carpooling to work or, if the trip is close enough, biking or walking instead.

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When and where you could encounter fog in Puerto Rico
How to drive safely in the fog
Conclusion
 

When and where you could encounter fog in Puerto Rico

Fog forms when warm and wet air is over a cooler ground. This is why you typically see fog in the morning. The ground temperature cooled overnight, then the air which is warming up before the ground does because of the rising sun and rising overall temperature is passing over it while moist and conditions are present.

It typically is not cold enough in Puerto Rico for too much fog, but it certainly is possible. Fog has a higher possibility of forming in Puerto Rico in higher elevations and during the cooler months when humidity is still fairly high. No matter what, you should always be prepared to safely drive through foggy conditions.
 

How to drive safely in the fog

Driving safely in the fog is not an easy task at all. However, it should always be your top priority. When fog is dense or present with other weather conditions such as wind and/or rain, it can be even more treacherous than it would typically be. Thankfully, there are some simple actions you can take to be as safe as possible when you are driving in the fog.

Always give yourself extra time to reach your destination when you are driving in the fog. This will reduce any urge to drive too fast which would obviously be a terrible idea. If you have fog lights use them, if you frequently experience fog in the areas where you drive it would be a good idea to get fog lights. Also, if you do not have fog lights and are driving in the fog, resist the urge to use your high beams as they can reflect off the fog and lower visibility as well as lower visibility for other drivers as well.

You should always keep distractions at an absolute minimum if not eliminate them completely, but it is even more critical that you do this in the fog. You can also use your windshield wipers and defrosters to limit the amount of moisture and fog directly on your windshield. Finally, if you think the fog is too dense and/or difficult to drive in you can always pull over and wait it out. Just make sure that you get as far over on the side of the road as possible and that you leave your caution lights on so other drivers can see you.
 

Conclusion

You likely will not see fog in Puerto Rico too often, but you will see it occasionally. This is dependent on the temperature and the elevation of the area you are in. Regardless, you should always be prepared to drive cautiously as well as safely in the fog. Always check the forecast and give yourself extra time in order to reach your destination if there is any possibility of fog in your area.

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Avoiding distractions
Maximizing alertness
Wrapping up
 

Avoiding distractions

Maximizing your reaction time as you drive should always be a top priority because of its critical importance in terms of overall safety. Your reaction time when driving will be comprised of two main parts, your focus and your alertness. Your focus on the road will begin and end with completely avoiding any and all distractions while you drive.

Avoiding any distractions as you drive will primarily mean avoiding cell phone use of any kind including both calls and texts. Consider putting your phone on “do not disturb” mode or turning it off altogether and putting it in your pocket as you drive. However, distractions can also include eating or drinking, changing the radio, looking at something on the side of the road, unruly children in the car and more. Avoid the distractions that you have control over. The distractions that you necessarily do not have control over, such as kids, can be managed with the help of a trusted adult passenger.
 

Maximizing alertness

Alertness will sometimes be easier to manage than external distractions while driving and sometimes it will be more difficult. Regardless, it is just as important that you maximize your alertness as you drive. Being alert while driving means your ability to avoid internal detractions from your attention to the road.

These potential internal detractions from your attention to the road can include drowsiness, sleepiness, mental distractions and more. Keeping your alertness maximized will start with the obvious things like never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as well as you making sure you always get enough sleep prior to driving. You should also never drive in times of high mental and/or emotional stress because that can easily detract from your attention. Finally, never try to drive as you attempt to mentally rehearse something or plan something. For example, if you are on your way to a job interview, avoid going over potential interview questions mentally as you drive there.
 

Wrapping up

Keeping your reaction time at its absolute highest as you drive must always be a main concern for anyone who drives. Your reaction time will consist of maintaining both high focus and alertness. Keeping both of those at a maximum will mean avoiding different types of distractions and detractions. In order to do both, avoid any type of cell phone use when driving, always keep your eyes on the road, never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and always get enough sleep the night before you drive anywhere. If you want to ship any type of vehicle to Puerto Rico, call (904) 322-7644 anytime for a free and instant quote!

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Why shipping takes the amount of time that it does
Delivery and pickup windows
Wrapping up
 

Why shipping takes the amount of time that it does

Shipping your car between the United States and Puerto Rico can take between a week and three weeks depending on several things. The most important factor will be the overall distance. Shipping between the United States and Puerto Rico will take a bit longer than shipments between continental US locations because your car will need to be shipped on a boat at some point. Typically, if all other conditions are optimal, it will take a week to ship your car to Puerto Rico from Miami and three weeks to ship your car to Puerto Rico from Seattle. Keep in mind, these are just estimates and these time frames can vary based on all the other variables.

Those variables include what time of year you choose to ship your vehicle, weather and how much notice you gave for your shipment. The time of year that you ship your vehicle affects the transit time because certain times of the year are busier vehicle shipping times than others, such as the summer. Bad weather can obviously slow down and or temporarily delay a shipment. Finally, if you booked your shipment with less than two weeks’ notice, your car will likely be placed on a full carrier which will be spending a maximum amount of time picking up other cars.
 

Delivery and pickup windows

There are also the pickup and delivery “windows” which you must understand. The way these short windows work is pretty simple. Vehicle shipping pickup and delivery windows are typically two-to-three-day periods where your car will be picked up and or delivered at any time. In the case of shipping to Puerto Rico, your delivery window will be a few days period where you will be notified to pickup your car from the port. You will typically be notified by your auto transport driver within an hour or two of their arrival in order to pick up your car. During these windows, you or someone you trust must be available to give over or receive the vehicle.
 

Wrapping up

Transit times when you ship your car to or from Puerto Rico or anywhere else can be a bit complex because of multiple factors that affect the shipping duration simultaneously. These factors include the distance of the shipment, the time of the year, weather and how much notice that you gave for your shipment. There are also the car shipping “windows” to be aware of. These are usually separate two or three day windows in which your car will be picked up and delivered. If you are shipping to Puerto Rico, you will need to pick your car up at the port upon delivery.

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What are shock absorbers?
The benefit of having good shock absorbers
Wrapping up
 

What are shock absorbers?

Shock absorbers on a vehicle are a specific type of hydraulic pump that minimize the movement in your car’s suspension as you drive. What that essentially means is that your shock absorbers reduce the number and extent of jarring jumps and jolts that can occur as you drive. Shock absorbers do this by pumping oil in an appropriate fashion within themselves in order to create piston movement to counter overt suspension movement.

There are three primary types of shock absorbers: telescopic, strut and seat. Telescopic shock absorbers are the most typical kind of shock absorber. They are on both the front and rear of many car suspensions. Strut shock absorbers are actually incorporated into part of the suspension system and can handle bigger forces than telescopic shocks. Seat shock absorbers combine facets of both telescopic and strut shocks but cannot handle the bigger forces that strut shocks can.
 

The benefit of having good shock absorbers

There are multiple benefits to having good shock absorbers in your vehicle. However, there is one thing that shock absorbers do not do that many people erroneously believe they do, support the weight of the car. That is actually the job of the vehicle suspension alone. Regardless, the two main benefits of good shock absorbers are that they absolutely minimize jolting and potentially dangerous movement from the vehicle suspension as well as they keep the car’s tires in contact with the ground.

Keeping the tires on the ground is a huge benefit because when the tires are lifted from the ground, even for a moment, you will have no control over steering and braking for that time. It is easy to see how dangerous that can potentially be. Always make sure that your shocks get checked any time you take your car into the mechanic.
 

Wrapping up

Your vehicle’s shock absorbers are crucial for the success of the suspension, the smoothest ride possible, maximum control over the car as you drive and for overall safety. Although there are several types of shock absorbers for cars, they all essentially serve the same general purposes. These purposes are minimizing extreme and damaging movement in the suspension and keeping the tires in contact with the pavement for a maximum amount of time. Regardless of what kind of shocks your car has, you can always ship it to or from Puerto Rico stress free with Puerto Rico Car Transport by calling (904) 322-7644!

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Driving Straight
Other things your alignment does
Wrapping up
 

Driving Straight

Your car’s alignment is how your vehicle’s suspension system angles your wheels so that they are perfectly straight when the steering wheel is not turned at all. Having a proper alignment for your car will allow you to drive with ease without you constantly manipulating the steering wheel to ensure you are driving on a straight path. With the right alignment, you should be able to drive straight without your car listing to one side or the other while your hands are not on the steering wheel. That’s just theoretical though because you should always drive with both hands on the steering wheel. In reality, always ask your mechanic to check your alignment for you if you feel it is off.

You should also know when your alignment may be commonly thrown off. Your tires could become misaligned after a year or more since you last had them aligned, if you hit a bump in the road or curb particularly hard or right after you get one or more new tires. If you ever notice your steering is pulling to one side or the other, your alignment is off, and it is time to take your car into the mechanic. If you do need to get your car’s alignment repaired, it will cost about seventy-five dollars for two tires or about a hundred and fifty for four tires.
 

Other things your alignment does

Your alignment will offer several benefits other than just making driving straight completely easy. A correct alignment will also extend the life of your tires by decreasing drag and friction on them. This will directly translate into another benefit of a proper alignment, a much smoother overall ride. It will also help increase the gas mileage you will get because tires that drag more cause your engine to work harder thus it will use more fuel than necessary.
 

Wrapping up

Your vehicle’s alignment is very important. It will allow you to keep your car straight as you drive with the most amount of ease. It will also help you make your tires last longer, have a smoother ride and use less gas overall. If you feel like your steering wheel is pulling towards one side of the other and keeping your car going perfectly straight is difficult, it is likely time to get a new alignment. Thankfully it will not be too expensive to do so. Always try to avoid hitting road debris, curbs or large bumps in the road at higher speeds as doing so can throw your alignment off.

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Adjusting your seat for safety
Adjusting your seat for comfort
Wrapping up
 

Adjusting your seat for safety

When you are driving it is important that you are as comfortable as possible and that is definitely a reason to adjust your seat prior to starting your car. However, the ability to operate your car properly and optimal safety in a crash are even more important reasons to make sure that your seat is properly adjusted before you start driving.

You need to make sure that your seat is close enough to the pedals and steering wheel so that you can reach and operate them with ease. However, be sure that you are not so close that you are in unsafe proximity to the airbag in the case of an accident. As a typical rule of thumb, be sure that your chest is at least ten inches away from the steering wheel. If you cannot reach the pedals as a result of this, you can have pedal extensions installed in your vehicle.
 

Adjusting your seat for comfort

You also should adjust your seat in your car for comfort as well. If you do not, you will not only obviously need to deal with discomfort, but you will also possibly have to deal with resulting chronic physical issues such as back pain. When you are adjusting your seat to maximize comfort, do so to avoid any sort of poor posture like slumping down in your seat. Also, be sure that you are not too far away from the steering wheel or pedals to the point that you are overreaching to operate them. These things can be especially problematic if you will be driving for long periods of time.
 

Wrapping up

Adjusting your seat before you start driving is much more important than many people think. It can allow you to operate your car properly as well as prevent injury for the air bag in the case of a collision. Adjusting your seat will also prevent you from being uncomfortable as you drive. If you consistently drive with discomfort, it could lead to a chronic physical issue with your back or legs. If you are considering transporting a car to Puerto Rico at any time throughout the year, give us a call any time with any questions or for a free estimate at (904) 322-7644!

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Advantages of both
Disadvantages of both
Wrapping up
 

Advantages of both

When you park in a parking lot or a driveway, you have two choices: park with the front of your car facing out or park with the back of your car facing out. When you park with the front of your vehicle facing out it is known as “head-out” parking. When you do the opposite and the back of your car is facing out, it is known as “head-in” parking.

There are distinct advantages to both. First, depending on which method of parking you choose, you will either save time while you park or while you pull out later on. If you park head-in, you will save time while you park. If you park head-out, you will save time when you pull out later.

Head-out parking also offers the advantage of more visibility and safety when you pull out. You will be able to easily see oncoming traffic and/or pedestrians without turning your head all the way over your shoulders. Head-in parking will offer the advantage of easier loading of things such as groceries.
 

Disadvantages of both

AS much as there are advantages to both head-in and head-out parking, there are also a few disadvantages to both. Head-in parking can put you at a disadvantage by making it much more difficult and potentially unsafe to back out. You will need to do so much more slowly, and you will need to constantly be checking over both shoulders when you do.

With head-out parking, sometimes you can be ticketed in certain parking lots. Always check and make sure that there are no signs in any lots that you park in that forbid head-out parking. Head-out parking will also mean you need to reverse into your spot or driveway which will take more time and could potentially hold up cars nearby. This can lead to impatience and high-tension behavior such as honking which can cause you anxiety as you maneuver your vehicle into the spot.
 

Wrapping up

There are clear advantages and disadvantages to both head-in and head-out parking. Overall, head-in parking will allow you to pull out of a spot more quickly and safely. Head-in parking will allow you to do the same when you initially pull into a spot or driveway. If you are parking head-out, check for signs first to make sure that parking that way is allowed. Regardless of the method of parking that you choose, always do so slowly and carefully.

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Why you should not follow
Keep a safe distance
Wrapping up
 

Why you should not follow

If you have ever driven behind a construction vehicle on the highway, you have likely noticed some sort of signage on the rear of the vehicle that said something along the lines of “Construction vehicle – Do not follow”. You are not alone if you find yourself wondering why exactly that is.

Well, there are actually a few reasons for this. The primary reason is that these vehicles are headed to construction sites. Construction sites are restricted sites which means non-construction workers are not allowed to enter them. These areas are also very dangerous due to the machinery being used as well as heavy and hazardous materials constantly being moved around. So, if you unwittingly follow a construction vehicle into a construction site, you are not only illicitly entering a restricted zone, but you are also putting yourself at great risk.

Construction vehicles also warn people not to follow them because they do not want people tailgating them or driving aggressively around them. There is a higher risk of other drivers doing this because many construction vehicles drive much slower than normal vehicles. Construction vehicles also have a very limited range of sight, so they have bigger blind spots and might not be able to see behind them very well either. If someone drives behind them, it makes it much easier for an accident to occur.
 

Keep a safe distance

Sometimes, when there is a high amount of traffic or you or on a road with only one lane or other lanes are closed, you will have no choice but to drive behind a construction vehicle. If this is the case, then you just need to be sure you stay aware that you can see slightly around and/or ahead of the construction vehicle so that you do not unknowingly enter a construction area. You can simply do this by keeping a safe distance. For the most part, a safe distance to drive behind a construction vehicle is considered one second for every approximate ten feet of length of the vehicle in front. If it is large and seems to be about forty feet long, that means you should have at least four seconds of distance between you and that construction vehicle.
 

Wrapping up

Always do whatever you can in order to avoid driving behind a construction vehicle. This does not include unsafely passing one, however. When you follow a construction vehicle, you risk entering a restricted construction area which can get you into trouble. Entering a construction area is also extremely unsafe. Driving behind a construction vehicle is also not a great idea because of the limited visibility the driver of that vehicle likely has. If you have no choice but to drive behind a construction vehicle, be sure you do so at a safe distance.

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Reckless driving statistics
Avoiding reckless drivers
Wrapping up
 

Reckless driving statistics

Reckless driving is when you drive with complete disregard for the safety of yourself and other drivers. This can include several different things. For example, if you are speeding and weaving in and out of multiple lanes of traffic without signaling, you can be ticketed or even arrested for reckless driving. Many instances of reckless driving are results of road rage but that is not always the case.

Reckless driving is extremely dangerous and is an easy way to get yourself or another motorist seriously injured or even killed. Each year in Puerto Rico, reckless driving causes needless fatalities. In each year from 2016 to 2018 almost one hundred people died from speeding related accidents. Puerto Rican law enforcement issued over a hundred thousand tickets for speeding, on average, in each year from 2015 through 2019. Reckless driving means increased speed and that means increased chances of a deadly accident. For example, when you increase your speed from sixty miles per hour to eighty miles per hour, you actually quadruple your chances of getting into a fatal car accident.
 

Avoiding reckless drivers

You obviously never want to drive recklessly yourself. Never speed, make aggressive maneuvers or make any maneuvers such as changing lanes without signaling. However, you will inevitably encounter other reckless drivers out on the road in Puerto Rico. When you do encounter a reckless driver, you will want to do everything in your power to avoid them and their unnecessary aggression.

When you notice someone driving aggressively the first thing you should do is to keep as much of a distance as possible. Get out of the same lane or even pull over and let them pass you by. You can also turn off of that road and take a different route altogether. If you do pull over, you can also choose to call the police and report that driver if you happened to get their license plate number. Finally, always make sure you drive correctly and that you do not inadvertently do anything like cut someone off that would potentially set off “road rage” because that is the most frequent cause of reckless driving.
 

Wrapping up

Reckless driving is one of the most dangerous and senseless things that someone can do behind the wheel of a car. It is a complete lack of regard for the safety of yourself and all other drivers out on the road. Reckless driving is unfortunately quite prevalent in Puerto Rico. If you find yourself driving near someone who seems to be driving recklessly, do whatever you can to put as much space between them and you including changing lanes or even pulling over.