A funeral usually takes place at an unexpected time.
Dealing with all the grief and loss following the death of a loved one will feel immensely overwhelming, and on top of this, dealing with the funeral process will end up being even more stressful, especially if it’s your first time organizing a funeral.
You may not fully understand what needs to be done and how to go about the planning process, especially when considering the arrangements and costs of funeral home transportation services.
So here’s everything you need to know about what transporting your loved one’s body entails and how funeral home transportation services can help.
Transporting the body to the funeral home
Firstly, arrange for transportation of the body from the place of death to the funeral home of your choice (the ‘first call’ funeral home). Often, this is the end of this process.
But a family may decide to switch to another funeral home. In this case, the second funeral home will make the arrangements to move the body. This will likely result in additional transportation charges.
When arranging for funeral home transportation services, you’ll need to provide some basic information to the funeral home to get started.
This will include:
- Name, residence, and social security number of the deceased
- Date and time of death
- Current location of the deceased
- Attending physician’s name and phone number if applicable
- Your name, address, telephone number, and relationship to the deceased
If someone dies away from home, you’ll probably need the services of two funeral homes, one in the area where the loved one passed away and one in the city or town where the deceased will be buried.
Your local funeral home may be able to coordinate transportation with a funeral home in closer proximity to the deceased.
Transporting the body for the funeral service
In the state of Pennsylvania, after the death certificate is filed, you’ll be issued a permit for disposal, which will allow you to move the body for purposes of burial or cremation.
While you can arrange transportation for the body yourself, it’s often easiest to coordinate transportation with the funeral home.
A hearse has two seats in the front for the driver and a passenger and a large covered trunk for the casket. This is used to transport the casket from the funeral service to the cemetery or burial site.
For most funeral homes, there will be a flat rate for renting the hearse, but there’s often also a charge for extra mileage if the hearse has to go outside the funeral home’s defined local area.
Transporting the family for the funeral service
It’s customary for the family to be brought to the cemetery or burial site in a limousine or sedan. Closest family members are often the ones who will use this method of transportation.
As for the rest of the procession of cars, you can sometimes hire a lead car, which is driven by a member of the funeral home’s staff to lead everyone to the cemetery.
Your funeral director can even arrange for motorcycle escorts or police escorts for the funeral procession.
While funeral homes usually have these transportation options available for you, you can always opt for a third-party company for these services as well.
Figuring out the logistics of transportation
Your funeral director will be available to help you with the finer details of the funeral procession.
Some things that he may ask regarding funeral home transportation services include:
- How many vehicles will you need?
- What route would you like the funeral procession to take?
- Do you want traditional funeral flowers in the hearse?
- Who would you like to follow the hearse?
- Do you have any special requirements?
Funeral home transportation services can give your loved one a fitting send-off
No matter what you end up deciding on, your funeral director will ensure that all the arrangements are made to ensure that your loved one’s procession is a fitting tribute to the life they’ve led.
