Car Shipping Questions, Answered

Send us your pickup ZIP code, delivery ZIP code, and the year, make and model of the vehicle. You will get a written price by email. No phone number is required just to see a price range.

Two to three weeks is comfortable on most routes. Enclosed transport, holiday weeks and snowbird season fill faster, so allow extra time for those. We also handle short-notice moves when a truck is already running your lane.

No. Nothing is charged until a carrier has been assigned to your order and you have the driver's name and company. The balance is paid at delivery.

Yes. ZIP codes are enough for an accurate quote. We only need full addresses once a carrier is assigned and the driver is arranging collection.

Year, make, model, whether it runs and drives, and any modification that changes its size, such as a lift kit, roof rack or oversized tyres.

Usually yes, if the carrier has not already been dispatched to collect. Tell us as early as you can, because a change on the day of pickup is far harder to absorb than one made a week out.

Yes. Until your vehicle is loaded onto the trailer you can cancel by phone or email and nothing is charged.

Mainly by distance, how busy your route is, the size and weight of the vehicle, whether you choose open or enclosed transport, and whether the car runs. Season and how flexible your dates are also affect the number.

Because some are quoting a price they can actually dispatch and others are quoting a price designed to win your booking. A low quote that sits unassigned for two weeks is a delay, not a discount.

The quote is what we intend to dispatch at, and it includes tolls, fuel, taxes, loading and door-to-door service. Price changes only if the vehicle turns out to be different from what was described, such as a non-runner declared as running.

No. Fuel, tolls and road taxes are all inside the quoted price. There is no surcharge added after your vehicle is on the trailer.

Almost always. A trailer's cost per trip is largely fixed, so a second vehicle shares those costs rather than doubling them. Send both and we will show you the comparison.

Late autumn and mid-winter outside the snowbird corridors tend to be quietest. Summer and the January and April snowbird movements are the busiest and price accordingly.

We price by route and load rather than running blanket discounts. Multiple vehicles, flexible dates and repeat dealer volume all genuinely reduce the rate because they reduce the carrier's cost.

Payment terms are confirmed when your carrier is assigned. Nothing is taken before that point, and the balance is settled at delivery.

Open carriers are the two-deck trailers you see on the interstate, carrying seven to ten cars in the open air. Enclosed trailers are fully covered, carry fewer vehicles, and usually load with a lift gate instead of ramps.

Open is right for most vehicles, including SUVs and pickups. Choose enclosed for low ground clearance, fresh or original paint, genuine collector value, or a car being delivered to a customer who expects it flawless.

Typically 40 to 60 percent above open transport on the same route. If a quote comes in far below that spread, ask what equipment is actually being sent.

Yes. It is strapped to the deck by a driver who does this daily and covered by the carrier's cargo insurance. The exposure is to weather and road grime, the same as driving the route yourself.

On a long route, yes. Vehicles usually arrive dusty, which washes off. If arriving spotless matters, enclosed is the better choice.

Below roughly four inches of true ground clearance we recommend enclosed with a lift gate. Splitters, side skirts and long front overhangs reduce the effective figure well below the spec sheet.

It comes as close as it can legally and safely get. A loaded car carrier is around 75 feet long and 13 and a half feet tall, so narrow streets, low branches and gated communities sometimes mean meeting at a nearby lot.

Yes, someone over 18 at both ends to inspect the vehicle and sign the Bill of Lading. It does not have to be you. A friend, relative or colleague can act on your behalf if you tell us in advance.

Typically a call the day before, then another when they are around an hour away. You will have the driver's direct number from the moment they are assigned.

A range of days within which the carrier will collect, rather than a fixed appointment. Windows exist because trucks are building a route across several customers. Expedited service narrows the window.

Yes, and commercial sites are usually easier than homes because the access is built for trucks. We just need the release hours and any gate pass or reference number.

Usually yes if it is nearby and the driver has not already arrived. Tell your coordinator as early as possible, since a change mid-route can affect the schedule for other customers on the load.

The driver cannot leave a vehicle unattended without a signature. If nobody is available, the vehicle may need to be stored locally at additional cost, so nominate someone else rather than risk it.

About a quarter tank. Enough to load and unload, not so much that it adds unnecessary weight to the trailer.

Yes, and it genuinely helps. A clean vehicle makes existing scratches and chips visible during the condition inspection, which protects you if anything is disputed later.

Up to 100 lbs in the trunk or below the window line is generally accepted. Carriers are not insured for personal belongings, so keep anything valuable, fragile or irreplaceable with you.

Toll transponders, parking passes, GPS units, loose change, garage remotes, roof boxes and bike racks. Anything not bolted down can move or be damaged in transit.

Yes, or tell the driver how to disarm it. An alarm that triggers repeatedly during transit will drain the battery before the car reaches you.

Tell us at quote stage. Modifications change how much deck space the vehicle takes and can affect which trailers can carry it.

Yes. Take clear photos from all angles in daylight, including the roof and wheels. It takes two minutes and settles any condition dispute instantly.

Yes. Every carrier we dispatch holds active cargo insurance, and you can request the certificate before booking. Coverage is verified for each shipment rather than once a year.

Your own policy should stay active during transport. Carrier cargo cover applies to the vehicle while it is in their care, but keeping your own coverage in place avoids any gap.

The document recording your vehicle's condition at pickup and again at delivery, signed by both you and the driver. It is the single most important piece of paper in the whole process.

Walk the vehicle before signing. Compare it against the pickup report and your own photos. If something is new, note it on the Bill of Lading, photograph it, and call us before the driver leaves.

Note it on the Bill of Lading at delivery, photograph it, and contact us immediately. A signed, documented condition report is what makes a claim straightforward rather than contested.

No. Cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not items inside it. This is standard across the industry, which is why we advise keeping anything valuable with you.

Roughly one to three days for short regional routes, three to five for mid-distance, and seven to ten coast to coast. Those are transit estimates that begin once the vehicle is collected, not from the day you book.

Because drivers are limited by federal hours-of-service rules, and weather, traffic and other stops on the load all affect progress. A range is honest. A fixed guaranteed hour usually is not.

We can commit to expedited service with a much tighter window, but no legitimate carrier guarantees an exact delivery hour. Anyone who does is either guessing or planning to break driving-hour rules.

Weather closures, mechanical issues, traffic, and most commonly access problems at pickup or delivery. Having keys ready and someone available does more for your timeline than anything else.

You will have the driver's direct number and your coordinator checks in on progress. That is more reliable in practice than a map pin, because a driver can tell you what is actually happening.

Yes, as long as it rolls, steers and brakes. Tell us at quote stage so we assign a carrier with a winch rather than discovering the problem at the kerb.

Yes, coordinated through port services. These routes take longer and need more lead time than mainland moves, so start the conversation early.

Yes, and it is one of the most common things we do. We can collect from a dealership, an auction yard or a private seller's driveway.

We handle a lot of PCS moves and understand that orders shift. Ask us about current terms for military customers when you request your quote.

Yes, and we recommend enclosed transport with soft straps and lift-gate loading for anything where originality affects value.

Yes. Motorcycles travel secured in a wheel chock with soft straps. Boats and RVs are quoted on dimensions, since width and height matter more than distance on those moves.

Yes. Multiple vehicles on one trailer cost considerably less per unit than separate bookings, and you get one schedule and one driver instead of several.