How Car Shipping Actually Works

Step 1 — You request a quote

You give us the pickup ZIP, the delivery ZIP, and the year, make and model of the vehicle. We also ask whether it runs and drives, and whether anything has been modified in a way that changes its size.

You get a written price by email. No phone number is needed just to see a price range, and nobody should be pressuring you at this stage.

Step 2 — We find and verify a carrier

Your load goes onto the national dispatch network at the quoted rate. Carriers running that corridor bid on it, and we select one.

Selection is not simply the cheapest. Before dispatch we check three things: that their operating authority is active, that their cargo insurance certificate is current, and that their FMCSA safety record is acceptable. Then you receive the driver's name, company and contact number.

This is the stage where most of the waiting happens. A popular lane may be assigned within a day. A rural pickup in a quiet season can take longer, and we would rather tell you that than let you sit wondering.

Step 3 — Payment

Nothing is charged until the carrier above is confirmed. That is the whole point of the sequence. You are never paying for a truck that has not been found.

Step 4 — Pickup and inspection

The driver calls to agree a collection window, usually the day before. When they arrive you walk around the vehicle together and record its condition on the Bill of Lading, noting existing scratches, chips and dents.

You both sign. Keep your copy. That document is the single most important piece of paper in the process, because it establishes exactly what the vehicle looked like when it was handed over.

• Take your own photographs in daylight before the driver arrives
• Check the report matches what you can actually see
• Do not sign a blank or incomplete form
• Confirm the delivery contact details before the truck leaves

Step 5 — Transit

Your vehicle travels with several others on the same trailer. The driver works to federal hours-of-service limits, which cap how far anyone can legally cover in a day. That is why transit is quoted as a range rather than an exact arrival hour.

Route distance	Typical transit
Under 500 miles	1 to 2 days
500 to 1,000 miles	2 to 4 days
1,000 to 1,500 miles	3 to 5 days
1,500 to 2,500 miles	5 to 8 days
Coast to coast	7 to 10 days

These estimates start from collection, not from the day you booked. Weather, traffic and the other stops on the load all affect progress.

Step 6 — Delivery

The driver calls ahead, usually the day before and again about an hour out. Inspect the vehicle before you sign anything.

Compare it against the pickup report and your own photos. If something is new, write it on the Bill of Lading, photograph it, and call us while the driver is still there. A documented note at delivery makes a claim straightforward. Signing a clean report and calling the next day makes it very difficult.

Once you are satisfied, you sign and settle the balance with the driver.

What tends to go wrong, and why

Three things account for most problems, and two of them are avoidable before the truck ever moves.

1. Access at either end. A 75-foot rig cannot enter a cul-de-sac or a gated community with a tight radius. Flag this when you book and a meeting point gets arranged calmly, rather than improvised on the day.
2. Nobody available to release or receive. A driver cannot leave a vehicle without a signature. If you cannot be there, nominate someone in advance.
3. A vehicle described as running that will not start. The carrier arrives without a winch and the collection fails, which delays everyone else on that load too.