How Car Shipping Works

Six steps, and two of them matter far more than the rest. Those two are marked.

1. Quote

Tell us the vehicle, both locations and roughly when it needs to move. We price your specific shipment — there is no rate card, because a published rate cannot know your corridor or carrier availability the week you ship.

Say at this stage if the vehicle does not run, is modified or lowered, or if either address is hard for a large truck to reach. All three are routine when known in advance and expensive when discovered at the kerb.

2. Booking

You approve the quote and we begin sourcing. An amount is taken at booking and the balance is paid at delivery, after you have seen the vehicle. Terms: How to Pay.

3. Carrier assignment

We source a licensed motor carrier whose route and equipment fit your shipment, from a vetted network of more than 10,000. Active operating authority and cargo insurance are verified before your vehicle is assigned — not afterwards.

We are a licensed and bonded broker, not the carrier. Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and we will provide that carrier's certificate on request.

You get a pickup window rather than a fixed date, because a carrier is routing several vehicles across a corridor. A wider window means more carriers available and usually a better price.

4. Pickup and inspection — this one matters

The driver documents the vehicle's condition on a bill of lading with you present. This document is the controlling record of condition for the entire shipment.

Three things to do:

• Wash the vehicle first. Damage cannot be recorded through road dirt.
• Be there, or send someone briefed. You or an authorised adult must attend.
• Take your own dated photographs, every angle. The carrier's record should not be your only record.

Preparation detail: FAQ — Vehicle Preparation

5. Transit

You have a contact point throughout. The carrier gives 3 to 24 hours voice notification before delivery, to the numbers you supplied — keep them reachable.

Dates are estimates. Weather, traffic, mechanical issues and federally regulated driver hours all move timing and none is within a carrier's control. We tell you when something changes rather than going quiet.

6. Delivery and inspection — this one matters most

The vehicle is checked against the bill of lading before you sign.

Inspect properly, in good light, before signing. If there is new damage, write it on the paperwork at the point of delivery — it must be noted and signed by both you and the driver. Signing clean and raising it afterwards will not support a claim.

Then the balance is paid and the shipment is complete. If something did go wrong: notify us by phone within 48 hours, and submit within 10 days with photographs and two repair estimates. Full process: Terms & Conditions.

What we do not do

We arrange transport within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Alaska and Hawaii are not served, and we do not arrange international transport. We do not guarantee pickup or delivery dates, and our Terms say so in writing.

Answers by topic

FAQ — Cost & Pricing · FAQ — Booking & Process · FAQ — Carriers, Insurance & Safety · FAQ — Timing & Transit · FAQ — Vehicle Types & Conditions · FAQ — Routes & Locations · FAQ — Specialty Transport · FAQ — Vehicle Preparation

All: Car Shipping FAQs

Discounts

Military & Veteran Discount · Senior Citizen Discount · Student Discount · Car Dealer Discount · Referral Discount · Government Agents Discount · Discounts Hub

Where to go next

Services Hub · Routes Hub · Locations Hub · Blog Hub

About Us · Contact · Get a Quote · How to Pay · Reviews · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions

Or call (800) 780-1113 — answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.