Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship my vehicle if it's not running?
Most, if not all, of our transport vehicles, will ship your car if it's not running. Usually, they will charge a fee for your "INOP" (inoperable vehicle), as the driver will have to spend additional time first unloading other cars, then using a winch to load it onto the truck, and then reloading the other vehicles back on to the truck. At the delivery, they have to go through the same process again. Make sure that you let the car shipping company know if your vehicle is DNR (does not run, not do not resuscitate) so they can make the necessary changes to your information as well as let the trucking company know. It is also essential to give the car shipping company to see if it does not roll, brake, or steer. This is just to let them and the trucking company know if they need to make any special arraignments.
Do I have to take my car to a terminal or will you come to my house?
No. We provide a door to door customer experience in almost all cases. As long as our large trucks can safely get into your neighborhood, we will come right to your door. If you live in a gated community, a very tight cul-de-sac, or somewhere that's not accessible, our driver will work with you to find a nearby parking lot at a shopping center, office park, or school to meet you.
Should I pay a deposit before being given a carrier's name and contact info?
In our opinion, you are crazy to do so. Paying an upfront deposit to a shipping company is EXACTLY like paying a real estate broker their commission before they've sold your home! We don't ask our customers to pay for our services until we've earned our fees. Collecting our fees is when we have confirmed your pickup with one of our drivers for an exact date, knowing an estimated delivery date and that our driver has, in fact, agreed in writing to the dispatch contract we've given him.
How far in advance should I book my transport?
Usually, it is recommended that you should give us plenty of time (i.e., two weeks), or at the very least 7 to 10 days before your first available shipping date. This gives us time to find the right driver, at the right place, at the right time, and at the right price. We handle expedited shipments for customers that need their vehicle picked up in less than three days also, so be sure to let us know if you have to have our expedited services.
Do I need my own auto insurance for the shipment?
No, your personal insurance is not required during transport. Federal law mandates that all trucks carry a minimum of $750,000 of liability insurance policy in case of damages to the vehicles they are transporting (which is rare, but it does happen). Once your tires "touch" the back of the truck as its being loaded, it is fully insured through the truck's insurance. Your own insurance isn't required at all. Many times we transport vehicles that aren't even registered or roadworthy, like a "barn find" that doesn't also run yet. Those cars don't have insurance, however, and are still covered by our carrier's insurance policy.
How long does it take to pick up my vehicle?
90% of our customer's vehicles are picked up in 7 days or less. For long-distance transports using open carrier service, your vehicle will likely be one of 9 others that are from the same area, and our drivers will be planning out a schedule to pick them all up in a way that optimizes their fuel along the route. Once we have confirmed your pickup date with the driver, you will receive an email from us with the driver's name and mobile phone number. The driver will also have all of your contact information and will typically contact you before the pickup very similar to furniture delivery.
Should I transport open or enclosed?
Open transport is the most common way of transport. However, we recommend our "white glove" enclosed transport for high-end vehicles, specialty or classic cars, cars with a unique paint job, vehicles that are low to the ground, or vehicles that need a carrier with higher than average insurance coverage.
Do I need to be present when you pick up my vehicle?
You don't need to be there, but we strongly recommend that someone of your choosing is present to hand over the keys and sign off on the Bill of Lading (inspection report) with the driver upon pickup. The driver will typically do a walk around your vehicle and document any visible scratches, dents, chips, etc., to eliminate any confusion about the condition of the car on its delivery. Just as you would want to participate in this process when you rent a car, for example, to protect yourself from a damage claim, we recommend that you should protect yourself the same way when you ship your vehicle. Sometimes our customers take their mobile phone's camera and make a video of the car as the driver arrives, walking all the way around and creating their own video documentation of the vehicle's condition. Our enclosed carriers take this many steps further and will use photos and videos to document the condition of your high-value car before loading to create a testimonial of the condition that everyone has access to.
What if I am not there for the delivery of my vehicle?
Our carriers are typically transporting your vehicle and vehicles belonging to 9 other families that are just as anxious to get their vehicle as you are. When one of those customers isn't there when the driver arrives to pick up or drop off a vehicle, it can throw the whole trip off for everyone. Typically then, if you are not at the agreed place of delivery to accept your vehicle and/or not reachable, the carrier may be forced to leave and move on to the next customer's shipment. Doubling back to return to your location may not be an option either, depending on the delivery commitments for everyone else on the truck. The driver may have no alternative but to put your vehicle into a storage facility so that they can move on. You would be liable for these storage fees if the driver showed up at the right time and place, and you just weren't there.
Why am I receiving a range of quotes?
Our quote is based on current market rates to move your car on your route and, most importantly, a rate that should get your vehicle picked up ON TIME. If you are shopping around, you will always receive a range of prices to move your vehicle. It's helpful to understand a bit about why this happens: A broker works with two customers – you and the carrier. While you obviously want the lowest price possible, a carrier with a space on his truck is looking to make the most he can to fill that space, so they will always look for the vehicles offering the most money. If the price provided/listed for your vehicle is lower than all of the other vehicles in your area, the independent carriers that we use may ignore your vehicle since they can make more on others. Conversely, if you really need your vehicle moved quickly or around specific dates, you will need to pay more. Our quote is set at a price that we are confident will drive your vehicle in a reasonable time frame. If you are flexible about the pickup dates, we can very often save you money and get you a good deal, so let us know. Unfortunately, you will hear lots of other shipping brokers try and imply things like "we have a driver in your area", which are ploys to get you to sign up with them. Can a real estate broker hold an open house for you BEFORE they even have a contract to sell your home? Of course not. Be very wary of other shipping companies (brokers) that imply that they own a truck and that it's in your area. Brokers DON'T own trucks. Brokers are brokers and truckers are truckers!
How long does car transport take?
For the most part, truckers in the US have to follow federal guidelines that limit them to 11 hours per day on the road. You might have seen a movie with a trucker driver drinking coffee all night so that he can make his deadlines, but that's the movies. Truckers have to keep detailed logbooks of the hours that they drive or face fines. Knowing that there are limits of how far they can go per day, we usually use an estimate of 400 miles per day, plus or minus, for how long it will take for your vehicle to arrive. There are other factors, too, like winter snowstorms, construction delays, and sometimes like you might have in your car, a flat tire here and there. Lastly, remember in shared trucking that out of 10 vehicles being picked up, yours might be the very first. Or the very last. Then again, at the delivery, the GPS locations of all 10 delivery addresses might mean the most efficient route to drop everyone off puts you first! Or last. Or somewhere in the middle. With all that said, here's a guideline we like to use: Coast to Coast – 7-10 days mid-West to Either Coast – 5-7 days north to south (or vice versa) – 3-5 days
May I schedule a time for my vehicle to be picked up or delivered?
If you contact us with sufficient notice, we will do our best to meet your particular needs; however, we cannot guarantee exact times or dates since all the carriers in our network are working with 9 other families to pick up and drop off. Unfortunately, sometimes one of those other customers on the truck is running late, and the trucker has to wait around for them, which sets them back through no fault of their own. Generally, our carriers will give you a reasonable range of time to pick up and deliver your vehicle, very must like getting furniture delivery.
Can I ship items by putting them inside my vehicle?
For the quickest pickup and delivery, we recommend you remove all items from your vehicle; however, should you decide to leave things in the car, most of our carriers allow up to a maximum of 50-70 pounds of NON-VALUABLE items. The trucker's liability insurance policy is comprehensive, and plenty of coverage is provided for your vehicle, but it DOES NOT extend to your personal belongings. If the driver sees your expensive golf clubs in the trunk, he will explain that there is no liability coverage whatsoever for personal belongings. Since trucking is all based on weight and fuel, the truckers are very sensitive and careful about additional items in your vehicle. Just like an airline calculates how much fuel they need based on how many passengers are on board, the truckers calculate how much fuel they will need based on them looking up the year, make, and model of your vehicle and finding out the exact weight. Your car can not be used as a moving van! You can't open the sunroof and pour in all of your household goods until the vehicle is full all the way to the roof, to use the car as a moving van! (Yes, people have tried that!)