How It Works

Supply the specifics of your order and receive a rough estimate of the cost to transport. Once a carrier is found and a price is agreed upon, a pick up will be scheduled. The carrier schedules the pick up time and comes to pick up your vehicle. An inspection sheet is signed off on, and the vehicle begins its journey. The carrier schedules the delivery time and comes to deliver your vehicle. You inspect your vehicle, sign off and accept the delivery.

Supply the specifics of your order and receive a rough estimate of the cost to transport. Once a carrier is found and a price is agreed upon, a pick up will be scheduled.

The carrier schedules the pick up time and comes to pick up your vehicle. An inspection sheet is signed off on, and the vehicle begins its journey.

The carrier schedules the delivery time and comes to deliver your vehicle. You inspect your vehicle, sign off and accept the delivery.

Briefly how auto transport works

Supply the specifics of your order and receive a rough estimate of the cost to transport. Once a carrier is found and a price is agreed upon, a pick up will be scheduled.
The carrier schedules the pick up time and comes to pick up your vehicle. An inspection sheet is signed off on, and the vehicle begins its journey.
The carrier schedules the delivery time and comes to deliver your vehicle. You inspect your vehicle, sign off and accept the delivery.

Types of Transport

Open—Transportation via an open carrier. This is the most economical method of transport and is the preferred method of transport of most auto dealerships. Your vehicle is however exposed to the elements and traffic debris.

Enclosed—Transportation via an enclosed carrier. An enclosed carrier is completely enclosed on all sides and provides maximum protection for you vehicle from the elements and traffic debris. Enclosed transport is typically at least 50% more expensive than open transport.

Continue below for a more in-depth explanation of each topic

Booking

Schedule your car shipment online or over the phone

Provide us with the vehicle year make and model, and any modifications done to the vehicle (roof racks, winches, lift kit, larger rims, lowered suspension). Current pictures of your vehicle will be helpful. This will help the carrier understand if the vehicle can fit on their truck in relation to the other vehicles they have on their truck.

Provide us with time frames of when you’d like pick up and delivery. Typically, trucking companies schedule their transports with 2 days of the desired dates. If an exact date is necessary, please let us know.

Provide us with the addresses at pick up and delivery.

Reserve your car shipment with a refundable $100 reservation fee.

We will find quality carriers with competitive rates for your needs. Choose the best option for your needs.

Typically, within two days a quality carrier should be found to suit your needs. If not, we can discuss what changes need to be made to ensure the transport.

Click the button for our contract outlining our terms and conditions.

Pick Up

After a carrier is confirmed, we will get an estimated date of their arrival. The carrier will then typically call you a day ahead of their transport from their office with an estimated time frame of their arrival, and about an hour before they arrive via the driver. A good carrier will take a look at the address and assess if there will be any issues with fitting their truck into a particular location. They usually do this early while in the office, but some carriers will leave it to the driver to decide and that may be just before the transport. We ask that you proactively assess your area and understand that if your area is too tight or a high risk for property damage, the carrier may ask to meet in a more open location.

Vehicle prep. Please make sure your vehicle is in a drivable condition. Many times a vehicle is loaded onto a truck then stops running. The starter gives out, the transmission gives out, etc. Mechanical issues are not covered by the carrier or its insurance. If the vehicle requires a forklift to be removed from the truck, this is an additional charge.

Check for any loose parts which may fly off in transport and secure them. Loose mirror covers, bumpers, and spoilers regularly fly off in transport. Loose items are not covered by insurance.

Your vehicle should be free of personal items. Car haulers are only insured for the vehicle itself, not the contents inside. You may ship personal items inside the vehicle, but they will be charged extra. The items inside tend to shift and can damage the seats, dashboard, or glass of the vehicle. The vehicle and items inside are subject to high G forces, similar to a roller coaster. Damage to the interior of the vehicle or the items itself is not covered by the carrier’s insurance.

If there are more items than the above stated parameters, the carrier may ask for more money to transport the additional household items, in addition to the vehicle. You can make arrangements with the carrier prior to the carrier arriving or allow us to negotiate it for you beforehand. Pictures and an estimate of the added weight of the items will be helpful if already packed.

A typical pay scale is: a full trunk, extra $100. Trunk and backseat up to window level, extra $200. Trunk and backseat filled up to the roof, extra $300. Trunk, full backseat, full front seat, $400+. If you do decide to ship personal belongings along with your vehicle and the carrier agrees to transport it as well, do understand that the items inside will not be covered in the event of a theft, or a loss of any kind.

We ask that you assess your location to see if your area is too tight or a high risk for property damage for the truck and trailer. If there are any issues which will prevent a safe pick up, a better location will need to be agreed upon. The driver will let you know of any issues before he arrives, but he may alert you late, and it would be more efficient to plan the best location ahead of time.

When the driver arrives they will inspect the car and take pictures of the vehicle and all damages they note. Inspect the car with them and ask them to review what they’ve found with you. Check for any loose parts which may fly off in transport. Loose mirror covers, bumpers, license plates regularly fly off in transport and are not covered by insurance. Secure any loose areas before transport.

Once you agree with the assessment, sign the inspection sheet, or BOL (bill of lading) and take a copy of the BOL. Take pictures of the car. Take some pictures with the truck and driver in the background to prove that they were taken at the time of pick up. Videos are not good unless you take very slow footage, as minute details are usually blurred. Pictures are best for capturing details and give the ability to zoom.

The inspection process is thorough but may not catch all issues with the car. The drivers may miss something due to the sun shining off of glossy paint, a wet car due to rain, a dusty car, snow, or bad lighting. The pictures may catch something the driver missed. Please be mindful that Inspections done in less than ideal conditions can mask small scratches, chips, or dings and that these issues may have been missed by the driver but were there on pick up. Pictures are very useful in these situations to clear up any issues.

Click on the button for an example of the terms and conditions of the carrier. Familiarize yourself with these points so you know what the limitations are.

Time In Transport

The carrier will then transport the vehicle to the destination. During the transport, if the vehicle is in an open carrier, it is subject to the environment and its effects. You vehicle will be extremely dirty. There may be stray rock chips that may damage your paint. There may be small scratches from road debris. In general, small rock chips and small scratches less than the size of a credit card are not covered by insurance. The insurance covers larger damages from the carrier’s negligence, not from the environment. If you want to avoid these environmental concerns, book a more expensive enclosed trailer for transport.

When your vehicle is close to arriving, the carrier will once again call the day before and give a time frame for delivery. The driver will then call that day and give a more accurate time frame. Again, if the location is tight or there are low hanging trees or wires, the driver may request to meet elsewhere. The driver may pay for your Uber or you may have a friend drive you. Work out any payments before committing to anything.

Please confirm the payment amount for the transport of your vehicle with the carrier, and the payment method. Most carriers take cash, cashiers check, or money orders only. Personal checks and credit cards are rarely taken. The carrier may accept Venmo, Cashapp, or Zelle. Please confirm these options with the carrier prior to their arrival.

Estimated Timetable for Interstate Transport

These estimates are based on typical conditions and do not include delays which commonly occur in trucking:

Coast to Coast	7 – 10 days
Three Quarters of the Country	5 – 7 days
Half of the Country	3 – 5 days
North to South / Border to Border	3 – 5 days
Neighboring States	1 – 3 days
With in the Same State	1 – 3 days

Factors that can affect the shipping time.

Distance. The higher the mileage the longer the trip
Pick up and drop off locations. The further away from a major highway and the more congested the point of contact may be will add to transit times and difficulties.
Weather. This can cause a slowdown in the speed at which a truck can safely travel and in some cases may completely stop progress altogether as in the case of road closures or accidents.
Road Hazards. Construction causes slowdowns. Accidents cause gridlock. These can seriously affect transit times.
Other stops. Long distance trucks typically carry between 7 to 9 cars at a time. If any of the previous stops had timing, payment, or other issues, transit times will increase.
Truck breakdowns. These trucks usually carry full capacity of 80,000 when hauling. Even with brand new trucks, things fail on these trucks routinely. Repairs are unfortunately not done quickly as most shops are booked a few days out. Mobile service is extremely limited and slow as well. A typical flat tire change will take half a day to remedy. Engine and trailer issues will take longer to fix and may require a heavy tow to a shop. Just the tow itself takes all day.
Driver log books. The federal govenment mandates a maximum of 11 hours of driving time per day for truckers. If the trucker can drive undisturbed, he can cover 600 miles in a day or more. If delayed, at least an extra day can be added to the trip.

Delivery

Once the vehicle is unloaded, you must inspect the vehicle thoroughly. Do not allow the driver to rush you in any way. You have your pictures from pick up to compare with. If you find anything questionable, let the driver know. If he cant show you pictures from pick up or if a fellow driver picked the car up and it will take some time to get the pictures and verify the issue, write down on the BOL whatever damage you have in question. Up to the point of you signing for the vehicle, the carrier is guilty until proven innocent of the issue written down. After you sign off, it means the vehicle condition is satisfactory and any damage you find afterwards will be on you to prove the carrier is at fault. Take pictures at delivery as well to document the condition of the vehicle at that particular time in case something comes up later.

Hopefully everything goes smoothly and your car is back with you the same way that it left, you sign the BOL, and make payment. Your transport is now complete.

In the event you find a serious damage and note it on the BOL, the resolution of the issue is between you and the carrier. We can assist and advise where needed but these disputes are out of our hands. If you have sufficient proof, the matters usually resolve quickly and without issue. Its when pictures weren’t taken and proper inspections weren’t done that make things confusing and drawn out. If you try to handle the dispute and are unsuccessful with the carrier, then an insurance claim can be initiated by you. The insurance information can be supplied by us, or can be obtained through public records online.

The transport of you vehicle and the handling of a damage claim of your vehicle are two separate issues. By law, they are to be treated separately and a damage claim is by no means a reason to withhold payment from the carrier. If payment is withheld, the carrier may opt not to deliver your vehicle, or reload your vehicle and drop it off to a storage facility where it will accrue storage fees until the payment issue is resolved. Always pay the carrier, then handle the damage issue separately.

Damages

In the event of a questionable damage, the area(s) in question should be noted on the BOL and pictures should be taken at the time of delivery. Payment for transport must be made, and damages will be handled separately. Let us and the carrier know of the issue, and we will supply you with the carrier’s insurance information in the event a settlement between the two of you cannot be reached. As per the federal guidelines, an official complaint must be made to the carrier company before the insurance company can intervene. An example of such is:

Because this matter involves the interstate transport of your property, federal statutes and regulations apply. The regulations specify that a claim for loss or damage to cargo must be submitted to the motor carrier, in this instance, CARRIER COMPANY, in writing. There are no provisions for submitting a claim directly to INSURANCE COMPANY as CARRIER’S insurer. The claim must be for a specific amount, and should be accompanied by supporting documentation.

Attached is a copy of the STANDARD FORM FOR PRESENTATION OF LOSS CLAIM AND DAMAGE, which is a form used throughout the trucking industry for submitting a cargo claim to a motor carrier. While the form is not mandatory, it does provide a framework for submitting a claim to a motor carrier in a logical and organized fashion. You should send the completed form, together with a copy of the bill of lading, signed and noted at delivery, along with any estimates, invoices, etc. supporting the amount being claimed, to the motor carrier, CARRIER COMPANY. I can be copied on the claim submission, but the original must be addressed and sent to CARRIER COMPANY in order to comply with the federal regulations. Once your claim is submitted to CARRIER COMPANY, it will be reviewed and an appropriate response provided.

If the insurance determines that the carrier is at fault, they will issue payment in the amount they deem fair. They only cover the damage to the cargo (your vehicle) and will not reimburse for rental fees, lost income, etc. All other issues may be covered by your own insurance, but not by the carrier’s. Personal items inside the vehicle are not covered by the insurance. If you paid extra to have your items shipped while in the vehicle, the payment was only for the transport of those items, not for their security. Issues related to your personal belongings may be covered by your own insurance.

Cost Calculations

How does a carrier price a vehicle?

Weight

In general, car carriers carry 9 vehicles. The maximum weight allowed for the trucks is 80,000 lbs. The average unloaded weight of the truck is 44,000 lbs. leaving 36,000 lbs. for cargo (distributed equally across all 5 axles), or about 4,000 lbs. per vehicle. Trucks get fined at the weigh stations for being overweight, so they try their best to avoid this situation. A heavier vehicle, or an overloaded vehicle with personal items will cost more.

Size

There is limited space on a truck so that it can accommodate 9 cars. The space allotted to each car is about 16 ft in length (length of an average sedan) and about 5.5 ft in height (height of a small SUV). Anything more than this and it will be cutting into the space of the other vehicles, which means a more compact and cheaper car will need to be booked to counteract the extra dimensions your car has taken. A bigger car will cost more.

Remote locations

Carriers have specific routes along major highways and population centers. Vehicles that are outside these route or population centers are harder to book, and will require a higher price for a carrier to accept the load. In general, if a carrier has to go 50 miles out of their way and 50 miles back to get back to the original route, they will charge at least an extra $100 in addition to the price for that normal route.