Moving is stressful enough. Just when you think you’re done packing, you still have to figure out how to get your vehicle hundreds or thousands of miles away. Driving yourself quickly becomes an expensive and exhausting option when you factor in gas, hotels, time off work, and vehicle wear and tear. The smart solution is professional car shipping. If you’ve never used an auto transport service, the entire process can seem daunting and mysterious. You are trusting a stranger with a valuable possession! However, with a bit of preparation, shipping your car is surprisingly straightforward. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every critical step, ensuring your vehicle arrives safely and on time.
Understanding the Car Shipping Ecosystem Brokers vs. Carriers
Before collecting quotes, you must understand the two main players in auto transport to manage expectations and budget:
Auto Transport Brokers
They are like “travel agents” for your car. While they don’t own the transport trucks, they use a huge network to find a carrier who can take your order. This offers convenience and good prices. However, note that they don’t have control over the scheduling.
Auto Transport Carriers
This is the real trucking company that owns the trucks and hires the drivers. If you book directly, you have more control and can talk to the driver directly, but it can be hard to find one that runs on your exact route at your exact time.
For first-time shippers, a reputable broker is often the easiest starting point.
Choosing Your Shipping Method
Once you know who you’re booking with, you need to decide how your car will travel. This decision dramatically impacts both the price and the protection level.
Open Car Transport
Putting your car on an open carrier truck is the standard, most frequent, and least expensive way to do it. The best thing about it is how cheap it is. But your car is open to road dust, rain, and small objects. This is fine for 99% of daily drivers, so if price is the most important thing to you, this is the best pick.
Enclosed Car Transport
Your car is in a covered transport vehicle, which protects it from all weather and road dirt. This is the best choice for classic, high-end, or unusual sports cars because it provides the most security. On the other hand, you can expect to pay a lot more than you would for open transportation. Still, for expensive things, the extra cost is a small insurance premium that gives you complete peace of mind.
Guide to Car Shipping
The shipping process is simple when broken down into three critical phases that ensure safety and success:
- The Pre-Shipment Checklist
- Insurance and Contract Review
- The Logistics Pickup, Transit, and Delivery
The Pre-Shipment Checklist
Getting your car ready for transport is the most crucial step you control. By completing this checklist, you minimize the risk of damage, fees, and delays.
1. Clean the Car and Document Everything
Before the driver comes, you need to wash your car inside and out. Why? Because a clean car makes it easy for you and the driver to see and record any damage. Also, take clear photos of the car from every angle, with the speedometer number included, and date them. This photo record will help you defend yourself if you need to make a damage claim later.
2. Check Fluids and Fuel
Carriers need your car to be able to work. Charge the battery, properly fill the tires, and check that none of the fluids (oil, coolant, brake fluid) are leaking. It’s important to leave only a quarter (1/4) of a tank of gas. This is important because full tanks add extra weight that carriers often limit because of weight limits for the whole load.
3. Remove Loose Items
The main rule is that the car should not have any loose parts. Take everything out of the trunk and the inside of the car, even the GPS units and toll passes. There are some companies that will let you put a small box (under 100 pounds) in the trunk, but insurance usually doesn’t cover this extra stuff. You leave personal things at your own risk.
Insurance and Contract Review
Understanding the insurance coverage is perhaps the most important administrative step you’ll take. Never assume you are fully covered.
Primary Carrier Insurance
Insurance for liability is what all auto transport companies have to carry in case a driver is careless and damages an automobile. It is important to always ask for proof of insurance and read over the policy’s cost and coverage limits before signing. Make sure the coverage amount is high enough to cover the full market value of your car.
What is NOT Covered?
It is important to know what policies don’t cover. Storms and hail are often considered “Acts of God” by carriers, which is why covered transport is often necessary for collector cars. Individual belongings left inside are also not usually covered by insurance. Lastly, the provider won’t be responsible for any problems that were visible during the first inspection report.
The Logistics Pickup, Transit, and Delivery
The process itself is surprisingly hands-off once the details are finalized.
Pickup and Inspection
When the driver gets there, they will carefully check the Bill of Lading (BOL), which is a document that lists the car’s state. You need to be there. Take a walk with the driver and write down each mark and the miles. When you agree, sign the BOL. This is the only proof you have of the car’s state before it goes to the transporter.
Transit Time
Time to ship depends on how far it is and how busy the route is. For example, shipping from one side to the other usually takes 7 to 14 days. Transit times, on the other hand, are often just guesses. Road closures, bad weather, and other pickups and drops-offs can change the plan. Patience is key; talking to your trader or the driver’s dispatcher is much more useful than getting upset about delays.
Delivery and Final Inspection
You have to be there to accept the car as part of the delivery process. Right away, check the car and see how it compares to the original BOL. If you find new damage, you must write it down on the BOL right away before signing! This is the only time to officially report damage. You can refuse to sign until the damage is shown.
Conclusion
It doesn’t have to be risky to ship your car for the first time. By knowing the difference between agents and carriers, picking the right type of transport (Open vs. Enclosed), carefully getting your car ready, and reading over the insurance, you can turn a task that could be stressful into a smooth process. In the long run, the small amount of time and money you spend on study and planning will save you a lot of trouble.
