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Car shipping guides
Straight answers to the questions people ask before they ship a car. Each one is written to be useful on its own, then points you to the service, state or route that applies to you.
How much does it cost to ship a car?
The price is set by the lane, not by miles alone: distance, direction, season and how many trucks are already going your way.
How long does car shipping take?
Pickup usually happens within a window of a few days of your first available date, often sooner on busy lanes.
How to prepare your car for transport
Wash the car and photograph every side, the roof and the wheels, with the date visible.
Open vs. enclosed car shipping
Open transport is the standard, the most available and the cheapest. The car is exposed to weather and road spray, much as it would be if you drove it.
What's included in a car shipping quote?
A useful quote states the price, the route, the vehicle, open or enclosed, and the pickup window it assumes.
Can you ship personal items in your car?
Carriers generally accept up to about 100 pounds, in the trunk or rear cargo area below the window line, if the driver agrees at pickup.
What documents do you need to ship a car?
For a domestic move from a home address, you usually need no title or registration paperwork at all, just the keys and someone to hand over the car.
Looking for something else?
- How car shipping works: the whole sequence, from quote to the delivery inspection.
- Insurance and claims: whose policy covers your car, and how a claim works.
- Door-to-door car shipping: what it means at your address, and when a meeting point is used instead.
- Carrier verification: what we check before a carrier is booked, and how to check one yourself.
Or skip the reading: send the route and the vehicle, and an agent will answer the questions that apply to your move.
Ready when you are
Two ZIP codes is all it takes to start.
A written quote on your lane. Nothing is charged until a driver is booked.