How to Ship a Car: CR’s Expert Auto Transport & Shipping Tips

According to Crossen, there are two kinds of auto transport companies: Brokers and direct carriers.

“If you find a company online that advertises itself as a car shipper, chances are you’ll be speaking to a broker. They quote you a rate and then try to find someone to do the job for less than that rate, and the broker keeps the difference.” In the case of the shipper and broker I used, I paid a flat fee to the broker up front, and upon delivery I paid the agreed-upon amount to the shipper they found for me.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with brokers, but the chances for something going wrong increase as you add more people and companies to the process. For example, it’s harder to provide accurate estimates of when a vehicle will be picked up or dropped off; for the broker to answer this, they need to contact the driver. (Always get the driver’s phone number!) In addition, many brokers accept only cash or direct cash transfers, which offer you none of the recourse options available with a credit card if something goes wrong. (And you miss out on cash-back perks on a large expense.) In my case, the broker asked me to turn off Venmo’s payment protection option, which I refused. Even if the broker is helpful, you may get stuck with a lousy carrier, or vice versa.

Crossen says that there are a handful of companies that own their own fleet of trucks and use their own employees to load and ship vehicles. These companies are more likely to offer real-time tracking and better adhere to schedules, but you’ll pay for the privilege. When I compared rates for shipping my car, direct carriers cost between 20 and 30 percent more than brokers. For a cross-country move, that could be hundreds of dollars. Direct carriers also might be less able to take on last-minute loads.

“If you really care about the car, or if its pickup and arrival times are critical, and, most importantly, you value good communication, you need to pay for that service,” says Crossen. It may be worthwhile if you’re shipping an expensive or collectible car, or if it absolutely has to be somewhere at a specific time, in the same condition.

Peak routes, such as New England to Florida in the fall or the reverse trip in the spring, will likely cost more than the same trip at a different time. You’ll also pay less if your pickup and delivery dates are more flexible.

Location also matters. Big car carriers often can’t make it down residential streets, so drivers may ask to meet in a large parking lot, or they may charge you more money to have a smaller tow truck complete the last few miles of a job.

Crossen says to ask a carrier if they have a nearby distribution hub where you can pick up a vehicle after it arrives. “It allows for more flexibility and usually saves some money, too.” Not all carriers offer this service.

Ask for the carrier’s Department of Transportation (DOT) and motor carrier number. Then look up the carrier’s insurance record and any complaints on the Company Snapshot page of safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. You’ll see several types of insurance listed. BIPD, which stands for “bodily injury and property damage,” is mandatory for car carriers, but it covers only the truck and the trucking company, not the vehicles it carries. Cargo insurance covers your car once it’s on the truck, but it is not required.

If the vehicle you are transporting is registered and you have comprehensive coverage on your insurance policy, your insurer may cover any damage it experiences during transport. Call your insurance company to check before you ship.

It’s also preferable if the car transport carrier has at least a decade of experience and a fleet of trucks.

Even though your car will likely arrive covered in highway grime, get it washed before you ship it. It will make it easier for you to photograph it as it’s being loaded. If it arrives damaged, you’ll have clear “before” photos to show its prior condition.

If your car has any special instructions (if one of the windows doesn’t go down, if the keyfob doesn’t quite work, or if it’s a manual transmission), type them up in a large font, print them out, and leave them on the dashboard.

Remove any toll transponders, as they may rack up charges as your car travels across interstates. Remove any valuables and check for any trash that might have rolled under the seats that could attract rodents. And whatever you do, don’t leave the title in the car!

Most carriers allow you to store 100 pounds of personal belongings in the vehicle’s trunk as long as the rear view isn’t obstructed. Your car might be left unlocked and unattended in a parking lot for many hours, so don’t ship anything valuable.

When the driver arrives, take photos of the car being loaded onto the truck. Take a photo of the truck, too, and make sure to include the license plate number and DOT number, which is usually printed on the side of the cab.

When shipping a car, I put an Apple AirTag in the glove box so I could follow its progress. Many newer vehicles have built-in location-tracking apps that offer the same functionality. The AirTag strategy proved very helpful, as I realized my most recent shipment wouldn’t make it to its destination on time when I saw the car stopped at the same truck repair center for a week.

In addition to timing, tracking your vehicle also has security benefits. “The car might be loaded and unloaded from the truck three or four times during its transport,” says Crossen. “Each time presents a possibility of damage or theft.”

But don’t be alarmed if you see your car taking a circuitous route. ”Drivers often have multiple stops on their routes, so your car might go on a tour of the U.S.,” he says. “Rarely do they take it directly to you.”

If you’re shipping a car because you purchased it from a faraway dealership, ask the dealership to help arrange shipping, or at least to let you know which carriers they have used in the past.

If you are shipping an exotic, rare, or valuable classic vehicle, choose a carrier with a long track record of safely delivering high-value vehicles. “If you have a desirable car, be very careful who you ship with,” says Crossen, as transporters can be targeted by thieves.

Enclosed trailers can protect your vehicle from rock chips and dust on the highway, as well as prying eyes, although choosing an enclosed carrier can cost at least 20 percent more than an open carrier.

Cars that don’t run and restoration projects that are still in progress will cost more to ship, as the driver cannot drive them on and off the trailer.

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