Car Shipping Guide

If shipping your vehicle is a foreign concept, we’re here to help. Read our research about the industry to make an informed decision for your auto transport.

 

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Categories

  • Budget Your Move
  • Review Providers
  • Auto Transport Options
  • Q&A's

 

How Does The Car Shipping Process Work?

When deciding how to ship a car, you’ll likely want to arrange your vehicle shipment through a broker. Auto shipping brokers work with a large network of drivers to help customers find their cheapest options. Because of the logistics involved, working through a dedicated broker is the most efficient way to match customers with carriers.

While not all auto shipping brokers are the same, most use a similar shipping process. In general, here’s the process of how to ship a car using a broker:

1. Submit car shipment information

The first step is to get quotes from multiple brokers. When requesting a quote, you’ll usually be asked to submit the following information:

  • Vehicle year, make, and model
  • Pickup and drop-off locations
  • Pickup and delivery dates
  • Type of transport service requested (open carrier or enclosed carrier)
  • Vehicle operability status (driveable or not driveable)

Some brokers may offer an instant quote, while others will request your contact information and call or email you with more information. This is because some brokers have their carriers make offers on your shipment. Once the broker determines your best offer, they’ll contact you with your options.

Your car shipping quote is likely to be an estimate – it’s the broker’s best guess of what your final cost will be. However, your final rate will not be locked until you are matched with a carrier or, in some cases, until your vehicle is delivered.

2. Compare your quotes and decide on a company

Once you have multiple quotes, compare them and select the transport company you trust most with your shipment. You’ll then verify the cost and pickup and drop-off times with your carrier. At this point, you may be required to make a partial payment as a deposit.

3. Prepare your vehicle

To prepare your vehicle, you’ll need to empty it of all items. This will lower the weight of your vehicle and may bring down your shipping costs. It is typically recommended that you leave no more than a quarter tank of gas in your car as well.

4. Drop off your vehicle

Bring your vehicle to the pickup location (or, in the case of door-to-door shipping, the driver will come to you). Before the car is loaded onto the transporter, you and the driver will inspect the vehicle for damages. You’ll then sign a form noting any pre-existing damage.

5. Wait for delivery

Many top vehicle transport brokers maintain regular communication during the auto shipping process. Some provide GPS tracking and others may provide text updates on your vehicle’s progress.

6. Pick up your vehicle and pay any remaining balance

After the vehicle is delivered, you must inspect it again for damages. You’ll sign a bill of lading and, if applicable, make any final payments to your driver.

Tips For How To Ship A Car

When it comes time to ship your vehicle, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help you find cheap car shipping:

  • Book in advance: The further in advance you request an auto transport quote, the better chance you will receive a low rate. Brokers send your job to carriers who may bid on your contract. The longer you are able to wait, the better your chance of getting a good deal.
  • Be flexible: If you are flexible with your drop-off and delivery dates, you will have more options. Carriers try to choose jobs that are best optimized for their schedules. If you are able to work around the carrier’s schedule, you’ll secure a better deal.
  • Consider terminal-to-terminal: If possible, ship to and from a central terminal instead of having your car picked up and delivered to your door. This can be much less expensive. Remember that not every auto transporter offers terminal-to-terminal service.
  • Consider open shipping: Shipping with an open car carrier is cheaper than on an enclosed trailer. Unless you have a car with low clearance, a classic car, or a luxury vehicle, consider open shipping to reduce costs.
  • Prepare your vehicle: You should reduce your vehicle weight as much as possible before shipping. This means you should clean it out and leave no more than a quarter tank of fuel. Be sure to leave some gas in the car so it can be driven on and off the trailer.
  • Check legitimacy: Every auto shipper is issued a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. Be sure to get this number from your carrier and check its validity on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website.

By following these tips, you can ensure that you will be satisfied with the car shipping process, regardless of which company you choose. Based on a survey our team conducted in 2021, about half of 1,000 respondents mentioned they were “very satisfied” with their car shipping experience.

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Meet the team

Will Moore Senior Writer – Motor1 Review Team
Brogan Woodburn Senior Writer

Our Methodology

In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of car shipping companies to formulate rankings of the best transporters. Providers receive a score in the categories of reputation, cost, services, and customer experience, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.

However, our ratings are not static. Throughout the year, we periodically review company data and quotes and make adjustments accordingly.

You can learn more about how ratings are determined in each category below:

Reputation

Shippers with a history of strong business practices and endorsements from experts receive the highest scores in this category. Our team evaluates Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings for providers, the nature of customer complaints, the number of years in business, and overall shipping availability within the U.S. and beyond.

Our goal is to provide an overall reputation score that can indicate the trustworthiness of a business. We review over 25 providers but only recommend the most reliable companies.

Cost

To compare car shipping costs between companies, we review over 400 sample quotes for a variety of shipping routes, distances, and vehicles. Companies with lower prices and many discount opportunities receive the best scores.

All of the quotes in this article apply to shipping an operable 2018 Toyota RAV4. You may find different quotes depending on the size of your vehicle and whether or not it drives. If a vehicle is inoperable, the truck driver will need to winch it onto the truck, and this adds to the cost.

Services

It’s good to have choices. Our rating for this category is based on the types of auto transport services available (open, enclosed, door-to-door, etc.), insurance coverage, average transit time, and the ability to guarantee pickup dates. We award extra points to providers if they offer insurance with no deductible or additional insurance upgrades.

Customer Experience Ratings

We use a variety of techniques to determine how companies serve customers:

  • Secret shopping: We shop for quotes from all the companies we review, and make notes on our experiences with service agents.
  • Customer surveys: To date, we’ve surveyed 2,000 people who have shipped their cars through many different companies. Survey questions focus on customer experiences and the process of shipping a car from start to finish.
  • Customer reviews: We comb through hundreds of online customer reviews from sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Google, and include customer ratings in our overall customer experience score.

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