Customer Reviews

What To Expect When Shipping a Car

Posted on 02/07/2017

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Book your shipment
Carrier assigned
Vehicle picked up
Vehicle delivered

 
what to expect when shipping your car

 
Shipping a vehicle with RoadRunner Auto Transport is a very easy and customer friendly process. We’ve simplified vehicle transportation to 5 steps and we listed them below for you to get an idea of what to expect throughout your shipment.
Before you jump into the actual car shipping process, you should go online and get a free quote. An auto transport quote gives the most accurate idea possible about what your shipment will end up costing and how long it might take to ship your vehicle. You can use these quotes to compare auto shippers so you can choose the best option in terms of both pricing and transit time for your shipment.
It is important to know that automatically choosing the company with the lowest priced quote is not the best way to select a car shipping company. There are other factors to consider such as transit time and online reputation to name a few.
As far as transit time for your car shipment, this can vary from company to company based on the amount of available carriers they have. Companies that offer the lowest pricing might also have some of the longest transit times for your desired route.
When it comes to online reputation, be sure you do a little research on each car shipping company you are considering before you choose one for your transport. You should use sites like Consumer Affairs and Google too see if the company has good feedback and reviews from former customers first.
You can get a free quote from RoadRunner Auto Transport online or, if you prefer to receive a quote by phone, you can speak with a pricing specialist by calling (888)777-2123 today.
 

Book your shipment

Once you have your quotes and you decide on a company to ship your vehicle, it will be time to book your shipment. You will want to do this as soon as you can because, as a general rule of thumb, the sooner you book the better. There tends to be more carrier availability the further out you book.
Any reputable auto transport company will allow you the option to book online or over the phone.
Either way, when you are booking your shipment you will need the following details:

  • The make and model of your car
  • Your desired shipping dates
  • What additional shipping options you want or don’t want

Once you provide the details of your shipment, you will be able to go over the relevant payment information for that company regarding your shipment. Remember, no reputable company will have you pay the entire cost of shipping up front.
After this, the ball will start rolling on the transportation of your vehicle.
 

Carrier assigned

An auto transport company will have their dispatch department assign your shipment to a carrier that matches your desired route and time frame. Most companies will send an automatic update of the projected pickup and delivery dates once a pickup has been scheduled.
Once your carrier is assigned, it is time to start preparing your car for shipment. Now, at this point your pickup still might be weeks away but you still need to make sure your car is running properly. If the time comes that your driver arrives to pickup your car and it is not running properly or at all, you might end up being charged an additional fee for shipping an inoperable vehicle or, worse, your shipment might have to be cancelled. You can avoid this by getting your car checked out by a mechanic as soon as you get a carrier assigned.
After that, as you get closer to your scheduled pick-up date, you should remove all personal items from your vehicle, get the car cleaned, and take photos of the inside and outside of the car that have date stamps on them. The photos that you take are just in case your car ends up with any damage, you can prove that it was not pre-existing. This is an exceptionally rare possibility but it is always better to be thorough.

auto-transport-carrier-delivering-cars

 

Vehicle picked up

Your pickup driver will make arrangements with you at the pickup location prior to arriving. Usually, the pickup location is your home. However, in certain cases the driver will not be able to drive their auto carrier onto your street. If you know that your street is too narrow or that local laws forbid your driver from driving on your street, you need to make sure that you mention this and that you and your driver decide on a nearby pickup location such as a mall parking lot.
Once you have worked all of that out and your driver arrives on the day of your pickup a thorough inspection of the vehicle will be completed and both the driver and the pickup contact person will sign the bill of lading to verify accuracy of the inspection. The vehicle then is carefully loaded onto the carrier and secured. Your car then begins heading to the delivery location.
 

Vehicle delivered

Your vehicle delivery will be similar to the pickup in that you will need to make exact location arrangements before the car is dropped off.
When the car is delivered it is then offloaded and a final inspection is completed to ensure that the vehicle was delivered in the same condition it was picked up in. You should visually inspect the car yourself so you can confidently verify accuracy of the inspection when you once again sign the bill of lading. If a remaining balance is due, it is paid to the driver at this time.

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What To Expect When Shipping a Car

Posted on 02/07/2017

Jump to section:
Book your shipment
Carrier assigned
Vehicle picked up
Vehicle delivered

 
what to expect when shipping your car

 
Shipping a vehicle with RoadRunner Auto Transport is a very easy and customer friendly process. We’ve simplified vehicle transportation to 5 steps and we listed them below for you to get an idea of what to expect throughout your shipment.
Before you jump into the actual car shipping process, you should go online and get a free quote. An auto transport quote gives the most accurate idea possible about what your shipment will end up costing and how long it might take to ship your vehicle. You can use these quotes to compare auto shippers so you can choose the best option in terms of both pricing and transit time for your shipment.
It is important to know that automatically choosing the company with the lowest priced quote is not the best way to select a car shipping company. There are other factors to consider such as transit time and online reputation to name a few.
As far as transit time for your car shipment, this can vary from company to company based on the amount of available carriers they have. Companies that offer the lowest pricing might also have some of the longest transit times for your desired route.
When it comes to online reputation, be sure you do a little research on each car shipping company you are considering before you choose one for your transport. You should use sites like Consumer Affairs and Google too see if the company has good feedback and reviews from former customers first.
You can get a free quote from RoadRunner Auto Transport online or, if you prefer to receive a quote by phone, you can speak with a pricing specialist by calling (888)777-2123 today.
 

Book your shipment

Once you have your quotes and you decide on a company to ship your vehicle, it will be time to book your shipment. You will want to do this as soon as you can because, as a general rule of thumb, the sooner you book the better. There tends to be more carrier availability the further out you book.
Any reputable auto transport company will allow you the option to book online or over the phone.
Either way, when you are booking your shipment you will need the following details:

  • The make and model of your car
  • Your desired shipping dates
  • What additional shipping options you want or don’t want

Once you provide the details of your shipment, you will be able to go over the relevant payment information for that company regarding your shipment. Remember, no reputable company will have you pay the entire cost of shipping up front.
After this, the ball will start rolling on the transportation of your vehicle.
 

Carrier assigned

An auto transport company will have their dispatch department assign your shipment to a carrier that matches your desired route and time frame. Most companies will send an automatic update of the projected pickup and delivery dates once a pickup has been scheduled.
Once your carrier is assigned, it is time to start preparing your car for shipment. Now, at this point your pickup still might be weeks away but you still need to make sure your car is running properly. If the time comes that your driver arrives to pickup your car and it is not running properly or at all, you might end up being charged an additional fee for shipping an inoperable vehicle or, worse, your shipment might have to be cancelled. You can avoid this by getting your car checked out by a mechanic as soon as you get a carrier assigned.
After that, as you get closer to your scheduled pick-up date, you should remove all personal items from your vehicle, get the car cleaned, and take photos of the inside and outside of the car that have date stamps on them. The photos that you take are just in case your car ends up with any damage, you can prove that it was not pre-existing. This is an exceptionally rare possibility but it is always better to be thorough.

auto-transport-carrier-delivering-cars

 

Vehicle picked up

Your pickup driver will make arrangements with you at the pickup location prior to arriving. Usually, the pickup location is your home. However, in certain cases the driver will not be able to drive their auto carrier onto your street. If you know that your street is too narrow or that local laws forbid your driver from driving on your street, you need to make sure that you mention this and that you and your driver decide on a nearby pickup location such as a mall parking lot.
Once you have worked all of that out and your driver arrives on the day of your pickup a thorough inspection of the vehicle will be completed and both the driver and the pickup contact person will sign the bill of lading to verify accuracy of the inspection. The vehicle then is carefully loaded onto the carrier and secured. Your car then begins heading to the delivery location.
 

Vehicle delivered

Your vehicle delivery will be similar to the pickup in that you will need to make exact location arrangements before the car is dropped off.
When the car is delivered it is then offloaded and a final inspection is completed to ensure that the vehicle was delivered in the same condition it was picked up in. You should visually inspect the car yourself so you can confidently verify accuracy of the inspection when you once again sign the bill of lading. If a remaining balance is due, it is paid to the driver at this time.

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"I would definitely use RoadRunner Auto Transport again without a doubt. Excellent overall service from start to finish."

Trish A.

Miami, FL

5 stars
google reviews

"Super professional and helpful from the very first call. Easy to book online and the rate was better than I expected."

Steven F.

Austin, TX

5 stars
shopper approved reviews

"The RoadRunner agent we spoke with answered all of our questions and kept us in the loop throughout the shipment."

Christopher G.

Cincinnati, OH

5 stars
transport reviews

"I couldn't have been happier with the service provided by RoadRunner to transport my car from CA to NY"

Deborah B.

Long Beach, CA

5 stars
better business bureau reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the vehicle shipping process.


When determining your car shipping cost, there are a few factors that we take into account in order to provide you with an accurate price quote. The mileage between the origin and destination is the biggest factor that contributes to your total rate. In addition to the distance of your relocation, another factor is the type and condition of the vehicle being shipped. The final factor is the date that your vehicle will be ready for transport. There are also additional options, such as enclosed carrier and top-load service that can be added to your shipment at the time of booking for a higher level of service. Read more about how much it costs to ship a car.

To get a quote for shipping your vehicle, you can either use our instant online car shipping quote calculator or you can call (888) 422-7584 to receive a quote from one of our car transport pricing specialists. In order for us to calculate your quote we will need to know the location you are shipping from and to, the type of vehicle you would like to ship, and the date your vehicle will be ready.

The transit time for your shipment is based mostly on the mileage between the pickup and delivery location. Generally, every five hundred miles will add one day to the transit time - so for a 1,000 mile transport, the transit time would be 2-3 days. Check out our estimated transit times for a detailed view of approximate delivery times.

Yes, online tracking is available to you 24 hours a day and is updated in real time. Upon scheduling your shipment, you will receive a unique booking number that will allow you to track the status of your shipment online. Your tracking portal will also give you the ability to live chat with a shipping agent that can answer any questions you may have regarding the status of your shipment.

All shipments include basic liability coverage during transit. Comprehensive insurance options are available for an elevated level of shipment coverage during transit. You will be able to select a level of coverage during the booking process. If you have further questions regarding insurance options give us a call.

We accept all major credit cards, electronic transfer, postal money order, and bank/certified check for the deposit or full pre-payment of your shipment. If a balance is due upon delivery, it can be paid directly to the driver and can be paid in either cash, bank/certified check, or postal money order.

Yes, there must be someone present to release and accept the vehicle, provide keys to the driver and sign the initial and final inspection reports. This person can be anyone over the age of 18 that you trust with releasing or accepting your vehicle.

You may transport personal belongings in your car, as long as their total weight does not exceed 100 pounds and they are stored in the trunk or back seat (below the window line). Please keep in mind that personal belongings are not covered by insurance if they are reported as damaged or missing.

To get a quote for shipping your vehicle, you can either use our instant online car shipping quote calculator above or you can call (888) 422-7584 to receive a quote from one of our car transport pricing specialists. In order for us to calculate your quote we will need to know the location you are shipping from and to, the type of vehicle you would like to ship, and the date your vehicle will be ready.

The further in advance you schedule your shipment, the more likely we will be able to meet the time requirements you desire. For best results, we suggest scheduling your transport at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Expedited shipping options are available in order to accomodate shipments that require . You can always give us a call and ask one of our car shipping experts what your options are in terms of the schedule for your car transport.

The driver will get the car transporter as close to your door as he can legally and safely get. In most cases, the driver will be able to pickup and deliver directly at your door. Some cities may have restrictions on large trucks that prohibit them from driving into residential areas. Auto transport trucks are large and need lots of room to maneuver and turn around, so if access to the pickup or delivery location is restricted by narrow streets, low-hanging trees or tight turns, the driver may ask that you meet at a location nearby with a large parking lot, such as a grocery store.

Open transport is the most common car shipping method. There are two types of open-air transporters. The Majority of shipments are be made with 8-10 car carriers. Smaller carriers which hold 2-3 cars are used for shorter more local moves. There is broader network of carrier availability for open-air carriers since they are used more often. We suggest choosing enclosed shipping methods when shipping classic, luxury or exotic vehicles. Enclosed transporters guarantee maximum protection from exposure to any open-air elements on the road. We suggest booking your enclosed transport in advance since there is limited carrier availability. Read more about the difference between open and enclosed transport

RoadRunner Auto Transport specializes in shipping all types of vehicles such as sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, minivans, oversized vehicles, antiques, classic cars, motorcycles, construction vehicles, inoperable cars and boats. If you are not sure whether or not we can ship your vehicle, you can give us a call to find out what we can do for you.

You should have about a quarter of a tank of gas in your car at the time of shipment. This leaves enough for the car to be loaded and unloaded but doesn't add much additional weight.

The Bill of Lading is a very important document used by car shipping companies that documents any pre-existing damage on the vehicle during the time of pickup. It also serves as a record of your contact info and the official agreement for transport. If you want to file any insurance claim regarding your shipment you will need the Bill of Lading.

Top load service is when your car is placed on the higher deck or level of an open auto transport trailer. This is considered to be preferable to the bottom load because the cars on the lower deck are at risk of possibly having fluid from the cars above leak on them.

Make sure your car has been completely cleaned, both inside and outside. This is particularly important because this will help the driver conduct their inspection in order to assess any pre-existing damage on your vehicle. You will also want to make there are no additional personal items in the vehicle unless you intend to ship those with the vehicle (remember those items must total less than 100 pounds combined and be kept below the window-line of the vehicle). Be sure to inform the driver of any special circumstances concerning the vehicle. Finally, make sure there is a quarter tank of gas in the car at the time it is picked up for shipment. Visit our car shipping checklist to make sure you are prepared for your vehicle shipment.

Yes, we can ship vehicles that are in non-running/inoperable condition. When inoperable cars are shipped, a special auto carrier is required that makes use of a winch which is connected to your car and slowly and safely pulls your vehicle onto the carrier. There is an additional fee for inpoerable vehicles because of the special equipment and extra work involved with securing the vehicle onto the transporter. You can select the inoperable option on the online booking form or inform your shipping agent if you make your reservation by phone so that the proper arrangements can be made to accomodate a non-running vehicle.

We offer open car shipping and enclosed car shipping services. Open car shipping is used much more frequently and is the type of auto transport that you see on the highway where carriers are hauling vehicles on two decks that are exposed. Enclosed car shipping is when your vehicle is shipped in a trailer which has walls and a roof, they look like a larger version of a regular eighteen-wheeler. This method is recommended for luxury, exotic or classic cars.

Door-to-door car transport is the full service delivery of your vehicle directly from the door at the pickup location to the door at the delivery location. Our drivers do their best to get as close as physically and legally possible to the pickup and delivery locations, but in certain instances there may be restrictions preventing them from being able to safely reach your door. Our transporters need ample space to maneuver and load/unload your vehicle. If your street is too narrow, or if there are hazards such as low lining trees or power lines, drivers may ask that you meet them at a location nearby where they can safely load or unload your vehicle, such as a large parking lot or shopping center nearby.