Zero upfront payment. Card on file at booking. Charged only at pickup.
10 min readCard on file · charged at pickup

How to Ship a Car: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Exactly how to ship a car in the US — quoting, booking, prep, pickup, transit, and delivery. Everything to know before your first shipment.

Key takeaways

  • Shipping a car takes about 5 minutes of your time at booking and another 15 at pickup.
  • Get a real quote first, then prep the car: 1/4 tank of fuel, no personal items above 100 lbs, photos at every angle.
  • Pickup is door-to-door — your driver texts an ETA window, you sign a Bill of Lading, the car goes on the trailer.
  • Delivery is the same process in reverse: inspect, sign, done.

Step 1 — Get an instant quote

Enter your pickup ZIP, delivery ZIP, vehicle year/make/model, and earliest pickup date. Our AI returns an all-in price in under a minute. No callbacks, no follow-up sales calls.

Step 2 — Book and lock the price

When you book, your price is locked. You're not charged until a carrier is dispatched and assigned to your shipment — usually within 24–72 hours.

Step 3 — Prep the vehicle (10 minutes)

Wash the car so existing dings are visible. Remove EZ-Pass, toll tags, and aftermarket electronics. Keep fuel under 1/4 tank. Take date-stamped photos of every panel. See our full prep checklist.

Step 4 — Pickup day

Your driver texts a 1–4 hour arrival window the day before, then a 30-minute warning the day-of. The driver does a walk-around inspection with you, you both sign the Bill of Lading (BOL), and the car goes on the trailer. Takes about 15 minutes.

Step 5 — In transit

Our AI Track & Trace agent texts you whenever the carrier hits a checkpoint. You can also see live GPS in your dashboard. Carriers stop overnight for federally-required rest — your car stays on the trailer.

Step 6 — Delivery

Same process as pickup, in reverse: walk-around inspection, sign the BOL acknowledging condition, drive off. If anything looks wrong, note it on the BOL before signing — that's what triggers a damage claim against the carrier's cargo insurance.

That's it

The whole booking-to-delivery cycle takes 4 days on a regional move, 7–10 days cross-country. Your part is the 5 minutes at quote, 15 at pickup, and 15 at delivery.

Ready to lock in your rate?

Place your order in 60 seconds with zero upfront payment. We keep a card on file and only charge once the carrier picks up your vehicle.

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Ready to ship your car?

Get a real, all-in price in under 60 seconds — no callbacks, no haggling.