Everything you need to know before shipping a car for the first time — how it works, what to expect, how to prepare, and what to watch out for.
Auto transport is simpler than most first-timers expect. You hire a licensed broker, the broker finds a carrier running your route, the carrier picks up your vehicle, transports it on a multi-car trailer, and delivers it to your destination. We don't drive it, its hauled on a semi truck.
The two types of car shipping companies in this industry are brokers and carriers. Brokers are licensed intermediaries who match your shipment with carriers — they don't own trucks. Carriers own the actual transport equipment. Most companies you find online are brokers. Both are FMCSA-licensed, both are legitimate ways to ship a car, and using a broker gives you access to a nationwide carrier network rather than being limited to one company's routes.
ATP is a broker. We find the right vetted carrier for your specific corridor, coordinate pickup and delivery, and stay your point of contact throughout the shipment.
Tell us your vehicle, pickup and delivery locations, and your first available date. You'll have a price-locked quote within an hour. No payment at this stage.
We match your vehicle to a vetted FMCSA-authorized carrier running your corridor. You receive the carrier's name, MC number, insurance info, and an estimated pickup window.
Carrier contacts you 24 hours before arrival. Joint walk-around inspection at pickup — every existing mark documented on the Bill of Lading. Both parties sign. Your vehicle is loaded.
Carrier gives 24-hour notice before delivery. Second walk-around inspection — compare against pickup Bill of Lading. Note any new damage before signing.
This is the first real decision first-timers face. For most vehicles, the answer is open transport — and the answer is simple.
Right for 85% of shipments
40–60% premium over open
If you're shipping a daily driver, a used car, or anything that isn't a classic, exotic, or high-value vehicle — open transport is the right call. Road grime accumulates during transit and washes off. Actual damage is rare and covered by carrier cargo insurance.
Pricing depends on distance, vehicle size, transport type, and timing. Here are realistic ranges for a standard sedan on open transport:
| Distance | Open Transport | Enclosed Transport | Transit Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | $400 – $625 | $650 – $975 | 1 – 3 days |
| 500 – 1,000 miles | $795 – $1,125 | $1,250 – $1,700 | 2 – 4 days |
| 1,000 – 1,500 miles | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,700 – $2,400 | 3 – 5 days |
| Over 1,500 miles | $1,325 – $1,665 | $2,100 – $3,500+ | 4 – 7 days |
Larger vehicles, peak snowbird season (October–June on major Sun Belt corridors), rural locations, and non-running vehicles all push pricing higher. Ways to reduce your shipping cost →
Wash the exterior. A clean car makes the pickup inspection accurate. Every existing scratch and chip needs to be visible so it gets documented on the Bill of Lading. Damage that isn't on the pickup BOL can't be attributed to the carrier later.
Take dated photos before pickup. Photograph all four sides, the roof, and the odometer before the carrier arrives. Time-stamped photos on your phone are your independent record. If any question arises at delivery, you have documentation that can't be disputed.
Remove personal items. Personal belongings in the vehicle are not covered under carrier cargo insurance. Keep the trunk under approximately 100 pounds, below the window line, and don't leave anything valuable inside.
Leave a quarter tank of fuel. Enough for loading, unloading, and maneuvering. A full tank adds unnecessary weight. An empty tank creates a problem if the carrier needs to move the vehicle at any point.
Disable toll transponders. Remove or disable EZ-Pass, SunPass, or any toll transponder so you don't get charged while the carrier is driving through tolls during transport. Remove garage openers if your car will be unattended at the destination.
Note any mechanical issues. If your car has a weak battery, quirky ignition, or any issue the carrier should know about at loading, tell us when you book and remind the driver at pickup. Surprises at loading create delays.
First-timers often underestimate how important the Bill of Lading is. It's the legal document that records your vehicle's condition at pickup and delivery. It's the basis for any damage claim. And once you sign the delivery receipt without noting damage, you've legally acknowledged the vehicle arrived in acceptable condition — making any subsequent claim nearly impossible to win.
At pickup: walk the entire vehicle with the driver. Note every existing mark on the BOL. Take photos. Both parties sign. Don't rush this — it takes five minutes and it's your primary protection for the entire shipment.
At delivery: compare the vehicle against the pickup BOL before signing anything. Any new damage gets noted specifically on the delivery receipt before you sign. Photograph it. Contact us immediately. The driver waits — this is standard procedure.
Never sign a clean delivery receipt on a damaged vehicle. Once signed, the claim is essentially closed regardless of what happened.
Booking the cheapest quote. The lowest quote in the market is almost always a bait-and-switch — an artificially low number to win your booking, revised upward after you've paid a deposit. If one quote is dramatically below all others for the same route, treat it as a warning. Common auto transport scams →
Not verifying FMCSA credentials. Every legitimate broker has an active MC number. Look it up at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before booking. A company that won't provide their MC number has a reason for that. ATP: MC# 1302183 — verify here.
Signing the delivery receipt without inspecting. The single most common mistake in auto transport. People are relieved the car arrived and sign without looking carefully. Do the inspection first — every time, no exceptions.
Expecting a guaranteed pickup date. Auto transport operates on windows, not scheduled appointments. A 3-day pickup window around your first available date is the standard. Carriers running multi-stop loads across thousands of miles can't commit to specific clock times. Any broker that guarantees a specific pickup date is either not telling the truth or will disappoint you.
Waiting too long to book. Booking too close to your move date during peak season — snowbird windows (October–June) and summer moving season (June–July) — means higher prices and fewer carrier options. Book 1 to 2 weeks ahead on most routes, 2 to 3 weeks during peak season.
Packing the car like a moving truck. Most carriers allow up to 100 pounds of personal items in the trunk, below the window line — but those items are not insured. Don't ship valuables, fragile items, or anything you can't replace in the car. Use a moving company for household goods.
Three checks before booking any auto transport company:
1. Verify their MC number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Status must read Active. This takes 30 seconds and eliminates most scam operations immediately.
2. Check Google reviews. Look at total review count and rating. A company with 200+ Google reviews at 4.8 stars is meaningfully different from one with 12 reviews at 5.0 stars. Read how they respond to negative reviews.
3. Confirm the quote is price-locked and payment isn't collected upfront. Reputable brokers don't collect payment before carrier assignment. A price-locked quote in writing before any payment is the baseline expectation.
Price-locked within an hour. No upfront payment until a carrier is assigned. FMCSA licensed (MC# 1302183), BBB A+, 4.9/5.0 on Google.
You get a quote from a licensed broker, confirm the booking, and a carrier is assigned to your load. The carrier picks up your vehicle at your address, transports it on a multi-car trailer, and delivers it to your destination. You conduct a walk-around inspection and sign the Bill of Lading at both pickup and delivery. No upfront payment until the carrier loads your car.
On a standard sedan using open transport, regional moves under 500 miles start around $400. Cross-country moves over 1,500 miles run $1,325 to $1,665. Enclosed transport adds 40 to 60 percent. The exact price depends on your specific route, vehicle size, and time of year.
Yes. Auto transport is a well-established industry that moves millions of vehicles every year. The same open carriers used for consumer shipping move every new car from the factory to the dealership. Carrier-caused damage is rare — the bigger risk is not doing the Bill of Lading inspection properly at pickup and delivery, which is how you protect yourself if something does go wrong.
Transit time depends on distance: 1 to 3 days for under 500 miles, 2 to 4 days for 500 to 1,000 miles, and 4 to 7 days cross-country. Add 1 to 3 days for carrier assignment on major corridors. Total time from booking to delivery on most major routes is 5 to 10 days. Full timeline breakdown →
Someone 18 or older must be present at both pickup and delivery to inspect the vehicle and sign the Bill of Lading. This doesn't have to be you personally — a trusted representative can handle it. Just make sure they know to do the full inspection and note any new damage before signing at delivery.
Note the damage specifically on the delivery Bill of Lading before signing, photograph it immediately, and contact your broker the same day. The claim is filed against the carrier's cargo insurance with the BOL documentation as the basis. This is why the pickup and delivery inspections matter — proper documentation is what makes a claim possible. Auto transport insurance guide →
