Guidelines for safe vehicle transport
Transit times may vary depending on the time of year and the origination and destination of your particular move. Your estimated transit time will be indicated on your final order confirmation documents. Your vehicle must be operable. If not, an additional in-op fee of $150 will be added to transport your vehicle You must advise us in advance of any modifications made to your vehicle such as 4x4 lift kit, camper shell, vehicle lowered, etc. Your vehicle must have a minimum of 4" ground clearance to safely load and unload your vehicle. We must have a working phone number where you may be reached throughout the duration of your vehicle relocation.

Preparing your vehicle for shipment
The gas tank must have a minimum of (1/8) tank of fuel, but no more than (1/2) tank of fuel. Radios, cassette decks or CD players not built in, car phones, garage door openers must be removed. All antennas must be fully retracted or removed. Plants and hazardous materials are forbidden by law to be transported. One set of ALL keys for the vehicle must be provided. All non-permanent luggage racks, bike racks, or ski racks must be removed. All personal belongings must be removed (Except standard vehicle items such as the jack and spare tire). Your vehicle must be clean for inspection. A dirty vehicle decreases the ability to perform a quality inspection. Your battery must be secure in the mounting bracket. The vehicle must have no obvious fluid leaks. All exterior spare tire covers, grill covers, or car covers must be removed.

Vehicle inspection requirements & insurance
You or your designated individual must be present for the inspection at the time of pick-up and delivery. You or your designated individual must sign the bill of lading and condition report at both origin and destination. You or your designated individual is responsible for confirming your vehicle’s condition. This must be done before the driver leaves the destination. Damage will be noted by our carrier/driver on the bill of lading at origin. In the unlikely event there is additional damage on delivery, it will be noted by carrier/driver on the bill of lading.
Insurance works as such: Most carriers hold 1,000,000.00 combined single limit & 250,000.00 thousand dollars per incident. This insurance covers damage done to your vehicle in transit. There is no other insurance. The auto transport carrier is the main and only coverage. (Exception: Automobile personal contents are not covered by any carrier insurance and in most cases if lost, stolen or otherwise. 'Acts of God' including hail etc will not be covered.)

What factors determine prices industry wide?
Cost can vary from one company to the other depending on the services they offer. The main factors that drive prices industry wide are as follows:
Origin and Destination City/Town
Mileage
Type of Vehicle(s)
Date in which to pick up the vehicle
Any special requests
Money is definitely an issue for most customers but do be aware. The lowest quote is not always the best quote. Low cost transports may not be done in a timely manner and may cost more in time and headache than it was worth. Find out about the company and feel comfortable with them before you ship.

What can I do to help save cost without jeopardizing the service?
Be flexible with the dates: It is hard for transporters to pinpoint times and specific dates. Allow yourself the flexibility to take off work for an hour to meet the driver. Give honest and thorough information about the haul and the vehicle. Take the vehicle to the terminal, if a terminal is offered near your areas at either end then use it to your advantage.

How long does it take?
Shipping time all depends on the transporter - listed below are some very basic ideas to help you along the way. Make sure however you contact us for your actual scheduled times:
East Coast to West Coast - approx. 7 to 14 days
Midwest to East Coast - approx. 5 to 8 days
South to the North - approx. 5 to 8 days
All shipping times are estimated do not base your transport on these examples without first contacting us for assistance.

What kind of truck will it be transported on?
In most cases, your vehicle(s) will be transported on an 8 or 10-car hauler, the same type of trucks used to deliver new cars to your local dealerships. These trucks are 75 to 80 feet long (that's nearly twice as long as a conventional freight truck or moving van) and are almost 14 feet high. Therefore they are very hard to maneuver and are restricted to main roads that do not have any overhanging trees or low clearance bridges. Please bear this in mind when directing the truck to your home or pick-up location. A local service may be used should the hauler/transporter encounter difficulty in reaching your pick-up/delivery.

Open Trailer:
The most common shipping method. It is an open top and side trailer that can vary in size from a 1 car flat hauler to an 11 car dual level hauler. Trailers that haul between 8 - 10 cars are the most common and each have their own advantages.
Overall Advantages: Less expensive, more readily available
Overall Disadvantages: Vehicle is exposed to the elements

Enclosed Trailer
Trailer with side walls and roof. Also varies in size. Used more for vehicles that are classics, hotrods, upper end, or have high dollar paint jobs. These factors are not necessary for shipping enclosed.
Overall Advantages: Protected from weather, road damage, and theft
Overall Disadvantages: Costly, Width and Height restrictions for vehicles, not always readily available

What does Door-to-Door delivery mean?
It means that the car carrier will get as close as physically possible to your front door as long as it does not compromise the cargo and/or your vehicle(s). If you live on a main road (at least 2 lanes wide) with no overhanging trees or low bridges and the streets leading to your house can accommodate trucks of that size and length, then the carrier will pick up your vehicle(s) from your door and deliver it to your door if the same conditions apply at your destination. As the driver approaches your pick-up/delivery location, he will call you to confirm your address and discuss accessibility. If accessibility is limited the drive may suggest meeting at a local supermarket or mall with ample space to load/unload your vehicle(s).

How does it work?
Once your order has been placed, your shipment will be scheduled according to the dates on your order form. After a truck has been assigned, you will get a call either from the truck driver or from the flatbed service in order to schedule a pick up/delivery time and day. During the pick up of the car the carrier will complete a detailed physical inspection of the car, on a bill of lading, which you must sign and acknowledge. This same inspection will be presented upon delivery, so that you can re-inspect the car for any discrepancies. If any damage did occur during transit, please be sure to note it on the bill of lading at the time of delivery and have the driver sign in agreement. No claims will be honored if the damage is not noted at the time of delivery and acknowledged by the driver.

Can I put things in the trunk?
No, Auto Transporters are not permitted by law to transport personal belongings, as they do not have a household goods transportation license. By violating this law they can be fined up to $10,000 per occurrence. In addition, if you were to place things in the car they would not be covered by insurance.

How much notice is needed?
In a perfect world an Auto Transporter would like to have 2 to 3 weeks notice of your preferred transports dates, this insures that the carrier can schedule your vehicle(s) within the time frame you requested. However if you need to move a car immediately we may be able to accommodate your request. For example, most transporters have terminals in most major cities and can usually get a car picked up within 24hrs if no one can be available to pick-up the vehicle(s). You also have the option to drop the car off at a terminal if you cannot wait for the carrier to pick-up the vehicle(s).

What forms of payment are accepted?
All carriers accept cashiers checks, cash and most major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard and Discover). If it is arranged prior to the scheduled pick-up of the vehicle(s) you may pre-pay your transport in full via personal check, money order or cashiers check. Usually a minimum deposit of $150.00 is required to initiate and reserve your order and any form of payment separately once the auto transporter has received the signed bill of lading noting the damages.

Companies have different procedures when it comes to payment. You can expect to have at least one of the following options:

Prepay 100% - This is a guarantee if you are shipping overseas.
Percentage down remainder C.O.D. - This is the most common method. Make sure the deposit is refundable if the company fails to fulfill its duties.
100% C.O.D. - Most C.O.D. payments are required by Certified Check. Be prepared.

What type of paperwork do I need to ship my vehicle? (Insurance, Title, Registration, etc.)
Unless your vehicle is leaving the country all that is required for your shipment is a signature is acceptable. If you use a credit card for the deposit, the balance will be due C.O.D. with CASH or a cashiers check at the time the vehicle(s) is delivered. No other form of payment will be accepted upon delivery. Ultimately you will need to pay the freight charges in full before your vehicle(s) is delivered. You cannot withhold or deduct monies from the C.O.D. amount to cover damages that may have occurred in transit. All claims are handled and walk around with the driver at pick up. This walk around will allow you and the driver to verify if any damage exists at pick up.