Can someone else hand off or receive my car?
Yes. You don’t need to be present at pickup or delivery — a family member, neighbor, property manager, or anyone you designate can hand over or receive the vehicle and sign the Bill of Lading on your behalf. Set it up in advance: give your broker the person’s name and phone number, and make sure they know to inspect the car before signing.
This comes up constantly — you fly out before the car ships, or the car arrives before you do. The process is built for it. What matters is that your stand-in knows their two jobs.
Setting up a designated person
- Name them at booking. Give the broker and carrier your designee’s name and phone number so the driver knows who to call and who to expect.
- Pick someone who can be flexible. Pickup and delivery run on windows, not appointments — the driver calls 12–24 hours ahead. A person with a rigid schedule is a bad fit for a job with a 4–6 hour arrival window.
- Hand off the keys and any gate codes before you leave, and warn them if a meet point is likely — on narrow or restricted streets, the handoff may happen at a nearby lot rather than the driveway.
- For military moves: with a Power of Attorney, your spouse or designated representative can sign all documents and release or receive the vehicle. Give your broker a copy of the POA at booking — details on our military car shipping page.
The one job that matters: the Bill of Lading
Whoever meets the driver signs the Bill of Lading — the document that records your car’s condition. Your designee needs to take it as seriously as you would:
- At pickup: walk around the car with the driver, confirm existing damage is noted correctly, keep a copy of the signed form, and send you photos of the car from every angle.
- At delivery: inspect the car against the pickup record before signing. If there’s new damage, note it on the Bill of Lading before the driver leaves and photograph it. A clean signature from your neighbor closes the claim door just as firmly as one from you.
Brief them on this before the truck arrives. Two minutes of instruction protects the whole shipment — the full damage process is on our damage during shipping page.
Payment when you’re not there
If the balance is due at delivery, arrange it before the truck arrives: confirm with your broker what payment methods the carrier accepts and either prepay or equip your designee. Don’t leave a driver and your neighbor negotiating payment in a parking lot. And make sure the locked price is in writing — your designee should never face a surprise number. Our car shipping scams guide explains why that matters.
Frequently asked questions
Does my designee need any paperwork?
For standard domestic shipments, no formal authorization document is required — naming them with your broker and carrier is the working standard. Military and port shipments are stricter: a Power of Attorney lets a spouse or representative sign and release the vehicle.
Can a dealership or auction release my car to the carrier?
Yes, and it’s routine for online purchases. Give the seller the carrier’s details, and give your broker the seller’s contact — someone at the lot signs the Bill of Lading at pickup. If you bought the car remotely, ask the seller for dated photos before it loads.
What should my designee do if the car arrives damaged?
Note the damage on the Bill of Lading delivery section before signing, photograph everything, and call you and the broker from the spot. What they should not do is sign a clean delivery receipt and sort it out later — that’s the mistake that undermines claims.
Can my designee handle a meet-point delivery?
Yes — if the driver can’t reach the street, your designee meets the truck at a nearby lot or cross street like you would. Warn them it may come up so it’s not a surprise; see what happens when the carrier can’t reach your street.
Book it before you fly
Tell us who’s meeting the driver and we’ll coordinate directly with them — you get the updates either way.
Or call us at (800) 997-4181.
