Shipping a car works like this: you get quotes, verify the company’s FMCSA license, and book. A carrier gets assigned to your route, picks up your vehicle, documents its condition on a Bill of Lading, and drives it to the destination. You inspect the car, sign off, and pay any balance at delivery. Start to finish, plan on one to two weeks — longer hauls and peak season add time.
If this is your first shipment, the process feels opaque because most of it happens out of sight. This guide walks through all eight steps, what happens at each one, and where first-timers get burned.
How Do You Ship a Car? The 8 Steps
Step 1: Get quotes — three to five of them
Most customers gather three to five quotes before booking, and that’s the right instinct. A quote should be built on your actual pickup and delivery addresses, your vehicle’s year, make, and model, whether it runs, and your dates. If a company quotes you without asking those questions, the number is a guess designed to get you on the phone.
One warning before you compare: the lowest quote is often the most expensive one. A price 30% or more below the others is the classic setup for bait-and-switch — the number climbs after your car is committed. Our car shipping scams guide covers how that play works and how to spot it.
Step 2: Verify the company before you book
Every legitimate broker and carrier is registered with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and has an MC number you can look up for free on FMCSA.gov. Check three things: the registration is active, the company name matches the name on your quote, and insurance is on file. This takes five minutes and screens out most bad actors. Allied is an FMCSA-licensed and bonded broker — look us up before you book. We’d rather you check.
Step 3: Book and get the price in writing
Before you pay anything, get the full price in the contract — not an “estimate,” the price. Ask two questions: “Is this the total I’ll pay, in writing?” and “Is my deposit refundable if no carrier is assigned?” Pay any deposit by credit card, never wire transfer or a cash app. A credit card gives you a chargeback option; a wire gives you nothing.
Step 4: Carrier assignment
Most companies you’ll talk to, including us, are brokers: we match your shipment to a vetted carrier — the company that owns the truck. Assignment typically happens within one to five business days of booking, depending on your route and season, which is why it pays to know how far in advance to book. When your carrier is assigned, you should receive the carrier’s name, MC number, and contact information. If a broker won’t tell you who is physically moving your car, that’s a problem.
Step 5: Prep your vehicle
Before pickup day: wash the car, photograph every panel with date stamps, run the tank down to a quarter, remove personal items and toll transponders, and disable the alarm. If the car doesn’t run or has been modified — lifted, lowered, oversized tires — disclose it now, not at pickup. The full checklist is in our car shipping prep guide.
Step 6: Pickup and the Bill of Lading
The carrier gives you a pickup window, typically 4–6 hours on the scheduled day. You (or someone you designate) walk the vehicle with the driver, who marks its condition on the Bill of Lading — the legal record of what shape your car was in at handoff. Check that every existing scratch and ding is noted before you sign, and keep your copy. The BOL decides damage disputes, so read our Bill of Lading guide before pickup day.
Step 7: Transit
Your car rides with several others on the carrier’s trailer. Transit time depends on distance: a regional haul like Phoenix to Los Angeles runs 1–3 days, Texas to Florida runs 3–7, and a coast-to-coast move runs 7–10 business days. Our transit time guide breaks it down by distance. During transport, you can reach us or the carrier directly for a location update — here’s how tracking your car during transport works.
Step 8: Delivery, inspection, payment
The carrier calls ahead with a delivery window. Inspect the car in daylight against the pickup Bill of Lading before the driver leaves. If there’s new damage, note it on the BOL and photograph it before signing — a clean signed receipt says the car arrived fine, and disputing a claim after that is much harder. Any remaining balance is due at delivery, usually by card, cash, or certified funds depending on the carrier — see whether you pay for car shipping before or after for how the payment schedule should work.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Quotes and vetting | 1–2 days |
| Booking to carrier assignment | 1–5 business days |
| Pickup window | 4–6 hours on the scheduled day |
| Transit (regional) | 1–3 days |
| Transit (coast to coast) | 7–10 business days |
Book 1–2 weeks ahead for a standard move. In peak season — summer, and the fall snowbird surge on routes like California to Florida — give it 2–4 weeks.
Where First-Timers Get Burned
- Booking the cheapest quote. The price wasn’t real. It was bait, and the switch comes after your car is on the schedule.
- Paying a deposit by wire or cash app. If the company vanishes, so does the money. Credit card only.
- Skipping the FMCSA lookup. Five minutes on FMCSA.gov catches phantom companies and cloned identities.
- Not disclosing an inoperable vehicle. Non-runners need a winch-equipped carrier and add roughly $150–$200. Surprising the driver at pickup gets your shipment refused.
- Signing a clean delivery receipt without inspecting. Walk the car first. Every time. In daylight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be there for pickup and delivery?
No. You can designate anyone over 18 — a family member, neighbor, or property manager — to hand over or receive the vehicle and sign the Bill of Lading on your behalf.
Can I pack my things in the car?
Carriers are licensed to move vehicles, not household goods. A small amount of personal items under 100 lbs in the trunk is common practice, but those items are not insured and you assume the risk.
When do I pay for car shipping?
Typically a deposit or partial payment at booking or carrier assignment, with the balance due at delivery. Be cautious with any company demanding full payment upfront before a carrier is assigned.
Should I book with a broker or a carrier?
Most of the industry runs on brokers, and that’s fine — a good broker screens carriers you’d have no way to vet yourself. What matters is how they broker: ask who is moving your car, and get the carrier’s MC number before pickup.
What’s the cheapest way to ship a car?
Open transport, flexible pickup dates, and shipping in a slower month — March, April, or October. Terminal-to-terminal can shave a bit more on some routes, but door-to-door is standard and usually worth it.
Get Your Quote
Tell us your route, your vehicle, and your dates. You’ll get a firm price built on your actual shipment — not a teaser number that changes at pickup — and we assign only carriers we’ve verified for active authority and cargo insurance.
Or call us at (800) 997-4181. No commitment to book.
