• Personal Items not part of the vehicle are not covered under cargo carrier insurance due to lack of inventory & value.
• Due to lack of insurance coverage for personal items in the vehicle, the driver would not want to assume liability
• In some states, transporting a vehicle packed with personal items could be a punishable offence by penalty or fine.
• On the road, there are many traffic stops by authorities & having a packed vehicle would ensure that vehicle will get searched.
• In the end, the driver would only assume liability based on the coverage the assigned carrier provides.

All auto carriers are required by law to have cargo insurance to cover their shipments in case of damage during delivery. The insurance that the auto carrier provides only covers the vehicle that is being transported. The full automobile and everything part of it would be covered under the Cargo Carrier Insurance provided by the driver. Items that are not part of the car would not be covered under the Cargo Carrier insurance. This means personal items such as clothes, boxes, furniture, 

A driver would not want to assume liability over your personal items due to lack of proper inventory. Some drivers will make an exception but that is usually a deal struck between the actual driver and the customer on site at pickup. This would usually involve a little extra kick back or what most would call a “tip”. In the end, always remember that drivers are not obligated to haul your vehicle packed with personal items. Any decisions on this matter ultimately falls on the driver who is doing the actual driving and will be held accountable for anything under the care of the appointed carrier. 

Car transport usually takes between 1-6 calendar days from the date a car is picked up to when it’s dropped off.   A driver typically covers about 500 miles per day. The first available pickup date for car shipping is most often 2-7 business days after an order is placed, and express auto transport is frequently available in 24-72 hours.

It is important to remember that car shipping is not based on fixed rates.

You can track your vehicle shipment.

When choosing a moving company, prior booking, asking the question “how you can track your vehicle is very important”.

The easiest way to check the location of the vehicle is by reaching out to the shipping agent and asking the status on the shipment.

Often you will be provided with the drivers direct phone number and name, that way he is a phone call or a text message away. If the driver is not responding or busy at the moment, the carrier dispatch department is always working during regular business hours.

We recommend that the client calls or sends an e-mail to the shipping agent. 

Most drivers don’t have live GPS tracking that they are willing to give out, primarily due to the safety of the driver and the load he is transporting.

When shipping a single vehicle or motorcycle, you will most likely receive the standard quote on this route.

When shipping multiple vehicles at once the rate per vehicle drops and you are in for some hefty discounts.

When multiple cars at once, it is best if the cars are prepared for shipment prior the arrival of the driver, that way when the driver shows up, the load on will be easier and quicker. 

You will not be paying for additional coverage when shipping multiple vehicles, the whole load is covered by the driver’s cargo insurance.

Customer is also able to load up to 100 lbs of items in the cargo area in each vehicle at no additional cost.

Another bonus of transporting multiple vehicles at once is that often the pick up and delivery times are faster compared to when shipping a single unit only.

Here are 6 key points to know prior to pick up:

1. Please have your vehicle accessible, so our driver can get it onto the truck as quickly as possible.
2. Consider having the car cleaned, so that the Inspection Report our driver will complete can help you document there are no scratches or dings present.
3. Kindly empty your vehicle of any personal items.
4. remove any toll tags or parking passes that could incur charges as your vehicle crosses under a toll signal.
5. If possible, fix any known leaks – or at least alert your Transport Coordinator so you can be kind to your fellow car shippers whose vehicle might otherwise be stacked below yours.
6. If there are any modifications to your vehicle (raised, lowered, roof rack, camper, lowered etc.) please alert your Transport Coordinator when booking your order.

International Vehicle Shipping can vary by location, there are a lot of key factors to take into consideration when shipping your Vehicle abroad:

Documentation Requirements:

• Bill of Sale / Title / Letter of Auth / Military Orders (Generally notarised from your finance company, and can be used in Title’s absence)
• Power of Attorney – Authorising Shipping line to export your vehicle on a vessel on their behalf
• Letter of Intent – Who to contact, and whom to send Original Documentation to once the shipping has been complete, to enable you to collect your Vehicle, and show Proof of Ownership.
• Photo ID – You (or some other designated person) will need Identification to pick up the car. **If you have a US passport, you will also need an EIN number**

Preparing Your Vehicle:

• The gas tank is less than a 1/4 tank full
• No Personal Belongings – Personal belongings are removed
• Your vehicle/s is in operating condition, with a working emergency brake, and is licensed or qualified to be licensed for operation on public streets or highways – The vehicle is washed
• There are no cracks in windshields or other windows
• You remove fire extinguishers
• Propane tanks are empty

Things to Keep in Mind When Shipping:

• Age of Vehicle – Some countries have restrictions on the age of the Vehicle being imported into their Country – Contact Customs Clearing Agent in receiving Country to confirm your Vehicle meets age requirements before shipping.
• Import Taxes – 99% of Vehicles being Exported outside of the United States will incurre charges when Vehicles reach Destination, and you should Contact a Customs Clearing Agent in receiving Country to get an estimate on import taxes. Generally this is calculated based on a percentage of the Vehicles overall Value.

Shipping Method:

• Ro/Ro: Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter.
• Container: A shipping container, sometimes called an intermodal container, is a large, rectangular steel box that is used in the cargo transport industry. The term “intermodal” refers to the fact that the shipping containers can be moved from one type of transport to another: they can be moved by ship, rail, truck, or plane.

Please Note: Transit times may vary based on location and Customs Requirements.

Transporting a vehicle is not an overly complicated process, though it may seem that way from the outside, especially if you’ve never done it before.

Shipping a car, truck, motorcycle, or any other type of vehicle is just a matter of collecting the necessary info and contacting the right people; in this case automotive transport companies. In some instances, you may be contacting a broker rather than a carrier, but they both offer similar solutions: a broker arranges for shipment, whereas a carrier delivers the vehicle.

Whether you’re shipping a vehicle from a dealer, across the state, or from one coast to the other, the process is more or less the same.

You’ll need information such as the make, model, and year of the vehicle, as well as its current location and where you’re shipping to. It’s also helpful to have a delivery timeframe in mind if you need to vehicle shipped by a certain date.

At Dependable Auto Move, shipping your car has never been easier. We simplify this process as much as possible, making it easier than ever to get a quick, accurate, timely price quote in a matter of minutes (just fill out our form starting with the “to and from” fields). You simply tell us what type of vehicle you need shipped and when, and we’ll have one of our logistics transport partners contact you right away with a cost estimate. It’s a process that we’ve intentionally kept simple and getting an estimate with us is always FREE.

Even if you’re just curious about the cost of transporting a vehicle, we’re happy to supply you with that information, regardless of the type of cargo being hauled or the type of trailer required to do so.

It’s important to keep in mind that extra services (such as door-to-door or enclosed transport) typically increase the per-mile rate of the shipping cost.

Disclaimer: it should be noted that additional insurance beyond what’s included in car moving prices also costs extra, though it’s not needed in most cases.

One of the main choices you’ll have to make when shipping a vehicle is what type of transport you need, which boils down to what type of trailer is required. Most vehicles shipped within the same country are hauled on an open air carrier that moves several at once, usually between eight and 12. Vehicles that are shipped in an enclosed trailer are most often vintage, luxury, or high-performance cars.

Finally, you’ll want to consider if you’ll need any storage once your vehicle arrives at its destination. Most auto transport companies  either offer warehousing services, or at least can arrange them on your behalf. It’s usually best to mention this early in the process when you’re getting a price quote.

Similarly, if your vehicle is not in running condition, that should be mentioned as well. There is a small additional cost that usually comes along with transporting an inoperable vehicle, whether it’s because of a flat tire or a blown transmission. The additional cost is usually $100 or less, but you do need to mention it as special equipment may be needed.

Preparation is an important aspect of car shipping, and one that doesn’t get talked about enough. There are a few small but important steps you’ll need to take in order to make sure your vehicle is ready to be transported. Here are the basics.

• Clean and wash the vehicle, both inside and out. You’ll also want to remove anything that is a nonpermanent component. This includes things like antennas, luggage racks, bike racks, spoilers, etc. The vehicle should be effectively empty before transport.
• Run the gas tank down to no more than 1/4 tank. Companies will often tack on an additional charge for vehicles that have more than 1/4 tank of gas.
• Check fluid levels, including for leaks. A small leak can cause big problems over the course of several hundred miles, especially if multiple vehicles are being moved at once.
• Document any existing damages on the vehicle, including any minor dents or scratches. Taking pictures is usually a good idea for this part of the preparation as it provides clear evidence in the event of a dispute.
• Disable the car alarm. This is an important step that, if overlooked, can cause big problems and long delays for the driver.

It’s mostly because of people and how they work. Auto transporters go where their customers are, so if we’re trying to figure out why vehicle shipping is seasonal in nature we have to start with why people move cars when they do. There’s a million reasons why people need to ship a car, but the most common is relocation. 

People are moving across the U.S. on a daily basis, and it peaks in the summer months. This can be because kids are out of school, or because the weather is nicer, or because it’s simply easier – again, lots of reasons. But summer is the peak moving season, and there’s more demand in the summer than in any other season.

During the winter months, though, demand goes down drastically. The industry slows to a crawl, and with this lack of demand comes fewer carriers. Some of the smaller ones just don’t even bother running routes in the winter. But those that do often run routes that are going south instead of east-west. This is because of snowbirds. Snowbirds live in the north during the spring and summer and the south in the fall and winter. They ship their cars between those two locations, often in the late fall and winter, and that’s where the highest demand for winter shipping services is at. Basically, customers dictate how busy the vehicle transport industry is.