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HOW TO SHIP A CAR
Your step-by-step guide, from quote to delivery.
Door to door auto transport, anywhere in the U.S. WITH SCOTT’S AUTO CARRIER. Real agents, real timelines, real answers.
How Car Shipping Works
What to Expect When You Ship a Car
Shipping a car for the first time can feel like a lot. The actual process is straightforward, and we’ve handled it thousands of times. You get a quote, you book, your car gets picked up at your door, and it gets delivered to the address you specify.
Most shipments take anywhere from two days for a short regional move to about ten days coast to coast. The bulk of that time is the truck on the road. The pieces that involve you (the quote, the pickup, the delivery) each take less than 30 minutes.
Here’s exactly what happens at each step, what you’ll need to have ready, and what to expect along the way.
Scott’s Actual Price Promise: The quote we give you is the price you pay. No fuel surcharges added later. No surprises at delivery. Your rate is locked for 30 days. Learn how it works →
The Process at a Glance
From your first call to final delivery
Most shipments wrap up inside two weeks from your first call.
What We Offer
Questions About How Auto Transport Works?
We have answers! The basics of how auto transport works are simple. Professionals know how to make it easy and safe for you to ship your car!
“At Scott’s Auto Carrier, customer satisfaction is more than just a priority. It’s our driving force. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds lasting relationships with our customers. Our Actual Price Promise locks in your quote for 30 days. The price you’re quoted is the price you’ll pay. No hidden fees. No surprises.”
—Scott Newcomb
Chairman and CEO, Scott’s Auto Carrier, Inc.
The Process
How to Ship a Car in 6 Steps
Get Your Quote
Have these four things ready and we can quote your shipment in about five minutes: your origin zip code, your destination zip code, the year, make and model of the vehicle, and the earliest date you'd like it picked up.
Call us or fill out the online form. A live agent reviews your route, checks current carrier availability, and gives you an accurate number. No bots, no instant estimate algorithms, no surprises later.
- Origin and destination zip codes
- Vehicle year, make, and model
- Target pickup window (a 3 to 5 day range is ideal)
- Whether the car runs or needs special loading
Book Your Shipment
When you're ready to move forward, your agent confirms the route, locks in your rate, and starts matching your shipment to a vetted carrier from our network of 20,000+ drivers. Your Actual Price Promise locks your rate for 30 days from this point.
You’ll get a written confirmation by email with your pickup window, delivery address, vehicle details, and the price. Nothing changes after this
point unless you change it.
- Confirmation sent in writing
- Rate locked for 30 days, no fuel surcharges added
- Carrier assignment typically within 1 to 3 days
Prepare Your Car
Vehicle prep takes about half an hour and makes pickup day much smoother. The goal is a clean car, clear photos of its current condition, and nothing loose inside that could shift during transport.
- Wash the car so any existing scratches or dings are easy to see
- Take dated photos of the exterior, interior, and odometer
- Leave roughly 1/4 tank of fuel (enough to load and unload, not so full it adds weight)
- Remove personal items, or keep under 100 pounds in the trunk only
- Disable toll transponders and car alarms
- Confirm the battery is charged and tires are properly inflated
Vehicle Pickup
Your driver calls a few hours before arrival to confirm timing. At pickup, the two of you walk around the vehicle together and note any existing damage on the Bill of Lading, which is the standard form used to document a vehicle's condition at the start and end of transport.
You sign the form, hand over the keys, and the truck heads out. The whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Driver calls ahead with a delivery window
- Walk around inspection with the driver
- Bill of Lading signed by both parties
- You keep a copy for your records
In Transit
Once your car is loaded, it heads out with the carrier. Most shipments take between 1 and 9 days on the road, depending on distance. Drivers run on a route schedule that minimizes empty miles, which is part of why we can keep prices competitive.
You can call our office anytime for an update, and many drivers share their cell number for direct contact. We’ll proactively reach out when your car is one day out from delivery so you can plan accordingly.
- Under 500 miles: 1 to 2 days
- 500 to 1,500 miles: 2 to 4 days
- 1,500 to 2,500 miles: 4 to 7 days
- Coast to coast (2,500+ miles): 6 to 9 days
Delivery
Your driver calls ahead to coordinate the delivery time and location. Door-to-door means as close to your specified address as the truck can safely reach. On streets too narrow or with low overhead clearance, the driver will work with you to find a nearby spot like a parking lot or wider road.
You and the driver walk around the vehicle one more time, compare it against the original Bill of Lading, and sign for delivery. Take the keys, and you’re done.
- Final inspection with the driver
- Compare against pickup condition documentation
- Sign and receive your copy of the Bill of Lading
- If anything looks off, note it on the form before signing
CROSS-STATE MOVES
How to Ship a Car to Another State
Most of our shipments cross at least one state line, and many cross half a dozen.
The process is exactly the same whether your car is moving across town or across the country: same quote, same pickup, same delivery.
A few things worth knowing about interstate auto transport:
- Your car stays registered in its current state during transport. Re-registration in the new state, if needed, happens after delivery.
- Any state to any state. We coordinate pickup and delivery anywhere in the lower 48.
- Licensing and insurance are regulated at the federal level. Every carrier we work with is licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- Most interstate shipments take between 2 and 9 days on the road, depending on the route.
The longest routes (Florida to California, Maine to Washington) take the most time but offer the best per-mile rates. Shorter regional moves are quicker but typically cost more per mile because the truck’s fixed overhead is spread across fewer miles.
Routes We Run Most Often
A sample of corridors we ship daily
- Florida to New York
- California to Texas
- Colorado to Arizona
- New Jersey to Washington
- Nevada to Michigan
- Louisville to Detroit
- Atlanta to Memphis
- Los Angeles to San Francisco
Don’t see your route? We ship every state-to-state combination. Get a quote for yours.
Have A Question?
How Car Shipping Works: FAQs
The questions we hear most often about how auto transport actually works. Don’t see what you need? Call us anytime.
Transit times depend on the distance:
- Under 500 miles: 1 to 2 days
- 500 to 1,500 miles: 2 to 4 days
- 1,500 to 2,500 miles: 4 to 7 days
- Cross country (2,500+ miles): 6 to 9 days
Add 1 to 3 days for carrier dispatch after booking, often less on high traffic routes. Expedited service can guarantee pickup within 24 to 48 hours.
Interstate shipping works exactly the same as any other auto transport. You give us your origin zip code and destination zip code, we quote your route, and the carrier handles pickup at your current address and delivery at the new one. Your vehicle registration stays with the car during transport. No additional paperwork is needed for the move itself, though you may want to look into the new state's registration rules for after the car arrives.
You or someone you designate (a friend, family member, or neighbor over 18) needs to be present at both pickup and delivery to sign the Bill of Lading and hand over or receive the keys. If you can't be there yourself, just let your agent know who will be and provide their contact information. We'll coordinate directly with them.
The Bill of Lading is the standard document used in vehicle transport. It records the condition of your car at pickup and again at delivery, so any difference between the two is clearly documented. You and the driver sign it together at both ends, and you keep a copy. It's your protection if anything happens during transport, so look it over carefully and make sure any existing damage is noted before you sign.
Federal regulations technically prohibit it, but most carriers will allow up to 100 pounds of personal items in the trunk. Keep them low, soft, and out of sight. Don't include anything valuable, fragile, or hazardous. Personal items are not covered by the carrier's cargo insurance, so anything you put in the car travels at your own risk.
Yes. You can call our office anytime for an update on your shipment, and we'll have current location and ETA information. Many drivers also share their cell number directly so you can reach out for real-time updates. We'll proactively call when your car is one day out from delivery so you can plan to be available.
All licensed carriers are required to carry cargo insurance, typically $100,000 to $150,000 per load. If you notice damage at delivery, note it on the Bill of Lading before signing, take dated photos right away, and call us. We'll walk you through the claims process with the carrier. This is exactly why the pickup inspection and dated photos at the start matter so much: they're the baseline that proves anything new happened in transit.
Yes. Non-running vehicles need a carrier with a winch or other special loading equipment, so they cost a bit more to ship and may take an extra day or two to dispatch. Just let your agent know upfront when you call so we can match you with the right driver and the right equipment from the start.
Shipping Options
At Scott's, we offer convenient options for shipping your vehicles. Shipping a treasured, one-of-a-kind classic car? It may be best to use the enclosed carrier option. Need it fast? We can expedite it! And, of course, our door-to-door shipping option is our default, but you can change that too! The driver can pick up and deliver to the location you prefer.
Learn MoreSpecial Vehicles
Whether a collector, professional restoration expert or passionate amateur, you need an expert auto shipping service to deliver your dream car or bike across the state or the country. Scott’s Dispatch 4U provides on-call nationwide vehicle transport service to new owners, classic car events, bike events, and more. And we ship larger vehicles, RVs, and boats too!
Learn MoreExpert Car Carrier
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