The best way to determine the cost of shipping your vehicle is to get quotes from several auto transport companies. You can find auto transport companies by State and Metro Area, or you can search our U.S. Nationwide Auto Shipping Listings. Be sure to ask if they give a discount for MoveCars.com users.

Learn more about shipping a car on our Car Transport Tips page.

Auto Shipping companies in the directory compete for your business just like any business would. Call or email several companies to get quotes. When comparing price, be sure that you're comparing the same service (door-to-door vs. terminal-to-terminal or open vs. enclosed for example). Ask if they provide special discounts for MoveCars.com users.

Your vehicle should be insured against damage and theft by your auto transport or car driveaway company. However, you should always ask for a copy of current insurance coverage. Ask if the carrier's insurance is primary or secondary to your own insurance in the event of damage during car transport. You also want to find out if there is a damage deductible. It is a good idea to verify all insurance coverages in writing.

In addition, your car insurance may cover your vehicle while in transit – you can check with your car insurance company to verify your coverage during auto transport. Keep in mind that many auto transport and car driveaway companies may discourage or prohibit you from leaving personal articles in your vehicle. Personal articles left in the car are not insured by the auto shipping company, although your home policy may cover these articles - check with your home insurance agent to verify. Please note: Overloading your trunk with heavy items may result in damage to your vehicle's undercarriage. Your auto transport or car driveaway company will likely not cover damage in that instance.

Learn more about shipping a car on our Car Transport Tips page.

Most companies will provide a several day window in which your car will be picked up or delivered. You can also request a "picked up by" or "delivered after" date. Because of the nature of auto shipping, it is very difficult to provide exact dates. If a company does provide an exact date, it is a good idea to get in writing the guarantee and remedy if they do not pick it up on the promised date.

Learn more about shipping a car on our Car Transport Tips page.

Most auto hauling companies prohibit the inclusion of personal items in vehicles being shipped. The three main reasons are: 

1. Extra weight in the car could cause damage to the undercarriage during loading and unloading. 
2. Neither the auto hauler's insurance and license nor the car owner's insurance typically cover any personal possessions included in a vehicle being shipped. 
3. Auto haulers have strict limits on the weight of loaded trucks and trailers. Additional, unanticipated weight of personal items could cause them to be overweight. In this situation, the auto hauler has to make a choice to drive overweight (risking fines and significant delays) or not take the vehicle.

Where possible, auto haulers will pick up your vehicle at your front door or driveway. However, some residential areas may restrict access for multi-car transport carriers. In this situation, you will typically be asked to bring your vehicle to a nearby open parking lot or a wider street where the auto hauler can park.

Your vehicle could be transported on a car carrier that hauls anywhere from 1-10 vehicles. The most common are car carriers with space for 8-10 vehicles - the same type of trucks used to deliver new vehicles to local dealerships. Enclosed carriers are also available.

Open transport is the most common way of shipping a vehicle and the majority of people shipping a car choose open transport. It is the less expensive way of shipping a car. Enclosed transport is typically priced higher, and it protects your vehicle from dust, rain, snow and other elements. Enclosed transport is a good choice if you desire additional protection for a luxury or antique car.

It is important to let the auto transport company know when contacting them for a quote. The vehicle can still be transported but it will require a truck that can handle inoperable vehicles. Sometimes there is a small additional fee for vehicles which do not run.

Shipping time depends on the auto transport company and the actual truck that will be taking your vehicle. Below are some ideas of typical time ranges. Be sure to ask the auto transport company you contact about estimated times for your specific shipment.

East Coast to West Coast - typically 5 to 14 days 
Midwest to East Coast - typically 3 to 8 days 
Midwest to West Coast - typically 3 to 8 days 
South to the North - typically 3 to 8 days 

If you are shipping your vehicle within the United States, the only paperwork needed is provided by the shipping company. You just need to sign it and do a visual inspection of your car with the driver of the car carrier. This is to verify any damage that exists at pick up.

For door-to-door shipping, the car carrier picks-up your vehicle at your home or workplace and delivers your vehicle to your final destination. For terminal-to-terminal shipping, you deliver your vehicle to a vehicle storage location where the car carrier will then pick up your vehicle. It is delivered to a similar type of location near your final destination.

While door-to-door shipping is typically considered more convenient, there are some instances where using a terminal may be preferable. For instance, you can drop off your vehicle on a specific date (e.g. when you need to take a flight) even if the car carrier will not pick it up for a day or two. And your vehicle can be delivered to a terminal near your final destination, even if you have not yet arrived.

You can also choose door-to-terminal and terminal-to-door shipping as well.

Giving an auto transport company two weeks notice is typically sufficient, unless you live far off of a standard route. While many auto shipping companies can get your vehicle on a truck in 1-7 days, it is best to not count on getting it moved in that short of a time frame.

If an emergency or some other issue makes an immediate pickup necessary, you can probably find an auto transport company that can help you. If they do not have a truck that can pick up your vehicle immediately, they can typically arrange for you to take your vehicle to a nearby terminal. However, you may pay a premium for the faster service.

If you are shipping your vehicle, it will typically be driven only on and off the truck - to load it and in some cases to unload and load other vehicles. Otherwise, it will stay on the truck until it gets to your final destination. If using a terminal, it will also be driven from the terminal onto the truck and to a parking location at the terminal. If you are concerned about it being driven more than that, you can check your odometer when your vehicle is picked up and when dropped off.

If you are using a driveaway service, a driver will drive your vehicle from your origin to your final destination.

No - our auto transport directory provides auto shipping listings at no charge to you. In fact some auto shipping companies may provide discounts to MoveCars.com users. Use it just as you would use the yellow pages. Of course we think you'll get much more information from MoveCars.com than you would from any other auto shipping source!

Our auto transport directory lists auto shipping companies in random order. In addition, the order in which auto shipping companies are listed within a category is rotated regularly -- so if your auto shipping company seems to have disappeared from the list, keep on looking further up or down the list within a category. 
NOTE: Some auto shipping companies may pay a premium to be listed higher in the directory.

Our auto transport directory lists auto shipping companies by State and Metro Area, so look in the State and Metro Areas closest to you. You can also look in the U.S. Nationwide Auto Shipping Listings. Keep in mind that most auto shipping companies can handle your car shipping needs, regardless of their location.

Auto shipping companies may not have a physical location in the states or metro areas in which they are listed. However, they have shipping routes, terminals, and/or contract carriers in the locations where they are listed and can handle any of your auto shipping needs.

Auto Shipping and Driveaway companies from across the U.S. are listed in the directory. Some auto transport companies are direct carriers of vehicles and own their own trucks, while some auto shipping companies are brokers who contract with carriers to ship your vehicle. Additionally, some auto shipping companies may operate as both brokers and direct carriers. All companies should be competitive and many of them can handle your auto shipping needs anywhere in the world.

No -- Dealertrack does not specifically endorse and is not affiliated with any of the auto shipping companies found in the directory. The information in the Auto Transport directory is provided by the auto shipping companies listed. As with any purchase, your selection of an auto shipping company should not be based solely upon advertised claims. However, this site can help you locate auto transport companies so that you can make your own evaluation.