On this page we answer several auto transport questions, which are asked quite often. Scroll down the screen to see each answer.
How long will it take for my car to be picked up?
Can I pack personal items in my car?
How long will it take for my auto to arrive after pick up?
Where is my auto picked up from and delivered to?
How far in advance should I place my order?
Is the truck that picks up my auto the same one that delivers it?
What if there is damage to my auto?
Can I store anything in my auto during transport?
Q: How long will it take for my car to be picked up?
A: Like many things in life, it depends. Getting a driver who can move your auto ASAP is usually a matter of price, pure & simple. We generally take less for our own service, which enables us to give more to the driver, give relatively low quotes, and still move your auto very quickly. To put it shortly, though, if we offer an enticing enough price for the driver, you can get your auto picked up very quickly. We’ve had vehicles picked up the *same day*. However, if you don’t need your auto moved immediately, we can try a little lower quote, especially if your pickup and delivery points are along well-traveled routes.
Q: Can I Pack Personal Items In My Car?
A: It is best not to leave any personal effects in the car during transportation. In fact, most motor vehicle transport companies won’t ship cars with personal effects in them. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most basic is that there are D.O.T. regulations against many personal items being transported in cars. Most carriers are not licensed or insured to transport household items. Also, the additional weight can put carriers over their weight limit, delaying the motor vehicle’s arrival and possibly increasing the shipping cost, and items of value are easily stolen from a vehicle’s trunk. Here is a brief list of prohibited items:
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- No live items, including pets and plants. No perishable products can be packed.
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- No personal or valuable items, including watches, personal paperwork, cash, jewelry, precious metals or other personal items.
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- No dangerous items. This includes items that can cause a fire or explosion, ranging from ammunition to aerosols, matches, fireworks, gasoline and propane. This is certainly not an all-inclusive list, but it gives you an idea of the types of items to avoid.
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- No illegal items. This is pretty obvious, but needs to be mentioned. You may not have drugs or contraband in your car during the motor vehicle transportation process. What may not be obvious to everyone is that you are also disallowed from transporting anything that could be considered illegal without the proper paperwork, including guns (in some states), certain prescription medication, and needles. Keep in mind that anything you plan on packing in your car needs to be legal in all states that your motor vehicle will be transported through.
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Additionally, you will want to be sure that your car has ¼ tank of fuel or less. This will help ensure you will receive your vehicle without delay. That way the carrier won’t face delays stemming from being over their weight limits.
As a final thought, please keep in mind that any items left inside your vehicle are generally not covered by auto shipping insurance, thus, the motor vehicle carrier won’t be responsible for any theft or damage.
Q: How long will it take for my auto to arrive after pick up?
A: Generally this depends on how many stops the driver needs to make between picking up your auto and delivering it and how many miles are between those two locations. A good measure is to calculate 500 miles per day. Some carriers drive seven days a week and some do not, so try not to count the weekends as driving days. That should give you a good idea of how long it will actually take.
We also try very hard to only work with carriers who deliver quickly, yet professionally. Most of our clients are pleasantly surprised when they get their vehicle ahead of schedule!
Q: Where is my auto picked up from and delivered to?
A: We offer both Door to Door and Terminal Pickup/Delivery Services for the same reasonable rate. This enables you to feel free to choose whichever method works best for you. When placing your order, we request a pick up and delivery address and the contact information for your representative, if you have one. The driver will work with you and/or your representative to coordinate the transport of your vehicle.
Q: How far in advance should I place my order?
A: It’s always best to schedule your auto for pickup as soon as you know you will need to have it transported. The industry standard is about 5-7 days. However, if your auto is available before that date, we may be able to get your auto picked up much sooner than that.
Q: Is the truck that picks up my auto the same one that delivers it?
A: Yes. Our trucks make no vehicle swaps in transit.
Q: What if there is damage to my auto?
A: A thorough inspection of the auto is performed and signed off by you or your representative and the driver on pickup and again on delivery. If any damage has occurred in transit it is covered by insurance.
This is a very good reason to use a reputable company, and why we give you our Federal MC number (721291). That way you can be confident that we are fully insured with current insurance (otherwise we wouldn’t show up in the DOT’s search) and, in the very unlikely event that your auto is damaged in transport, the damage will be covered by insurance, not by you.
Q: Can I store anything in my auto during transport?
A: We ask that you leave less than 100 lbs. of items in the vehicle for transport and review the question above in regard to personal items. Items must be placed in the trunk of the vehicle and also approved by the driver. Personal items are not covered by insurance during transport. Please contact us for more information.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We take every card out there, even paypal if you like, for the deposit. As for the final payment, we very strongly prefer C.O.D. or cashier’s checks, but we generally try to be accommodating. If for some reason you need to pay by an alternate method let us know & we’ll see what we can do. If a balance is due upon delivery, the driver will only be able to take cash or cashier’s check. If you’d like, you can pay the entire balance when you give us your deposit.
Q: What is your Federal MC number?
A: Our Federal MC number is 721291. You can look us up on the Federal DOT website here.