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How Long Will It Take To Ship A Car?

How Long Will It Take To Ship A Car?

If you’ve read our post about scheduling a car shipment, then you already know that auto transport companies can’t guarantee a certain pickup date, unless you opt for an expedited service at a premium price. There are too many factors involved that make it very hard to pinpoint the exact date. So it’ll take between 1 and 5 business days just to have your car picked up.

How about delivery time? Is it possible to name the exact number of days it would take a carrier to transport your vehicle? Not always.

How Long Will It Take To Ship A Car?

When you place an order to ship a car, the auto transport company will estimate the delivery time according to normal driving time. Therefore, if there are no deviations: traffic, adverse weather conditions, accidents, mechanical problems, the delivery should take between 1 and 10 days following the pickup of your vehicle.

Why such difference? The distance is to blame.

car-shipping-transit-times

As you can see, the longer the distance, the more time your car needs to reach the desired destination. Therefore, if you are shipping a vehicle all the way across the country, don’t expect an overnight delivery.

So, if all goes well, given the accord between the distance and normal driving time, expect to wait anywhere from 2 to 15 days for your car to arrive at its destination. In case the pickup/drop off location is situated in a hard to get area, the shipping process might take up to four weeks.

Let’s take a look at the variables that might affect how fast (or slow) your vehicle will travel.

Pickup/Drop off Locations.

If a carrier has to pick up or drop off, or both, a vehicle somewhere in a rural area and off well-travelled routes, prepare to wait. The driver, most likely, will have to deviate from his route just to serve you.

Terrain also affects the big rig’s speed. When driving on off-pavement or hilly/mountainous roads, the trucker will have to slow down.

Traffic.

You know what it’s like to be stuck in a traffic jam. A trucker delivering your vehicle is no exception. When trying to navigate through the rush hour madness, more than once you may have spotted a tractor-trailer loaded with cars. You have to agree that a large truck doesn’t have the maneuverability of your regular passenger car. Truck drivers have to be extra cautious steering through traffic.

Weather and Road Conditions.

Remember when you were late to work or a meeting because of that traffic congestion triggered by an accident? The most you could do was take a few deep breaths and accept the fact of late arrival. Big rig drivers are no exception to this rule either. As anxious as the trucker may be to deliver your vehicle, there are times he has no control over the delivery speed. Road construction, detours, unfavorable weather conditions like heavy rain, hail, snow can potentially slow down your delivery.

The Driver’s Hours and Truck Breakdowns.

Legally, truck drivers may not work more than 70 hours within any period of 8 consecutive days. And within any 14-hour period, their driving time is limited to no more than 11 cumulative hours. These rules were established by the Department of Transportation to make sure drivers rest well before getting behind the wheel again. After all, would you want a sleep deprived driver to handle your car?

Common breakdowns like a flat tire, fluid leaks, transmission problems can all slow down the car transport process. A mechanical problem on the road can cause a delay of hours or even days sometimes.

Other customers.

Unless specifically requested, your car will be shipped together with a few other cars. Therefore, the driver will have to make more than one stop to pick up the loads. Even if you are an extremely punctual person, other people may not have the same virtue. Hence, other customers might become a reason for a delay.

If the road and weather conditions are exceptionally favorable, the driver is well-rested, the truck runs smoothly, and other customers cooperate, it’s quite possible your car will be delivered ahead of time.

At Corsia Logistics, we do our best to keep you informed about any deviations in schedules like late arrivals or early deliveries. That’s why it’s important to provide us with a good phone number where our dispatchers and a truck driver can reach you.

To learn more about car shipping process, call (818) 850-5258 to speak with one of our logistics specialists or browse our FAQ. For a free, no-obligation estimate, fill out our online quote request form.

Thanks for reading!

Happy car shipping!

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Corsia Logistics team works hard every day to ensure reliable expedited car shipping service. Our customer reviews prove that.

5-Star Rated Car Shipping Company

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and here's what they say

Simon Moore
Great company
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Looking for a logistics company, to ship my car, from California to Illinois,my first search, then Corsia showed up, skeptical. Call and a very friendly secretary: Elena. She guided me through, I scheduled and as she explained, all when smooth as scheduled Very happy I did the right choice. I'll recommend this great Company to anyone that is thinking to relocate a vehicle. Thanks Corsia logistics for your honesty and professionalism!
Elizabeth Woodward
High five's all around!
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Corsia was highly recommended by a friend in the automobile industry. We needed to transport a cargo van from Seattle to Florida. We contacted Corsia who quickly arranged transport within just a few days. Communication was outstanding! Just a few email confirmations and we were all set. Mike was great and arrived right on time and delivered to Florida on schedule. Tip-avoid the hornets nest of auto brokers on line and just contact Corsia for a truly great experience!
Carrol Tiffany
Amazing
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Corsia has been amazing. Their prices are really competitive but more importantly their customer service has been 5-Star. Elena followed up with me every step of the way, making sure there was no miscommunication between me & the driver. We are using them to ship a 2nd vehicle & would not hesitate to use them again!
Tony Boyd
Definitely recommend
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I have recently used Corsia for long time family car with sentimental value that was moved I have recently used Corsia for shipment of my vehicle from Oregon to Arizona by recommendation from other family member who also used Corsia in the past. I am very pleased on the service and the communication throughout shipment. Ken was my direct contact and kept me informed along the move The car was picked up and delivered as communicated. I did use a enclosed mover and the driver was also clean cut professional and treated car as his own. I would definitely recommend Corsia again with the experience I have had. Thank you. T
JW
Top notch
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Top notch Transport - Porsche 997 Top notch! As easy and efficient as one could possibly imagine. Great customer service.. thank you Luke. Great prices. Check. Timely communications. Check. Clean transport trailer. Check. Supremely careful driver. Check. Timely arrival. Check. Don't mess around elsewhere, just call Corsica and feel confident your transports needs are going to be exceeded. My Porsche 911 rode like a Queen in her enclosed chariot. I've never needed a transport company before, and I surely will use them every time. Do yourself a favor, seriously. Call now.
Geet Mp Haryana
Reliable, efficient
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Corsia rep (Elena) was very proactive. Helped ship a car from CA to GA. She checked in with me via email quote and several phone calls to find me the best possible quote for the fastest available service. After several communications, Corsia was able to schedule a vehicle pickup the next day. The driver communicated well, and the vehicle arrived in final destination faster than we expected in perfect condition. I highly recommend using Corsia's reliable, efficient service.
Cay Liptak
Clean, efficient, wonderful
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Thanks, Corsia! Pickup was so clean, efficient, and wonderful -- my only recommendation is to make sure you schedule it during the day so you can fully review the car in the daylight. Drop off was equally wonderful, and the whole trip went down without a hitch (pun intended!). Seriously, Corsia delivered my Jeep from CT to California with no issues or bumps in the road!
Csaba Kovesdy
Truly positive experience
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Corsia Memphis to LA, mid-size SUV. I looked at 4 different companies amd Corsia was the most responsive of them. While being responsive, they were not unduly aggressive: when I indicated that I need to wait a month before making a decision they stopped contacting me and only came back with a reminder when I really needed it. Once I decided to engage Corsia they found me a transport within two days and the car was delivered (from Memphis to LA) in another two days. I had a truly positive experience.
Kelly Torres
Highly recommend
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Working with Corsia Logistics was a great experience. Working with Corsia Logistics was wonderful. They were able to find a driver right away to transport our car. They were in constant communication as to when the car was getting picked up and dropped off. The driver also communicated with me as to when he would arrive. I would highly recommend Corsia Logistics.
Amy Nelson
Excellent Organization
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Corsia was an excellent company to work with while I transferred my car across the US. A friend of mine suggested I use them as they had been very organized and trustworthy with her own car. I researched a few different place but decided to go with Corsia and I'm so glad I did! Any questions I had throughout the process they answered quickly and clearly. I would definitely use them again in the future and recommend them for others to use.
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