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.

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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