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How to ship my car?

How to ship my car?

Private customers, dealers, and auctions purchase and move vehicles daily, and auto transport companies like Corsia Logistics offer simple solutions and reliable services nationwide.

Shipping a car is easy when you are prepared. Often, when moving your household, you may also need to transport your vehicle. Or maybe you’ve just bought a car online and need to bring it home.

Are you taking your classic beauty to a show and it’s imperative it gets there on time and without a scratch? Whatever your reason for car shipping might be, you must find yourself wondering about how it works.

How to ship a car?

For starters, simply jot down a few things on a piece of paper. Think about what you know and what you don’t about how to ship a car. Write down your options.

Can you just hop in and drive the vehicle to its final destination? If the distance your car needs to travel is no more than 200-300 hundred miles, driving would be a viable solution. And what if you need to transport your vehicle across or even half-way across the country? You’ll need to account for all the costs involved: gas, tolls, hotels, meals, and make sure your car is mechanically fit for a long road trip. And what about time? Would you be able to allocate time for this kind of a road trip?

Should you hire a driveaway company? It’s a viable option as long as you are ok with the idea of a complete stranger driving your car.

Another alternative would be to use an auto transport company and let professionals move your vehicle. It will save you wear and tear on your car and you won’t have to plan an untimely road trip. Hiring a car shipping company is also a good option if you have more vehicles than drivers in your household. And it becomes your only options in case your car doesn’t run under its own power or your vehicle is traveling to a show.

Are you worried because you have never dealt with any car shippers? You have no idea where to begin and what to do? Don’t worry. About 90 percent of people who hire auto transporters are first time shippers.

To start, create a simple checklist. It is always helpful to have a list to go by when you need to ship a car to make sure you won’t miss anything important.

It’s official: I am shipping my car. Now what?

Research and find a reliable auto mover. Searching for car shipping companies is easy. You can start by asking around to get first-hand recommendations. Or you can turn to Google for help. We’ll assure you that online search for a “vehicle shipping company” will return plenty of hits. You will find hundreds of companies from which to choose. Pay attention. In your search for auto transporter you will come across the following entities: brokers, carriers, lead provider and auction websites. It’s important you understand what the difference between the four is before you give your John Hancock.

A broker company can help you locate a licensed carrier that serves your route. A carrier company only serves certain routes and thus may not be able to ship your vehicle, if are are even able to contact them. Brokers are the entity that connect customers with vetted carriers that serve specific routes. This is the fastet and safest way to book a service.

Auction websites foster underbidding wars between auto transport companies, driving vehicle shipping prices down to unrealistically low rates. Booking at a “too-good-to-be-true” means you usually end up waiting for weeks for a carrier to pick up your vehicle.

Lead provider websites make you believe they are either brokers or carriers when in reality they are none. These companies collect your information only to sell it to brokers and carriers; which means you, the customer, end up with an unnecessary double brokerage that affects your shipping price.

For obvious reasons, we recommend you stay away from the last two. And whether you choose to work with broker or carrier, make sure you select a reputable company. Choose a company based on your good judgment and maybe a couple of referrals. Don’t just go for the lowest rate because this may hurt you later. Verify the company’s licenses and insurance with the USDOT. Seek answers to all of your auto transport questions and make sure you have contact details for your agent.

What options do I have when shipping a car?

You will have a choice between open and enclosed transport, standard and expedited shipping, and door-to-door and terminal-to-terminal delivery. Additionally, you’ll be able to request top-load for your vehicle for an extra fee. It all depends on your budget, timeframe, the level of protection you want for your vehicle, and pick up/delivery locations.

Open auto transport is a standard shipping method and also the most affordable. Your car will be shipped on a double-deck trailer designed to carry up to 10 vehicles at a time. Small one- or two-car open carriers are often used for local, less than 300 miles, and expedited deliveries.

If you are looking to add an extra layer of protection for your vehicle, you can choose to ship it via enclosed auto transport, which completely shields vehicles from destructive weather and road elements. Due to the extra protection it offers, enclosed auto transport is a pricier option.

Whether you are shipping via open or enclosed auto transport, you can request a top-load for your vehicle. For an extra fee, your car will travel on a top-deck of a trailer, which ensures against possible leaks from other vehicles.

If you are on a tight timeline and need your vehicle to be delivered on or by an exact date, request expedited shipping. Guaranteed delivery is a premium service that comes at a premium price. If you choose standard delivery, your vehicle will be picked up within 5 business days from your first available date. The transit time will depend mainly on the distance between pick up and delivery locations.

Many companies offer door-to-door delivery as a standard service. It means that the vehicle will be picked up and delivered as close to your door as legally possible. And although most of the customers prefer door-to-door service, auto transporters may also be able to arrange terminal-to-terminal delivery to accommodate your particular circumstances.

How much will I pay to ship my car?

Contact the companies you have found and request car shipping quotes. But beyond the figure, it’s important to understand the equation behind the car shipping rate. The final cost depends on a few variables.

Your vehicle’s make and model make up the base of your auto transport rate. The bigger and heavier is the car, the more expensive it will be to ship it.

Shipping a modified vehicle may add to the base price since it often requires special fitting and extra care to ensure full protection during long-distance transport.

If your vehicle can not move on its own power, the carrier will need to engage some extra help (a winch or a forklift); therefore, you’ll have to pay extra. Shipping your car in an enclosed trailer will be more expensive as well, due to the extra-protection from road and weather elements.

The longer the shipping distance, the more it’ll cost to transport a vehicle. However, it’s also important to consider the exact pick-up and delivery locations. If it’s somewhere off the main routes – in a rural or hard to get to area,- where not that many people are looking to ship their vehicles, you will need to make it worth the trucker’s time, effort, and extra gas expense. It means a higher price.

And finally, supply and demand fluctuations dictate prices on most routes. When the demand peaks, prices usually go up and this can often happen in a matter of hours.

To better understand the economics of a car shipping quote, refer to our guides in our ‘How to ship a car’ web section, where we have outlined all important details you need to know about the cost to ship a car ad everything else!

Finally, prepare your car for transport

An important final step is preparing your vehicle for shipping.  You have to make sure your car is clean inside and out to facilitate easy inspection. Preparation also includes removing any detachable parts such as ski and bike racks. The carrier will inspect your vehicle before loading, and you will sign the condition report (Bill of Lading). We urge you to read the terms and conditions because this is your binding contract.


Now that you are prepared, you probably agree that shipping a vehicle is relatively easy. A legitimate company like Corsia Logistics will explain the auto transport process, answer all your questions and arrange the service to accommodate your specific situation. Our agents don’t use price calculating software, but manually track daily auto transport rate changes to supply you with the most accurate vehicle shipping quote that reflects the most current market conditions. To request your free, no-obligation vehicle shipping quote, fill out a simple online quote request form or give us a call at (818) 850-5258.

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

5/5
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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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