Vehicle shipping services move a car, truck, SUV or motorcycle from one place to another on a car carrier instead of driving it there. You choose open or enclosed transport and door-to-door or terminal service, book through a carrier or a broker, and the carrier inspects the vehicle at pickup and again at delivery on a bill of lading.
This guide explains how those choices work, how to check that a company is registered with federal regulators, how to prepare a vehicle for pickup, and what changes when the vehicle is leaving the country. It’s informational: ParcelPath doesn’t transport vehicles, though it does ship the parts and accessories that go with them.
Table of Contents
- How do vehicle shipping services work?
- Should you choose open or enclosed vehicle shipping?
- What’s the difference between door-to-door and terminal shipping?
- Should you book a broker or a carrier?
- How do you verify a vehicle shipping company?
- What affects a vehicle shipping quote?
- How do you prepare a vehicle for shipping?
- How does international vehicle shipping work?
- How do you ship vehicle parts and accessories?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
How Do Vehicle Shipping Services Work?
Most vehicle shipments follow the same five steps, whichever company you use. Knowing them up front makes it easier to compare offers and spot a company that skips one.
- Request quotes. You give the pickup and delivery locations, the vehicle’s year, make and model, whether it runs, and your preferred dates.
- Book and confirm. You receive a written order showing the transport type, pickup window, payment terms and who the actual carrier is.
- Pickup inspection. The driver walks around the vehicle with you and records its condition on the bill of lading, which you both sign.
- Transport. The vehicle rides on the carrier’s trailer, often alongside other vehicles on the same route.
- Delivery inspection. You inspect the vehicle against the pickup report before signing, and note any new damage on the bill of lading itself.
Our auto transport guide to routes and how to ship a car covers each step in more depth, including how pickup windows are usually set.
Should You Choose Open or Enclosed Vehicle Shipping?
Open transport is the standard choice for everyday cars, and enclosed transport is for vehicles where weather, road grime or a scratch would be costly. Open carriers are the familiar double-deck trailers on the highway, so there are more of them and more departures to choose from.
| Factor | Open transport | Enclosed transport |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Exposed to weather and road debris | Fully covered trailer |
| Availability | Widest choice of trucks and dates | Fewer trucks, so plan further ahead |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Best for | Daily drivers, used cars, dealer moves | Classic, exotic, collector and freshly restored vehicles |
| Loading | Ramps, often on a multi-car trailer | Often liftgate loading for low-clearance cars |
What’s the Difference Between Door-to-Door and Terminal Shipping?
Door-to-door service picks the vehicle up and drops it off as close to your addresses as the truck can safely reach. Terminal-to-terminal service has you deliver the vehicle to a storage lot and collect it from another lot at the destination.
Door-to-door is the more common choice because it saves two trips. Large carriers can’t always enter narrow residential streets, so “door-to-door” sometimes means meeting the driver in a nearby parking lot. Terminal service suits people with flexible schedules, but ask whether the terminal charges for storage and how long it holds a vehicle.
Should You Book a Broker or a Carrier?
A carrier owns the trucks and moves the vehicle, while a broker arranges the shipment and assigns it to a carrier from its network. Many vehicle shipping services are brokers, which isn’t a problem as long as you know who will actually show up.
- Booking with a broker gives you access to many carriers and routes, which helps when your dates are tight or the route is less common.
- Booking with a carrier means one company is responsible from pickup to delivery, but its schedule and routes are narrower.
- Either way, get the name and federal registration number of the carrier that will haul the vehicle before pickup day.
How Do You Verify a Vehicle Shipping Company?
Interstate motor carriers and brokers register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, so the first check is a registration lookup. Ask for the company’s USDOT number and, for interstate for-hire carriers and brokers, its operating authority number, then look both up in FMCSA’s public company records.
Beyond registration, ask for a certificate of insurance showing cargo coverage, read the terms on how damage claims are handled, and make sure the written order lists the pickup window, the payment schedule and any cancellation terms. Be wary of a quote far below the others, since a price that can’t attract a driver can leave a vehicle waiting. Our guide to other carriers and services explains how auto transport fits alongside parcel and freight shipping.
What Affects a Vehicle Shipping Quote?
Quotes for vehicle shipping services depend on a handful of factors, and knowing them helps you compare offers on equal terms. Get every quote in writing for the same vehicle, dates and service type.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Distance and route | Busy interstate corridors have more trucks than rural or out-of-the-way routes |
| Vehicle size and weight | Larger vehicles take more trailer space and weight capacity |
| Open or enclosed | Enclosed trailers carry fewer vehicles and fill up less often |
| Running condition | A non-running vehicle needs a winch or extra handling |
| Season and demand | Seasonal moves and peak periods tighten truck availability |
| Date flexibility | A wider pickup window gives the carrier more room to fit you in |
| Door-to-door or terminal | Hard-to-reach addresses can add time or require meeting elsewhere |
How Do You Prepare a Vehicle for Shipping?
Good preparation protects you if there’s a dispute and keeps pickup on schedule. Most carriers ask for the same basic steps.
- Wash the vehicle and take dated photos of every side, the roof, the wheels, the interior and the odometer.
- Remove personal belongings and loose items such as toll tags, since car carriers aren’t set up to transport household goods.
- Leave a modest amount of fuel or charge, and ask the carrier what level it wants for an electric vehicle.
- Disable alarms, fold mirrors and secure loose parts such as spoilers, roof racks and antennas.
- Report mechanical problems when you book, such as a no-start, flat tire or weak brakes, so the right equipment arrives.
- Keep a copy of the signed bill of lading from pickup, and compare against it at delivery before you sign.
How Does International Vehicle Shipping Work?
Vehicles leaving the United States usually travel by ocean, either roll-on/roll-off or inside a container, and must clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection first. CBP requires the original Certificate of Title, or a certified copy, plus two complete copies, and the vehicle and documents must be presented at least 72 hours before export by vessel or aircraft.
Leased vehicles or vehicles with a recorded lien also need written permission from the lienholder or lessor. Port directors set the locations and hours for presenting documents, so your shipping company or freight forwarder will confirm where to bring them. The destination country sets its own import, emissions and tax rules, so check those before you book.
How Do You Ship Vehicle Parts and Accessories?
Parts, wheels, tools and accessories ship as ordinary parcels or freight rather than on a car carrier. Smaller parts travel by USPS or UPS, and you can compare live UPS and USPS rates for a box of parts in the ParcelPath calculator, with discounts of up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS and no subscription, per-label fee or contract.
Engines, transmissions, body panels and palletized parts are usually too heavy or large for parcel networks and move as LTL freight, which you can price through PalletPath with a free LTL freight quote. Our guide to shipping for less covers packing and service choices that keep parcel costs down, and you can contact the ParcelPath team with questions about parcel or freight shipments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are vehicle shipping services?
Vehicle shipping services transport a car, truck, SUV or motorcycle on a carrier trailer instead of having someone drive it. You choose open or enclosed transport and door-to-door or terminal delivery, and the carrier records the vehicle’s condition on a bill of lading at pickup and delivery. Interstate carriers and brokers register with the FMCSA.
Is open or enclosed vehicle shipping better?
Open vehicle shipping suits most everyday cars because open carriers are widely available and cost less. Enclosed shipping protects the vehicle from weather and road debris inside a covered trailer, so it’s the usual choice for classic, exotic or freshly restored vehicles. Enclosed trucks are fewer, so book them further ahead.
How do I check if a vehicle shipping company is legitimate?
Ask for the company’s USDOT number and, for interstate carriers and brokers, its operating authority number, then look them up in FMCSA’s public records. Also request a certificate of insurance showing cargo coverage and a written order with the pickup window and payment terms. If a broker books the shipment, ask which carrier will haul the vehicle.
What documents do I need to ship a car overseas from the U.S.?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires the original Certificate of Title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies. Leased or financed vehicles also need written permission from the lessor or lienholder. When exporting by vessel or aircraft, the vehicle and documents must be presented to CBP at least 72 hours before export.
Sources
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Exporting a motor vehicle
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: registration and company records
More in this section: auto transport and how to ship a car.
