How to Ship a Car You Just Bought

Talk to one of the best car shipping companies to ship a car you just bought. Whether you purchased your vehicle at a dealership or found a private seller out of state, these companies can usually deliver your new car straight to your front door. Compare a few quotes, choose between open and enclosed transport, and coordinate with the dealer or seller. After that, it’s a matter of filling out your bill of lading and then waiting for your vehicle to arrive.

1. Pick an auto transport company
2. Pick a shipment method
3. Coordinate with the seller or dealership
4. Check your bill of lading

First, you need to find an auto transport company that can safely deliver your car without charging you too much money. We recommend you start your search by checking out our guide to the best car shipping companies. We’ve researched and vetted every company on that list to guarantee each one is trustworthy and reliable.

They aren’t all exactly the same, though. Some of them offer unique services, like Ship a Car Direct’s damage-free guarantee and Montway’s price-matching policy. These unique offerings might make one of them better for your unique situation or your budget, which is why you should check them all out and get several car shipping quotes.

For domestic auto shipping, auto transport companies usually offer two methods: enclosed transport and open transport.

If money is no object and you want to ensure your car is as safe as possible en route, then enclosed auto transport was made for you. With this method, your car rides in the enclosed trailer of a semi-truck with a handful of other cars.

While this method protects your car from rain, snow, hail, and road debris, it is far more expensive than open transport. Because of this, we usually recommend enclosed transport for deluxe and exotic vehicles only.

Open auto transport trailers usually have two open metal shelves where eight or nine cars can be neatly arranged and secured. If you’ve driven on the freeway, you’ve probably seen one.

Since open transport trailers don’t have walls or roofs, they’re not as safe as enclosed carriers, and your car will be exposed to the elements. However, these carriers are much cheaper, making them a good option for shipping an old beater car or a new commuter vehicle.

If you want some help making this decision, go read our guide to decide whether you really  need enclosed shipping

Now that you’ve gathered shipping quotes, chosen a car transport company, and selected a shipping method, you need to coordinate with the person or dealership that sold you the vehicle.

In order to deliver your car, there are some things your delivery driver might need from you:

• The car keys
• A copy of your driver’s license
• The car’s registration and title
• Proof of car insurance

Since you won’t be there to hand your car off to the delivery driver, it’s important to make sure that the car dealer is there to give them these things. Let the dealer know ahead of time when the delivery driver plans to come get the car so they can schedule accordingly

When the driver shows up, they’ll ask the car dealer to sign a bill of lading. This is a legal contract that details where your car is being shipped to and what condition your car was in at pickup. Instruct the seller not to hand over the car keys until the driver gives them the bill of lading.

Without a bill of lading, you won’t have legal protection if something goes wrong with your delivery. If a driver doesn’t ask the person handing off the vehicle to sign a bill of lading, the “auto transport company” they work for is probably a scam.

To ensure everything on the bill is in order, ask the seller to call you before signing.

If everything on the bill of lading is correct, give the dealer the go-ahead to sign it and hand the car over to the delivery driver. The driver will then load the car onto their truck and head out.

You should also ask the dealer to fax you a copy or send you a picture of the bill of lading for your records.

After that, your new car will be on its way to your garage.

There are a lot of reasons that you might want to fly or drive out to get your car yourself. For one thing, it might be cheaper. For another, you might want to give your new car a test drive before you purchase it.

However, we recommend getting your car shipped for three important reasons:

• It’s safer for you and your car.
• It’s less time-consuming.
• It doesn’t add mileage to your new car.

Also, we’ve found that the price difference between shipping and driving a car actually isn’t that big. When you factor in the cost of hotels, food, and gas for a road trip, the cost of driving is usually within a couple hundred dollars of the cost of shipping the same distance.

And if you fly out to pick up the car in question, you also need to pay for a plane ticket. If you drive out with a friend to pick up the car instead, you’ll pay for gas for three car trips: for one car on the road trip out, and for both cars on the road trip back.

All in all, paying for a one-way auto shipment can actually end up being cheaper than going to get the car yourself. If you want to read a more thorough cost/benefit analysis, go check out our guide to  shipping vs. driving a car.

There are four simple steps to shipping a car you just bought:

1. Pick a company. Choose the best company for your shipment. Spend 10 minutes reading reviews and then get quotes from three of four of the companies you like the most.
2. Pick a shipment method. Tell the auto transporter whether you want to use open or enclosed transport. Almost everyone uses open transport because it’s cheap, but be aware your vehicle will get dirty in transit.
3. Coordinate with the seller or dealership. Make arrangements for the auto transporter to pick up your vehicle from the person who sold you the car. They’ll often need your car keys, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and a copy of your driver’s license.
4. Check your bill of lading. This is the document that compares your car’s condition at the time of pickup and delivery. Be sure to fill this out, or you won’t be able to successfully file an insurance claim in the rare case of damage.

Open car transport is approximately $1,080, according to Move.org. Prices vary based on things like vehicle size, transport type, and an auto carrier bidding process.

You get a quote from a car shipping company by calling a broker such as Montway Auto Transport on the phone. The auto transporter will then obtain quotes from auto transport carriers and estimate your shipping cost.

No, you don’t need a license plate to ship your car. However, you will need to provide your shipping service with your temporary registration. Both your car dealership and state’s DMV can help you obtain the necessary paperwork.

No, you typically can’t pay a transport truck driver with a credit card. While brokers accept credit cards for initial payments, your auto carrier typically asks for cash or a check at the time of delivery.

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• Best Classic Car Shipping Services
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• Do I Really Need an Enclosed Car Transport Service?
• What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship My New Vehicle?
• What Paperwork Do I Need to Ship a Specific Vehicle?
• What Do I Need to Know Before Using a Car Shipping Service?