Car shipping guides
Plain answers about shipping a car from a licensed broker, each with the date it was last updated.
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Car shipping for dealerships
A dealership can send every unit it needs moved, whether inventory coming in, trades, dealer swaps or cars sold to out-of-state buyers, on one request, with each car's own pickup and delivery address. For each unit, send the year, make and model, whether it runs, both addresses, the earliest date it can move, and a contact with hours at each end. A sold car going to a retail buyer is received by an adult who signs the Bill of Lading, which is the condition report.
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How to check a car shipping broker before you book
Ask the company for its USDOT and MC numbers, then look them up on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot. A legitimate auto transport broker shows an Operating Authority Status of AUTHORIZED FOR Broker of Property, under the same legal name the company uses with you. Its authority record should also show an active $75,000 surety bond (Form BMC-84) or trust fund (Form BMC-85) and a process agent filing (Form BOC-3).
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Shipping cars from auctions and dealer trades
To ship a car out of an auction, pay for it first, then give the carrier the auction's release credential for that vehicle: a 4-digit gate PIN and lot number at Copart, a Pickup PIN tied to the stock number at IAA, or the gate pass at Manheim. Each auction sets its own free storage window, which at some Copart yards is 3 business days, so book transport the day you win. The title usually travels separately from the car.
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Shipping your car to Florida for the winter
Book your car's trip to Florida two weeks before you want it picked up, and earlier if you plan to leave between October and December, when southbound trucks fill first. Expect a pickup window of 1 to 3 days after your first available date, then about 500 miles a day on the road, which puts the Northeast to Florida at 2 to 4 days. The trip back north in spring is a separate booking, priced on its own.
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Why shipping a car can cost more in one direction
Shipping a car between the same two cities can cost different amounts depending on the direction, because car haulers follow seasonal demand. A direction where many cars need to move fills trucks fast, while the opposite direction is easy to fill, and the price reflects how hard it is to get a truck going your way. The cheaper direction can flip with the season, so a round trip is two separate jobs, quoted separately.
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