Long distance vehicle transport is the one job in this trade where almost everything that goes wrong is a paperwork or expectation failure rather than a mechanical one. The vehicle nearly always arrives. What goes wrong is that it arrives later than someone assumed, with a mark nobody documented, at a place the recipient could not get to.
All three are avoidable, and the avoiding is done before the vehicle is collected.
Long distance vehicle transport: decide which product you are buying
Three quite different things get sold under the same heading.
Open multi-vehicle transport. The common one. Your vehicle travels with others on a large carrier, exposed to weather and road grit. It is the most economical arrangement and it is what most vehicles move on.
Enclosed transport. The vehicle travels inside a trailer, out of the weather and out of sight. It is the standard choice for high value, low production, restored and show vehicles, for the same reasons those vehicles get soft straps and careful loading anywhere else.
Dedicated single vehicle movement. One vehicle on one trailer going directly, which is a different product entirely. It costs more and it removes the routing problem: nobody is waiting for the carrier to fill, and the schedule is yours rather than the load’s.
Choose on value and on time sensitivity rather than on the first quote. A restored car sharing a deck with commuter vehicles in an open carrier is a decision, not an oversight, and the vehicles that belong on the careful end of that scale are the ones covered by our classic car towing and exotic car towing lines.
Pickup windows are windows, not appointments
This is the largest source of frustration in long distance vehicle transport and it is entirely a matter of expectation.
A multi-vehicle carrier is routing several vehicles at once, and its schedule moves with traffic, hours limits, weather and the other customers on the load. You will normally be given a window rather than a time, and the driver typically confirms more precisely a day or so out.
Plan around that rather than against it. Do not book a flight for the afternoon of a delivery window. Do not arrange to hand over keys on the last day you have access to the property. And nominate a second person at each end who can release or receive the vehicle if you are not there, because a carrier that cannot hand a vehicle over has a problem it will solve in ways you may not like.
Door to door usually means as close to the door as a large vehicle can legally and safely get. Many residential streets, and most gated communities, cannot take a full size carrier. Expect to meet in a large open lot nearby and treat that as normal rather than as a failure.
The condition report is the document that matters
At collection, the vehicle is inspected and a condition report is made, usually as part of the bill of lading. Both parties sign it. That document is what any later conversation about damage is measured against, and it is worth taking seriously for the ten minutes it takes.
Do your own record alongside it. Photograph every panel, both bumpers, all four wheels, the roof, the glass and the interior, in daylight, with the vehicle clean enough that existing marks are visible. Photograph the odometer. Keep the timestamps.
At delivery, inspect before signing. If it arrives after dark, do not accept it under a street light and sign as clear: use a flashlight, look properly, and note anything you are unsure about on the paperwork before you sign rather than after. A signature on a clean delivery report is difficult to walk back.
Say if the vehicle does not run
An inoperable vehicle has to be declared when booking, every time, without exception.
It changes which carriers can take it, because loading it needs a winch and the vehicle needs to roll, steer and brake enough to be positioned on a deck. A vehicle that does not roll at all, because of seized brakes, a locked steering column, a transmission stuck in park or missing wheels, narrows the field further and sometimes rules out a multi-vehicle carrier entirely.
Discovering this at collection is the worst outcome: the carrier leaves, the slot is gone, and the vehicle waits for another routing. The equipment implications are set out in our guide to flatbed versus wheel lift towing, and the ownership documents that have to be in order first are covered in our guide to vehicle removal paperwork.
Prepare the vehicle, and empty it
- Fuel low, not full. Fuel is weight, and a carrier is weight sensitive across its whole load. Enough to load, position and drive off at the far end is the target.
- Take everything out. Most carriers restrict personal items in a transported vehicle, and anything left inside is unprotected and adds weight. Check the trunk and the spare well.
- Disable alarms and transponders. An alarm that triggers repeatedly on a moving deck ends with a flat battery at best. Toll transponders should be removed or bagged.
- Secure or remove loose exterior items. Roof racks, bike carriers, antennas, spoilers fitted after the fact, loose trim, and anything held on with adhesive that has been baking in Las Vegas sun.
- Note leaks and existing damage honestly. A vehicle that drips will drip onto whatever is below it on a multi-level carrier, and that is exactly the sort of thing that turns into a dispute.
- Keys. One set travels with the vehicle. Keep a spare yourself, and never send the only key that exists.
Ask about coverage before you book, not after
Ask the company moving the vehicle what cargo coverage applies to it while it is on their equipment, and what that coverage does and does not include. Ask for it in writing. Then check with your own insurer whether your policy covers a vehicle in transit on someone else’s truck, because the answer varies and the assumption is usually wrong.
Find out too whether the company you are speaking to is the one that will physically move the vehicle, or is arranging it with someone else. Both arrangements are normal in this industry. What is not acceptable is not being told which one you have, because it determines who you call when the schedule moves.
Get the confirmation in writing: origin and destination, the window, the product (open, enclosed or dedicated), whether the vehicle is declared operable, the cancellation terms, and who to contact while it is in transit. For a vehicle that has failed on the highway rather than one being moved by arrangement, the situation is a recovery instead, covered in our guide to a desert highway breakdown. The full set of service lines is on our towing and transport services page, and to ask about a specific move use contact us.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between open and enclosed vehicle transport?
Open transport carries your vehicle with others on an exposed carrier, which is the common and economical arrangement. Enclosed transport carries it inside a trailer, out of weather, road grit and sight, which is the standard choice for high value, low production, restored and show vehicles. A third option, a dedicated single vehicle movement, removes the routing problem entirely because nobody is waiting for a carrier to fill.
Why can nobody give me an exact pickup time?
Because a multi-vehicle carrier is routing several vehicles at once and its schedule moves with traffic, driver hours, weather and the other customers on the load. You are normally given a window, with a firmer confirmation a day or so out. Plan around a window rather than a time, and nominate a second person at each end who can release or receive the vehicle.
Can I leave belongings in the car?
Usually not, or only within strict limits, and the restrictions exist for weight, liability and security reasons. Anything left inside is unprotected. Empty the cabin, the trunk and the spare well, remove or bag toll transponders, and take out anything you would be unhappy to lose.
What happens if the vehicle does not run?
It has to be declared when booking. An inoperable vehicle needs a winch to load and needs to roll, steer and brake enough to be positioned, which limits which carriers can take it. A vehicle that will not roll at all, from seized brakes, a locked steering column, a transmission stuck in park or missing wheels, narrows the options further. Declaring it at collection instead of at booking usually means the carrier leaves without it.
How do I protect myself against damage in transit?
Use the condition report properly. It is made at collection, both parties sign it, and it is what any later conversation is measured against. Alongside it, photograph every panel, both bumpers, all four wheels, the roof, the glass, the interior and the odometer in daylight with the vehicle clean. At delivery, inspect before signing, and if it arrives after dark use a flashlight and note anything you are unsure about on the paperwork rather than signing a clear report and raising it later.