Auto transport field notes · ROUTE 14
How to ship a car cross-country: the custody route plan
A car shipment is a chain of custody. Make the company, equipment, windows, vehicle condition, contacts, and payment clear at each handoff.
Filed by
Moving Zoo field desk
Reviewed September 2026
Step 1: define the shipment
Provide the year, make, model, operability, modifications, clearance concerns, origin, destination, and date flexibility. Choose an open or enclosed baseline and disclose access limitations at both ends.
Compare written quotes using the same facts. Identify whether the seller is a broker or carrier and who is expected to transport the vehicle.
Step 2: verify the company and scope
Compare legal names, registration information, contact details, insurance documentation, cancellation terms, payment method, and inspection process. Ask which facts can change the price and when the assigned carrier will be identified.
- Confirm pickup and delivery windows in writing.
- Clarify personal-item limits and coverage exclusions.
- Name an alternate authorized contact if travel may interfere.
- Retain the dispatch and carrier details outside the vehicle.
Add the household route to the same calendar
See the modeled household-moving range first, then coordinate the vehicle as a separate contract and timeline.
- No email required to see your route's cost range
- Verify every provider's USDOT number before hiring
- Your estimate is yours to keep either way
Prefer to talk it through? Call (561) 220-0117, free, no obligation.
Step 3: prepare and record the vehicle
Remove valuables, toll devices, loose accessories, and prohibited goods. Leave the fuel level required by the carrier, address leaks or mechanical concerns, and share alarm or special-start instructions.
Clean enough to inspect the exterior. Photograph all sides, wheels, glass, interior, roof when practical, odometer, and existing damage. Review the pickup inspection carefully before signing.
Step 4: close the custody loop at delivery
Meet at a safe, legal location with the pickup record available. Inspect in adequate light before signing, repeat the photographs, test obvious operation where appropriate, and write any exceptions on the delivery document.
If there is a problem, follow the written claim process and preserve photographs, reports, communications, estimates, and receipts. A complete custody record is the foundation of a clear claim.
Questions from the route
Frequently asked questions
Several weeks is useful for ordinary planning, with more time for enclosed equipment, unusual vehicles, peak routes, or fixed dates. Availability varies, so request current windows.
Add the household route to the same calendar
See the modeled household-moving range first, then coordinate the vehicle as a separate contract and timeline.
Or call Call (561) 220-0117, no email required to see your number.