How Car Shipping Works

How much does it cost to ship my car? To find out and instantly see your car shipping quotes, simply enter your origination and destination zip codes anywhere in the continental USA. Then choose the year, make and model of the vehicle(s) you are shipping. Select whether it is running or non-running? And then finally choose whether you wish to go Open or Enclosed transport? That’s it. Click the “Get My Quote Now” button and you should see your cost in 15 seconds!

Upon entering your vehicle transport order either online or by calling our customer service representatives at 800-600-3750, you will instantly receive an Order Confirmation email. Next and hopefully sooner rather than later, a Carrier Assignment email will be sent containing the name of the car shipment driver, his phone number and the estimated dates for pickup and delivery. The first available date is simply the starting date and it may take longer to get assigned.

The vehicle transporter is once again not supposed to just show up unannounced. The driver ideally should call the day before to alert your destination contact of his pending arrival. There are often delays, but when the carrier does arrive, please inspect your vehicle for any damage, which rarely happens. That is your opportunity to speak up, make proper notes in the vehicle condition report and even take digital photos. Regardless of the condition, industry rules state that you are to pay the car shipping service driver the balance owed with Cash or Money Order before receiving your vehicle. There you have it. Direct Express Auto Transport usually makes this five-step process a breeze and you can drive off with your vehicle.

There is such a thing as a basic rate to ship your car from any point to any other point. It must be acceptable for a car transporter service. That is our Standard Rate. Whether you realize it or not, you are actually competing against other customers for car carrier space when shipping a vehicle cross-country or even regionally. Choosing the Standard Rate means you understand that you might ship right away, or in a few days after the first date available, or possibly longer if lots of competition or a lack of carriers. Obviously, nobody can guarantee what cannot be controlled. But we do try to exert some modem of control with our Expedited and Rush rates.

The Rush Rate is only about a couple hundred bucks more than the Standard Rate, but sure seems to get carriers to jump. Some people are in a big hurry. Maybe in a bind or very anxious. If a carrier is putting together a full load of several cars, trucks and SUV’s, then he is quite naturally drawn to the higher paying Rush Rate order. Those tend to get Assigned quicker, and since most orders get picked up within one or two days of assignment, the customer also receives his vehicle faster. Of course, there still needs to be a carrier making that run and one vehicle alone cannot make that happen. But those situations are the exception and not the rule. Don’t want to mess around? Go Rush Rate.