Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Frequently Asked Questions |
Vehicle Shipping
How do I determine a reasonable pay rate to transport my car?
How fast can I expect my vehicle to be shipped?
Is my vehicle insured while being transported?
What can I do if my vehicle is damaged suring shipping?
Why can't I ship my car to or from Hawaii?
What forms of payment do you accept?
Can I pack items in my car while it is being shipped?
I need to transport my motorcycle, can you help me?
Can you help me transport my motorhome, box van, or other large vehicle?
Do you transport farm or construction equipment?
My car has been posted for a while, but I haven't had any shipping offers, why?
What is an auto transport broker?
What is the difference between an auto transport broker and Transport Auto Now?
How does the gas gift certificate work?
Carrier Questions
How do I pick up a vehicle I see on your loadboard?
I don't have my DOT authority, can I pick up a vehicle from your board?
Vehicle Shipping
How do I determine a reasonable pay rate to transport my car?
Determining a pay rate may seem difficult, but in reality, it is fairly simple. There is no exact formula or set rates, and average prices can change due to economic conditions and the time of the year, however with a little bit of thinking and some simple math, you can determine a price that will be both attractive to carriers and affordable for you.
There are a number of factors to consider when shipping your car. The value of the vehicle, route, distance, trailer type, how urgently the car needs to be moved, origin/destination location and, of course, your budget all need to be considered. Generally speaking, 30 to 45 cents a mile is a typical rate for open trailer transport. 60 to 75 cents per mile is typical for enclosed transport. Inoperable vehicles generally ship on open trailers.
Use our rate calculator to determine a suggested pay rate. Due to the number of factors involved with auto shipping, this calculator is to be used as an estimation tool only and may not give you an entirely accurate price.
We understand that the hardest part of shipping a car with Transport Auto Now is figuring how much to pay the carrier. If you need help determining a price, contact us and we will give you free advice on how to price your vehicle to get it transported according to your needs.
FAQ
How fast can I expect my vehicle to be shipped?
Depending on the COD price, type of vehicle, and origin location of your vehicle, you can expect to be contacted with a dispatch offer within 2 business days. Vehicles shipping to and from major metro areas frequently are dispatched within an hour of posting.
Once your vehicle is picked up, transit time depends on distance. Cross country transports from New York to Los Angeles are around 10-14 days, while regional transports of 400 miles or less are often delivered the same day they are picked up.
FAQ
Is my vehicle insured while it is being transported?
Transport Auto Now is dedicated to helping you ship your car safely and without being damaged in the process. We only allow fully licensed carriers with at least a $1 million liability insurance policy to pick up vehicles from our loadboard. We also check a company's reputation on several independent transportation review websites. We do not hesitate to deny applications from carriers that do not meet our standards. When you accept a dispatch contract with one of our carriers, we can send you a copy of their insurance and licensing information so you can see for yourself that they are a quality carrier.
FAQ
What can I do if my vehicle is damaged suring shipping?
We strive to make sure that your car is transported with the highest quality carrier. However, accidents DO happen. You should perform a vehicle inspection with your driver both at pick up and drop off. If you notice any damage that appears to have occured during transport, notify the driver immediately. It is the driver or company's responsibility to work with you to resolve the issue.
TransportAutoNow.com is not in any way responsible for any damage that occurs to vehicles in transport.
FAQ
Why can't I ship my car to or from Hawaii?
Simple answer: Trucks don't swim. Here's how you can do it: Arrange transport by boat from Hawaii to the port of your choice. We reccomend Matson to take care of the wet part for you. List it on TransportAutoNow using the port address as the Origin. Shipping from the Continental US works much the same way, except of course, the Destination rather than the Origin will be the port. Please note that Matson requires a notarized letter if anyone other than the registered owner will be picking up your vehicle, so you will need to provide this to Matson or they will not allow the truck driver to pick up your car from the port.
We highly reccomend that you contact us for more information if you need to send a vehicle to or from Hawaii.
FAQ
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept credit cards, paypal, and check by phone.
FAQ
Can I pack items in my car while it is being shipped?
No. Auto carriers are authorized to carry vehicles only. Carriers are subject to DOT and police inspections at any time, and can face fines up to $10,000 if they are found to be transporting anything other than vehicles. In addition, if your car is found to be carrying anything, it may be impounded and all fines and expenses will be your responsibility.
FAQ
I need to transport my motorcycle, can you help me?
Yes. Many car transport carriers also handle motorcycles. Typically, motorcycles are transported in enclosed trailers, and because they take up much less space than a car, they can be shipped for 30-40 cents per mile.
FAQ
Can you help me transport my motorhome, box van, or other large vehicle?
Absolutely. If you need to move a vehicle that can not fit on an auto transport trailer, we can help you find a driveaway service. This usually means an experienced commercial driver that will drive your large vehicle for you, wherever it needs to go.
FAQ
Do you transport farm or construction equipment?
If your farm or construction equipment will fit on a standard auto carrier, most transport carriers will treat it just like any standard vehicle shipment. If your equipment is too large to fit on a standard auto trailer, but is street legal and can be driven at highway speeds, we can help you arrange driveaway service (see above)
If your equipment requires specialized transportation, such as a low-boy trailer, we will do our best to help you, but since most of our carriers specialize in auto transport, we can not guarantee that we will be able to arrange transportation.
FAQ
My car has been posted for a while, but I haven't had any shipping offers, why?
The most likely reason for not receiving any shipping offers is that you are not offering enough pay. Other factors can include the route of the shipment and availability of trucks along that route. Our experienced customer service team will be more than happy to give you free advice on how to get your car shipped.
FAQ
What is an auto transport broker?
An auto transport broker is a company or individual that arranges auto transportation with a commission fee. Broker fees are typically $150-$200 or a percentage - in addition to the pay to carrier. Most brokers will calculate a price that is reasonably attractive to carriers, then add their commission fee in the price they quote you. If you accept a bid from a broker, you have little control of the price you pay to ship your car. There are many websites that offer free shipping quotes. These websites are either individual brokers or lead generation websites shared by many brokers. Posting your vehicle on one of these sites usually leads to non-stop phone calls and emails from several different brokers until you accept a bid and your vehicle is posted to a loadboard pending pickup by a carrier.
FAQ
What is the difference between an auto transport broker and Transport Auto Now?
There are two main differences between brokers and Transport Auto Now. (1) With Transport Auto Now, you are in complete control of the price you pay to ship your vehicle. Brokers set a price for you. (2) Transport Auto Now charges a $49.95 documentation and dispatch fee, while brokers charge a minimum commission fee of $150 per vehicle.
FAQ
How does the gas gift certificate work?
Once your car has been shipped, let us know where to send your gift certificate. Fill out your certificate and mail it in to our affiliate, and you will be on your way to $500 in free gas. Pick any gas station you like, and once you purchase $100 in gas at that station, send in your receipts. Our affiliate will then send you a gift card for $25 at that gas station. The process repeats until you have $500 worth of gift cards.
You can pick any gas station you like and change as often as you like, as long as you purchase at least $100 worth of fuel with any one company.
FAQ
Carrier Questions