Transport Guidelines

In the State To State Towing world, it is assumed that people understand there are no guaranteed timelines. When you ask your Auto Transport company for estimated pick-up and delivery times, they can never give you an exact date and time until closer to your move. Without a doubt, you should be able to get within a 3-day window for Car Shipping pick-up, but delivery is a little more challenging.

The reasons for delay during Vehicle Shipping are many; unforeseen weather and construction delays, accidents (involving them and others), tolls, potential weight issues at scales and breakdowns to name a few. All of these can throw a wrench in your Auto Shipping timeline. People that are experienced in Transport know that this is the case and understand the delays are part of the deal.

If this is your first Transport experience, you need to understand that State To State Towing companies are always busy, but they are extra busy during certain seasons. Obviously, late spring and summer Auto Transport companies are quite busy and they drop off during the fall and winter. Additionally, there is Car Shipping “snow bird” season. This is the time when retired families leave there “northern” home and go south for the winter, doing this may require the services of a Vehicle Shipping company and this season means a lot of repeat business for Auto Shipping companies that have been doing this for years.

If you are promised exact dates for Transport, always get the guarantee in writing and even try to negotiate a discount or a rental car (that they cover 100%) if those time lines are not satisfied by the State To State Towing company. Again, GET IT IN WRITING!!! And remember, everything in Auto Transport is negotiable. Some companies will also have a hefty cancellation fee into the contract if you decide to cancel or use another Car Shipping, this is something else that you can possible amend up front.

Once the pick-up is made, your Vehicle Shipping company should provide you with a fairly precise delivery date. If the time line you are given does not fit into your schedule, there is always an option to pick-up your car and hold it for an additional charge.

Just because you have driven and even mapped out the best possible route and you know it takes 13 hours does not mean that the Auto Shipping company will be there in 13 hours. Typical transporters have more than 1 vehicle on their Transport trailer and will have to drop those off in a logical manner along the way. Some may have to stop at dealerships to drop off a number of cars and these things take time! State To State Towing drivers also have paperwork to do on the road (invoices/billing) and are required to follow strict laws that dictate to them how long they have to “rest” and how long they can be behind the wheel. All these things mean getting impact efficiently and they are professional Auto Transport drivers for a reason.

One final thought, here are some “rule of thumb” timelines for Car Shipping. Again, these are a guideline and not a hard and fast guarantee that you can hold your Vehicle Shipping to. You can always get expedited service, but it will cost you!

- East Coast to West Coast – typically 5 to 14 days
- Midwest to East Coast – typically 3 to 8 days
- Midwest to West Coast – typically 3 to 8 days
- South to the North – typically 3 to 8 days

To speak with us about any type of Auto Shipping or to speak to our Transport team member, please call our office or fill out the quote form and we will call you soon.