3 Steps to Ship a Car Cross Country

How To Prepare To Ship a Car Cross Country

It can be a daunting task to figure out how to ship a car cross country, especially if you’ve never done it before or have to move quickly with minimal time to plan. Below are a few ways to help prepare for cross country transport to make it a simple process:

1. Choose Your Transport Type

There are two main transport options when you ship a car cross country.

Open Carrier: This is considered the most common type of domestic transport. Your car will be loaded and shipped on an open carrier transport vehicle with seven to nine other vehicles. It’s the most affordable way to have your car transported by a carrier, and you have the option to schedule door-to-transport or terminal transport depending on your budget and where you want to meet the driver to pick up your car.

Enclosed Carrier: While enclosed transport tends to be a bit more expensive, this is the best way to ship a car cross country to make sure that it’s protected from the elements during transport and arrives in the same condition as when it was shipped. These drivers are extensively trained to handle all elements that they may encounter on the road and will handle your prized vehicle with the utmost care.

2. Remove All Personal Items From The Car

Make sure to take all of your belongings out of your vehicle before the carrier arrives to pick it up. For the most part, you’re not able to store any personal items in the vehicle during a cross country car transport because the items are not insured. The carrier will not be held responsible for any of the items damaged or stolen.

3. Pick A Delivery Point

When scheduling your cross country transport, you’ll need to decide on a delivery point where the driver will meet you to drop off your vehicle. There are two types of delivery points to consider.

Door-to-Door Transport: Your car will be delivered to your new home. Once you schedule your shipment and your car is picked up, you just have to wait for it to be delivered to your new home. This will save you time from having to meet the driver at a different location.

Terminal Shipping: If you’re looking to save money or don’t have a permanent address at your new location, this is a great option. You’ll schedule a predetermined location, typically a terminal or public place to have it picked up. Keep in mind that there might be additional fees if the location is not in a metro/city area.

Schedule a Cross Country Car Transport With Metti International

We use our experience and expertise to provide exceptional service to help make it easy to ship a car cross country. As a finalist for the “Torch Award Finalist” by the Better Business Bureau for Ethics (BBB), we have proved that we go above and beyond to provide our customers with exceptional service.

Call Metti International for a free quote today at 866.620.1776!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Most major credit cards, postal money orders and cashiers checks are acceptable forms of payment.

As with most transport services, a deposit is generally required when placing an order. Deposits range from 10-25 % of the total shipping cost. The remaining balance will be due upon delivery.

Most auto transport companies accept cash, certified checks, and postal money orders.

Coast to coast trips usually takes between 10-14 days. Shorter trips ranges from 3-7 days, depending on the actual distance. Some factors may delay a trip, including traffic, weather, and truck breakdowns.

Yes, we request you, or a designated person, be present upon pick up of your vehicle. For your safety and your vehicle’s safety, an inspection is performed and a bill of lading must be signed that serves as proof of delivery.

The easiest way to ship an inoperable vehicle is to let us know when requesting a vehicle transport quote. There will be an additional charge, plus loading and unloading charges to your quote, if we are not informed of the vehicle’s condition prior to quoting.

Auto carriers are not licensed to carry house goods or personal items, these goods and items are not covered by the carriers insurance. Any damage to your vehicle due to household goods shifting or breaking is also not covered. Personal belongings left in the vehicle, are shipped strictly at the owners risk. Carriers will not inventory any belongings left in the vehicle and will assume no responsibility.

Your car is insured for the Blue Book value the entire time it is on the truck. Clearly listed on your Shipping Order, Agreement and Bill of Lading are occurrences not covered. At the time of pick up, a condition report is filled out and signed by both the person turning the car over and the truck driver and you are given a copy.

Upon delivery of your vehicle, this same report is presented. You should compare the condition of the vehicle to the report thoroughly at that time. If you feel damage has occurred to your vehicle during delivery, you must note it on the report before you sign it and the driver leaves. Damage done in transit does not relieve the shipper of paying for transport service performed. Claims will be handled by the vehicle carrier and insurance companies.

Metti International offers door-to-door auto transport service where possible. However, there are instances that we cannot collect/deliver directly to the door due to the size of our auto carrier’s trucks. The size of your street may prohibit direct delivery to your door. Also, some towns and cities do not allow trucks on their residential streets. If the carrier cannot get to your door, he will deliver your vehicle to the next most convenient accessible location, such as the nearest major crossing street, a shopping mall or supermarket.

Please have a no more than 1/4 tank of fuel, remove all personal items from your vehicle and have it washed and cleaned so that the ensuing inspection is easily performed. If it is a convertible, T-top, sunroof, etc. make sure all openings are closed and prepared for changing weather. You can find additional tips on how to prepare your car for transport here.