Frequently Asked Questions

As always, it depends on what exactly you're shipping. Most of the time standard cars carry with them standard prices for auto shipping services, but heavier cars - particularly muscle cars and older vehicles made out of heavier metals - may cost a bit extra. However, because they're still considered a standard-sized car, any price hikes will be minimal at best. Car transport prices generally will depend mostly on where you're shipping from and to.

Yes, your vehicle is insured up to the market value the entire time it is on the transport carrier.

To help us meet the dates you request and to get the best service, book as early as possible. Three weeks is the average lead time. We also take expedited orders as well.

Yes. However, there is an additional charge for any vehicle that is or becomes inoperable during the auto transport. The vehicle must roll, steer and brake.

You can have up to 100 pounds of clothing, linen or towels in the trunk of the vehicle. However, we discouraged placing belongings in the vehicle, for several reasons:

1. "Auto Carriers" are not licensed to transport household goods.
2. Any items placed inside are not insured, only the vehicle itself.
3. If the vehicle were broken into and your belongings stolen, you could not file a claim against the trucking company.
4. And most important; weight. The trucks are required to pass through weigh stations at each state line. Excess weight on the truck could cause considerable delays and fines.

If the vehicle owner or customer cannot be available, a person should be designated to act as the agent at pick up or delivery.

We take your debit or credit card information to process your order and begin looking for a carrier. This demonstrates your commitment to us that you have chosen our company for the correct reasons.

Sometimes it is very common for customers to "double book" with multiple brokers thinking this will give them a better chance at getting their vehicle dispatched. The fact is, all brokers are using the same resources to find a carrier. When a vehicle is "double booked" it only delays the process and confuses the carriers who are searching for their next vehicle to pick up, thus you may be ignored.

By giving us the assurance of your debit or credit card information, we will do the best job possible to get you picked up on the dates that you request based on what other vehicles are paying on the same or similar routes.

We here at Ultimate Auto Shipping can ship just about any pickup truck you can think of. From compact pickup trucks like the Ford Ranger to huge Super Duty trucks like the Ford F-350, we can get you a quote to transport it. Note that some pickup trucks will be more expensive than others, and generally the larger the truck, the more expensive it will be to ship.

Yes, we can transport pickup trucks with shells and other accessories that cover the bed. If you have anything like that on your truck, please specify as to exactly what it is. Things like shells or tonneau covers aren't going to cost any extra as they add minimal weight and no length or height to the pickup truck, but things like camper shells or bolt-on trailers will likely cost more to transport.

Yes, you can. We ask that you please inform us of what type of box is on the truck or if there are any other modifications (such as a cherry picker or other work-related accessory), as well as any new dimensions such as height or weight that the pickup truck has after the modifications. This will help us ensure that the quote we give you is as accurate as possible. If you have pictures of the truck, that would likely help too, as our representatives could get a better understanding of what it is you are looking to ship.

No. Federal regulations prohibit anything from being in the bed of a pickup truck, regardless of what it is or how it is secured. Many people want to ship motorcycles or small ATV's that fit in the bed of their truck, but are unable to do so. This also goes for putting anything in the bed of a pickup truck with a shell.

Yes. We can transport a sport utility vehicle of any size or weight, though how big it is will likely impact how much you spend on SUV shipping services. Though much of the price you pay is because of the distance the carrier has to travel, larger or heavier vehicles (than a standard car, anyway) will likely cause a drop in fuel efficiency for the car transporter, which means they have to stop at the pump more often and that means less time driving and more money spent on fuel. You should keep that in mind when budgeting your transport.

Yes, you can. Just like when a car that is not running is loaded onto the back of an auto transport truck via a winch, an SUV that is not running will need to be winched up onto it as well. Unfortunately, sport utility vehicles are typically a bit heavier than a standard car, which means they're harder to wrestle onto the truck with a winch.

Yes, lifted SUV's can certainly be shipped. Just like as we said above, however, sport utility vehicles are larger than a standard car anyway, which means they're going to be more expensive to ship along the same route. SUV's that are lifted aftermarket are more difficult to transport, especially if the lift is so high it cannot fit onto the back of a standard truck. If your SUV is lifted in any way, please let your representative know before you book your order so that we make sure you get the most accurate quotes possible.

Typically, the answer to this question is no. Unlike transporting a usual car with a trunk, SUV's have a cargo area, which means that any auto transporter can simply look inside one of the windows and see a whole bunch of stuff. The whole "junk in the trunk" loophole doesn't really work with sport utility vehicles.

Yes. Vehicles that do not run are known as non-ops or in-ops, and are subject to special pricing conditions considering the fact that they cannot be driven onto or off of the transport truck. This means that they will need to be winched, which is a fairly time-consuming process that also takes a lot of energy and exertion. Therefore, auto transporters that operate a winch will typically charge you one or two hundred dollars to use it. This is standard and generally isn't avoidable, but generally any in-op fees will be included in the quote you receive, so you won't be paying any more than what you were told.

Yes. Typically, depending on the condition and rarity of the vehicle you're shipping, you may want to consider an enclosed auto transport carrier as opposed to the more standard open transport. Open transport is just fine for most vehicles, particularly those that customers are driving every day or using as their daily commuter. Classic or antique cars generally - at least if you aren't looking at totally restoring a junker - are starting to appreciate in value due to their age and rarity, so keeping them pristine is more important. If you're concerned about the safety of your classic or antique vehicle during transport, give us a call and let one of our helpful representatives help you with more information tailored to your specific vehicle.

We actually get this one a lot, and we recommend against it. Having a bit of dirt on your vehicle will actually help protect the exterior of your vehicle from minor dings and scratches during transport. Damage during transport is rare, but it's not all that uncommon to see minor scratches that need some buffing. You can prevent this by not washing your car before it is transported. Any dirt accumulated during transport will only help protect it further, and once it's delivered you can have it washed quickly and easily.

We can transport just about any minivan you can think of. Many older minivans are actually easier to ship despite the appearance of more bulk. This is because older minivans are generally built on a shorter wheelbase than newer minivans, though it should not affect your transport price all that much.

Yes, any minivan that is not running will be considered an in-op vehicle and will likely be subject to a small in-op vehicle shipping fee. This fee is included in the quote you get (as long as you marked your vehicle is not running when you got your quote), but is necessary because the only way a vehicle can be loaded onto a carrier if it is not running is via a winch, which is a special tool that not all shippers use.

Typically yes, but only slightly. Minivans are bulkier than a car and even some smaller SUV's, though weight-wise they're only slightly heavier than most full-size cars. Minivans usually don't cost as much as large SUV's because of this, though you should expect slightly higher prices due to the larger size of the minivan.

No. Typically you could get away with putting personal belongings in the trunk of a vehicle, but a minivan doesn't have a trunk. Maybe if it has some cargo space under the floor in the back, like a stow-and-go type of thing, you may be able to put some linens in those compartments so long as they're out of sight (and thus out of mind). You should ask your representative for more details regarding putting personal belongings in your minivan, though we do recommend that you make sure to not put anything valuable where it could get broken or jostled during transport.

No. You are never allowed to ride with the carrier while your vehicle is being transported. You would be going on what amounted to a five-day road trip with a commercial carrier who more than likely sleeps in their truck; many long haul drivers, regardless of the industry they drive for or work in, sleep in their truck to avoid the high cost of hotel bills, plus they can keep an eye on their truck.