How It Works
Five steps from the rate on your screen to the signature at delivery, what happens at each one, and what we need from you.
Start With a Rate
Real estimate on screen. No phone tag.
- Distance
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- Transit
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- Carrier
- Open
Questions now? Call or text (855) 500-7447.
How it works
The Five Steps
From rate to delivery with the same transportation advisor on your file. Your card is not touched until a carrier has been assigned.
I
Get your rate
Enter two ZIP codes and your vehicle class. The estimator prices the real road distance and shows open and enclosed figures on screen.
II
Book
A transportation advisor confirms the details and your preferred pickup window. Nothing is charged yet.
III
Dispatch
We assign your vehicle to a vetted carrier with verified cargo coverage and send you the driver's details.
IV
Pickup
You get a call the day before. At pickup the driver walks the vehicle with you and notes its condition on the Bill of Lading, which you both sign.
V
Delivery
A second call comes before arrival. You compare the vehicle against the pickup report, sign off, and settle the balance with the driver.
I. Your rate
Enter the pickup and delivery locations, choose the vehicle class, and the estimator prices the road distance between them with a per-mile rate that steps down on longer runs. The figure appears on screen with a typical range for the lane. Estimates reflect open-carrier, door-to-door service. Enclosed transport adds a flat $500. Final rate confirmed before dispatch.
An estimate is a close starting point, not a contract. Fuel, demand on your exact lane that week, modifications and tight dates can all move it. Your advisor confirms the final figure before anything is dispatched, and that confirmed figure is what you pay.
II. Booking
A transportation advisor calls to confirm the details: year, make and model, whether it runs, any modifications, and the earliest day it can be collected. Auto transport works on a pickup window of one to five days rather than an appointment, because carriers build routes from several vehicles and a truck heading your way has to line up with your dates. A wider window prices better and dispatches sooner. When a date truly cannot move, expedited service buys a firm one.
Nothing is charged at this stage.
III. Dispatch
We assign your vehicle to a carrier that has passed our checks for active authority, safety record and cargo coverage. The service fee is collected now, you receive the carrier's details and the driver's number, and the balance is due to the driver at delivery.
IV. Pickup
- Wash the vehicle. An accurate inspection needs a clean surface.
- Photograph it on all sides, the roof, wheels and odometer, with timestamps.
- Empty it. Up to 100 lbs in the trunk is tolerated; belongings are not insured.
- Quarter tank of fuel, alarm disabled, mirrors folded, antenna down, racks and spoilers removed or secured.
- One set of keys for the driver.
The driver calls the day before and again when close. You or someone you name walks the vehicle with them and every existing mark goes on the Bill of Lading. Read it before you sign. It is the record of the condition the vehicle left in, and it is the basis of any claim later.
Carriers run about 80 feet. If your street cannot take one, the driver arranges a nearby lot by phone. That is routine and does not change the price.
V. Transit and delivery
Drivers cover 400 to 500 miles a day under federal hours-of-service limits: eleven hours of driving in a fourteen-hour window, then a ten-hour break. A Chicago-to-Florida run usually takes three to four days; a coast-to-coast run, seven to ten. You have the driver's number, and your advisor is monitoring the shipment.
Before arrival the driver calls. Inspect the vehicle against the pickup Bill of Lading, in daylight if you can. Anything new goes on the delivery Bill of Lading before the driver leaves. Photograph it, then call us: we file with the carrier's insurer, and if the carrier denies a documented claim, our guarantee reimburses your service fee or the repair, whichever is less. If everything checks out, sign, pay the balance in certified funds, and you are done.
Checklist
What You Need at Each End
At pickup
Someone to sign, one set of keys, a clean and empty vehicle, about a quarter tank, alarm off.
At delivery
Someone to inspect and sign, the balance in certified funds, and daylight if possible.
Dispatch without a scratch, or your money back
Damage documented on the Bill of Lading at delivery goes to the carrier's insurer first. If they deny it, ExecuShip reimburses your service fee or the repair, whichever is less. The industry standard was not good enough, so we raised it. Conditions apply.
FAQ
Questions, Answered
How many days will the shipment take?
Carriers cover roughly 400 to 500 miles a day under federal hours-of-service rules. Chicago to Florida is usually three to four days once loaded; coast to coast runs seven to ten. Add a pickup window of one to five days on top.
Is my car insured while it is on the truck?
Yes. Every carrier we dispatch holds active cargo coverage, which we verify before your vehicle is assigned. Any damage claim is filed against the carrier's policy. Belongings packed inside the vehicle fall outside that coverage.
Can I pack belongings in the car?
Up to 100 lbs, stowed in the trunk or below the window line. Carriers are licensed for vehicles, not household goods, and belongings are excluded from cargo coverage.
Do I need to be there at pickup and delivery?
You or someone you authorise. That person walks the inspection with the driver and signs the Bill of Lading at each end. A relative, neighbour, property manager or dealership employee all work.
Ready to move your vehicle?
See your rate on screen in thirty seconds, or call and a transportation advisor will price it while you are on the line.