Car shipping
How to prepare your car for shipping day
The short answer
How to prepare a car for shipping comes down to five things: wash it so existing damage is visible, empty it, leave a low tank, photograph every panel in daylight, and walk the vehicle with the driver before signing the Bill of Lading. That signed document is what a damage claim rests on. InterCar Group books nothing.
What actually goes wrong on pickup day
Almost every unhappy shipment traces back to one of these four, and all four are fixed the day before rather than on the day.
The car is dirty, so the damage is invisible
A film of road grime hides chips, swirls and a cracked mirror housing. If it is not visible at pickup it does not go on the condition report, and anything found at delivery becomes an argument about when it happened.
It is full of fuel and full of boxes
A trailer runs close to its legal axle limits already. Weight you add is weight the driver has to take off somewhere, and household goods sit outside what a carrier is authorized and insured to move.
Nobody can be there to sign
Somebody has to hand over a key, walk the vehicle with the driver and sign at each end. Arranging that person late is how a pickup slips a day and a delivery sits on the truck.
The street cannot take the truck
A loaded carrier is the length of a semi with a low ramp. Cul-de-sacs, low branches, gated entrances and streets that ban commercial vehicles all need a meeting point agreed in advance.
The checklist, in order
Do the first four the day before. The fifth happens with the driver standing next to you.
Wash it, then photograph everything
Clean paint is the only way to prove what was already there. Photograph every panel, both bumpers, the roof, the wheels, the glass and the odometer, in daylight, with something in frame that dates them. Keep the originals.Empty it, including what you will forget
The toll transponder, the parking pass, the garage remote, the sunglasses, the phone mount, the spare key, anything in the trunk. Remove a roof rack, an aftermarket antenna and any loose trim. Fold the mirrors in.Leave a low tank and check the basics
About a quarter of a tank: enough to load, unload and drive away, not enough to be dead weight. Check tire pressures, top up nothing that is leaking, note any fluid leak for the driver, and disable the alarm or hand over the code.Get the keys and the paperwork together
One set of keys goes with the car and the spare stays with you. Have registration and proof of insurance to hand, and if someone else will sign, ask the carrier in advance what written authorization it wants to see.Walk the car with the driver, then sign
The driver marks existing damage on the Bill of Lading diagram. Check it against the car, add anything missed before you sign, and keep your copy. Repeat the walk at delivery and write down anything new before your signature goes on the delivery copy.
Upfront pricing
What preparation is worth in money
Preparing the vehicle costs nothing. What it prevents is a surcharge added on the day, or a refused load. These are published market ranges, not an offer: InterCar Group does not quote transport and does not take payment for it, and the carrier confirms the price with you before pickup.
| Service | Typical range | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Typical US move, all in | $1,000 – $1,500one vehicle, total | The move itself, before anything you did or did not declare in advance. |
| Vehicle that does not run, declared in advance | $150 – $300added to the quote | Winch loading and the trailer position it forces. It still has to roll, steer and brake. |
| Winch equipment, where a carrier itemizes it | $150 – $350added to the quote | The loading equipment on its own, reported separately from the labor around it. |
Estimates only. Final price confirmed by the local operator before dispatch.
What moves this price
- Whether the vehicle was described accurately. A car declared as running that will not start changes the load, the trailer position and the price, on the day.
- What is left inside. Weight in the trunk of every car on a deck adds up, and household goods sit outside what a carrier cargo policy covers.
- Ground clearance and modifications. A lowered car, a lift kit or dual rear wheels decides which trailer and which ramp can take it.
- How reachable each address is. A street a full-length carrier cannot enter turns into a meeting point, which costs the driver time.
- Whether someone can be present at both ends. An unattended pickup or delivery means the condition report is signed by somebody who did not look at the car.
Where these ranges come from
- FreightWaves Checkpoint — How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car?Checked August 30, 2026
- AmeriFreight — How to Transport a Non-Running CarChecked August 30, 2026
Where these statements come from
Anything numeric or regulatory on this page carries the document it was read from and the date it was checked against it. A claim with no source is left off the page.
Published market data puts the average US car shipping cost between $1,000 and $1,500.
FreightWaves Checkpoint — How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car?Checked August 30, 2026
Shipping a vehicle that does not run typically adds about $150 to $300 to the quote, because it has to be winch-loaded.
FreightWaves Checkpoint — How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car?Checked August 30, 2026
Inoperable-vehicle shipping is priced roughly 20% to 50% above running-vehicle rates, with the winch equipment surcharge alone reported at $150 to $350.
AmeriFreight — How to Transport a Non-Running CarChecked August 30, 2026
Under 49 U.S.C. 13901, a person may provide the service of arranging transportation by motor carrier for compensation only if registered with FMCSA to do so. InterCar Group is not registered, which is why nothing on this page is a quote or a booking.
49 U.S.C. 13901 — Requirements for registration (govinfo)Checked August 30, 2026
FMCSA identifies every regulated entity by a USDOT number, and the statute requires that identification on documents for business transactions involving brokers, freight forwarders and for-hire motor carriers. Ask any carrier for its number, and check it yourself, before you agree to anything.
Federal Register — Availability of Motus, FMCSA’s New Registration System, 91 FR 23144Checked August 30, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much gas should I leave in the tank?
About a quarter of a tank. That is enough for the driver to load it, unload it and move it at a meeting point, and little enough that it is not dead weight on a trailer already close to its legal axle limits. A full tank on every car on a deck is weight the driver has to give up somewhere else.
Can I leave personal belongings in the car?
Only a small amount, and only if the carrier agrees in writing. A carrier is authorized and insured to move vehicles, not household goods, so whatever you leave inside usually travels uninsured. Most carriers allow a limited weight in the trunk, below the window line, and nothing in the passenger compartment. Ask for the exact limit rather than assuming one.
What if it rains and I cannot wash the car?
Photograph it anyway, in whatever light you have, and say plainly on the condition report that the vehicle was collected wet and dirty. Then take your delivery photographs before anyone washes it. A dispute over a scratch is decided on what the two sets of images show, so the pairing matters more than the shine.
What if I cannot be there at pickup or delivery?
Name someone who can, and give the carrier their name and phone number in advance. That person hands over one key, walks the vehicle with the driver and signs the Bill of Lading. Send them your pickup photographs first so they know what was already there. Ask the carrier what written authorization it needs from you.
What should I check at delivery before signing?
Walk the whole car against your pickup photographs in daylight, including the roof, the lower bumpers, the wheels and the odometer. Anything new goes on the delivery copy of the Bill of Lading before your signature does. A signature on a clean delivery copy is the carrier evidence that the vehicle arrived as it was loaded.
Do you handle the pickup?
No. InterCar Group holds no FMCSA operating authority, so we never quote a firm price, never take a deposit and never put a truck on your lane. We pass your route and vehicle details to licensed carriers. They quote you, contract with you and are paid by you, directly, and the driver who arrives works for them.
Last updated
Send the route once the car is ready
Pickup and delivery ZIP codes, the vehicle, and whether it runs. We pass the details to licensed carriers, who quote you and contract with you directly. We book nothing and take no payment.
Estimates only. The local operator confirms the final price before dispatch.