Scheduling Your Auto Transport Delivery

1. Planning Ahead
2. Door to Door Enclosed or Open Air
3. Auto Transport When Moving
4. Storage Is An Option

If you’re shipping a car and you have the luxury of having it picked up and delivered in any time frame, you’re in a rare group. For most people, the scheduling and timing of auto transport is an important aspect of the job, either because they’re scheduling around specific dates, be it for a vacation, moving, or some other reason. With this being the case, it’s important to understand some basic aspects of auto transport, like how far in advance you should schedule it, and what your shipping options are.

Planning Ahead

Planning ahead is a key part of scheduling any sort of vehicle transport service. While most shipping companies don’t need a ton of time to schedule and execute a delivery, you should still give them a lead time of at least a couple weeks. Keep in mind that you’ll need to leave yourself some time to find auto transporters to compare prices and research them before you contact anyone for a price quote. If you need any additional services, like door to door shipping or storage (see below), it’s a good idea to provide a little more lead time. If you have the ability to maintain some flexibility in your schedule, that can often work to your benefit with a shipper. While they do everything they can to deliver on a specific time table, there are sometimes unforeseen slowdowns that can cause a delay.

Door to Door Enclosed or Open Air

The method of shipping you choose can also affect the timing of your delivery. If you need a vehicle shipped the quickest (and most convenient) way possible, you’ll probably want to choose door to door enclosed transport. As the name implies this type of transport means the vehicle is picked up from a specific address and delivered to a specific address. Enclosed transport, as opposed to open air shipping, means that the car is entirely enclosed throughout the shipping process, which offers more protection. Enclosed transport also means that fewer cars are shipped at once—usually no more than two—so the transport carrier can make more miles in a day with a lighter payload to speed up delivery times.

A-1 Auto Transport is an experienced, professional auto shipper with a long track record of safely and efficiently delivering vehicles to every corner of the U.S. and overseas. With offices in nearly every major metro area, we are here to help no matter where you’re shipping to or from. Call us today at 1-888-230-9116 to learn more about our services, or if you’d like a FREE price quote right away! All estimates are 100% FREE and require no obligation on your part—just tell us what you need and we’ll price the delivery for you!

Auto Transport When Moving

If you happen to be moving and are also having a car shipped, coordinating everything to arrive on time is an even more important task. In this case, you’ll either need to contact both a moving company and a car shipper, or find an auto transport company that also offers moving services. It’s generally easier to schedule everything to arrive at the same time if you’re working with a company that provides both services, plus it’s a good way to get a discount. In either case, you’ll want to be generous with the amount of lead time you give a shipper or mover.

Storage Is An Option

If you are unable to be present when you vehicle is delivered, for whatever reason, you can make arrangements for short-term storage with most auto shippers. If it’s not something they offer, they can probably put you in touch with a company that does offer storage. Short-term storage is a good option even if you’re unsure if you’ll be able to arrive before your vehicle is delivered in some cases. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your car or truck has already been delivered and you’ll just have a short trip to the delivery terminal to pick it up.