What Happens to Your Car on the Road

When you book with a car transporting company, your car spends days with a driver you’ve probably never met. Knowing what actually happens on the road, from how the truck is loaded to the rules the driver follows, makes it easier to choose a company and to know what’s normal. Here’s the trip, step by step.

1. The Load Is Planned

A full open carrier holds around 8 to 10 cars on two decks, depending on their size. The driver plans the order before the first car goes on. Cars that come off first need to be easy to unload, the weight has to be balanced over the axles, and tall vehicles have to go where they’ll clear bridges. That’s why your pickup comes as a window: the driver is fitting your car into a route with other customers on it.

2. Pickup and Inspection

At pickup, the driver walks around your car with you and marks every existing scratch and dent on the inspection report, often part of the bill of lading. You both sign it, and you get a copy. Take your own dated photos too. This report is what the car is checked against at delivery, so don’t rush it.

3. Tied Down, Then Checked Again

Each car is tied down, usually with straps over the tires or chains to tie-down points on the frame. Federal rules require the driver to check the cargo and the tie-downs within the first 50 miles, then again every 3 hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first, and whenever they change duty status, like after a break.

4. Driving Within the Rules

Truck drivers work under federal hours-of-service rules: up to 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off duty, no driving past the 14th hour of the workday, and a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. An electronic logging device keeps track. Add weigh stations, fuel stops and other customers’ pickups and deliveries, and you can see why a long trip takes days.

5. What Causes Delays

• Weather and road closures, from snow on mountain passes to hurricanes on the coast
• Another customer’s car that wasn’t ready at its pickup
• A mechanical problem with the truck
• Traffic around big cities

A good company tells you about a delay when it happens, not after you call to ask. Want an update on the way? Call us, and we’ll check with the carrier.

6. Delivery

The driver usually calls ahead to set a time. If your street is too tight for the truck, you’ll meet nearby. Walk around the car with the driver and compare it to the pickup report. Note anything new before you sign, then pay any balance as stated in your booking confirmation.

What This Means When You Choose a Company

Every step above depends on the carrier. That’s why we match you with a vetted, licensed carrier that runs your route, and why it pays to ask the questions in the FAQ below before you book with anyone. For more on choosing, see how to choose a car transport company.

Questions