Shipping Your Summer Car: Convertibles, Classics and Lake Cars

Some cars only come out when the weather’s good: the convertible at the beach house, the classic at the lake, the Jeep that lives at the mountain cabin. Shipping one to your summer place, and home again in the fall, is simple once you know the timing. Heading south for the winter instead? See snowbird car shipping.

Book Before the Rush

Late spring is a busy time for carriers. Families are moving, students are heading home, and summer homes are opening up. Book a few weeks before you need the car, and give yourself extra room around Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

Open or Enclosed

A summer car is often the nice one. Open transport is fine for a daily driver. For a classic, a show car or a convertible with an older top, enclosed transport keeps off rain, road grime and stone chips. See is enclosed worth it?

Wake It Up Before It Ships

A car that sat all winter needs a quick check before a driver can load it:

• Battery: charge it, or put it on a maintainer for a few days first.
• Tires: set the pressure and look for flat spots or cracking.
• Brakes and steering: they have to work, because the driver drives or steers the car onto the trailer.
• Leaks: check the floor where it’s been parked, and tell us about any drips.
• The top: latch it closed and make sure it seals.

Summer Places Can Be Tricky

Lake roads, beach streets and mountain drives weren’t built for a 75-foot carrier, so expect to meet on a main road or in a lot in town. Island homes are a step further: the carrier delivers near the ferry, and you take the car across. For Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, that’s the Cape side. See our notes on Massachusetts, Maine and Michigan.

Sending It Home in the Fall

Plan the return trip when you plan the trip out. Routes south get busy once snowbird season starts in October, so book early if your car is heading that way. Before it ships home, top up the fluids, clean out the beach sand, and decide where it’ll spend the winter. If it’s going straight into storage, add fuel stabilizer and plan on a battery maintainer when it arrives.

Questions