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Jennifer Cook is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront and has spent hours perusing sample warranty contracts from vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers. She began her career in automotive content researching insurance and vehicle shipping companies. Jennifer is based in the sleepy town of Cedar Mountain, North Carolina and spends much of her time exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains. She hopes to become an accomplished scuba diver in the coming years but knows that fear of sharks is a healthy thing.
Most drivers only need a detailed bill of lading to ship their vehicles.
Keep a copy of the carrier’s insurance coverage on hand for verification.
Some shipping companies may ask for a photo ID, your vehicle’s title and registration, an absent owner authorization form or a letter of authorization from your vehicle’s lienholder.
It may surprise you that you only need one document to ship your car. Unless you’re shipping your vehicle overseas or there is a lien on your vehicle, you can probably ship your car using only the bill of lading.
However, every shipping company and carrier is different and having a few extra documents on hand might help protect you and your vehicle. We’ll cover the necessary documents and why you might need them below.
A bill of lading is a detailed legal shipping document used by all car shipping services that contains critical details about the goods shipped. The bill of lading serves as a shipping contract between you and your shipping carrier, a bill of sale, a receipt of goods, proof of delivery and direct documentation of your vehicle’s state or condition.
When you arrange to have a vehicle shipped, a shipping carrier will inspect the vehicle to document any existing damages or other issues before loading the vehicle for transit. You’ll need to sign off on the bill of lading and ensure the document is accurate before the carrier takes the vehicle. Next, you’ll receive a copy of the bill of lading, which you’ll need to pick the vehicle up at its destination.
When you pick up your vehicle, inspect your vehicle again with the carrier and sign the bill of lading to complete the shipment.
In addition to the bill of lading, we recommend taking photographs of your vehicle to document its state when it leaves and then again when you pick it up. This step will help you track any damages during the shipping process.
Keep a copy of the car transport company’s insurance documents for your peace of mind. That way, if your car is damaged, you can reference the company’s insurance terms, conditions and limits to determine what will and won’t be covered.
With vehicle shipping, you typically won’t need to provide proof of insurance coverage.
Additionally, most car insurance companies don’t offer coverage specifically for shipping your vehicle. You can usually purchase special coverage directly from auto shipping companies.
However, if you have a comprehensive or full-coverage insurance policy, you may want to review that policy’s terms and conditions before shipping the vehicle.
Only some auto transport services require you to provide a car title or proof of ownership and registration. When scheduling your shipping services, ask the carrier which documents are required, if any, for proof of vehicle ownership at pickup.
While you might think you need to provide photo identification or proof of licensure to your shipping carrier, most companies don’t require this information. However, have your driver’s license or photo ID on hand if your carrier has any questions or needs to verify who you are.
While the bill of lading is the most important document for shipping your vehicle, some drivers may need uncommon documents.
Absent owner authorization is required when shipping your vehicle port-to-port and to select international locations. This allows someone who doesn’t own the vehicle to pick it up on your behalf so that the car shippers can continue transporting it to its destination.
If you’re shipping a vehicle with an existing lien, you’ll need a letter of authorization from the lienholder. However, you’ll most likely only need this document if you’re shipping your vehicle via seaport, such as to or from Hawaii.
Now that you know what documents you’ll need, you can learn how to ship a car or skip right to comparing car shipping quotes from the best car shipping companies in the industry. We reviewed auto transport companies based on services, availability, costs and customer reviews.
You can get quotes from car shipping companies below.
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Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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