A complete, evergreen guide from the Compass TransitWorks dispatch team — built on the real questions our customers ask every day.
If you've never shipped a car before, the process can look opaque from the outside: who's actually moving the vehicle, why are quotes so different from each other, and what happens between booking and a truck pulling up to your driveway? This guide breaks the entire workflow down into clear steps so you know exactly what to expect.
Auto transport in the United States is split into two roles. Brokers like Compass TransitWorks handle the customer-facing work: quoting, booking, paperwork, dispatch, communication, and claims. Carriers are the independent trucking companies that own the rigs and physically move your vehicle. There are tens of thousands of small carriers — most own one to five trucks — and they find loads through national load boards that brokers post to. A good broker takes your shipment and lists it at a market-fair rate that attracts a high-quality, properly insured carrier within hours. A bad broker lists it too low, no quality carrier accepts it, and your shipment sits unclaimed for days.
Understanding this split is the single most useful thing a first-time shipper can learn. It explains why prices vary so much, why low quotes are dangerous, and why broker selection matters more than carrier selection.
Start by getting a written quote from a live dispatcher. Avoid the all-in-one comparison sites that sell your information to a dozen brokers — you'll get bombarded with calls and the quoted prices are usually below market. Instead, call (833) 742-9186 or fill out the contact form on this site for a single, real number.
A real quote includes: pickup ZIP, delivery ZIP, vehicle year/make/model, transport type (open or enclosed), pickup window, and the total price all-in. If anything is vague ("starting at," "as low as"), it's not a real quote.
When you accept the quote, the broker formalizes the booking. With Compass TransitWorks, this means a written confirmation by email, a small deposit charged only after dispatch is confirmed, and the balance due on delivery. There's no full upfront payment, and no signing away your rights to back out before a carrier accepts the load.
Dispatch is the broker-side work of finding a carrier who will accept your shipment at the agreed price. With a fair-market quote, dispatch usually completes within a few hours to a day. Once a carrier accepts, you receive the carrier's name, USDOT number, and the assigned driver's contact information.
If a carrier doesn't accept within 24–48 hours, that's a red flag the quote was too low. Compass TransitWorks doesn't underprice shipments, so this almost never happens — but if it does, we tell you honestly and adjust.
The driver calls you 12–24 hours before arrival to confirm the window. On the day, they show up with the truck and the Bill of Lading (BOL). You walk around the car together, the driver marks any pre-existing damage on the diagram, you both sign, and the vehicle is loaded.
The vehicle then travels with anywhere from one to nine other cars on the same truck. The carrier follows a multi-stop route, dropping off each car as it reaches its destination.
You can call the driver directly for updates, or contact your Compass TransitWorks dispatcher. Federal hours-of-service rules limit drivers to 11 hours of driving per day, which is why transit times are calculated based on driving hours, not pure mileage.
Typical transit windows once on the truck:
The driver calls again 12–24 hours before arrival. On delivery, you repeat the BOL process: walk the vehicle together, note any new damage on the diagram, sign, and take possession. Balance is paid to the driver at this point — usually by cash, certified funds, or in some cases credit card.
Most first-time shippers underestimate the full timeline. From the day you book, plan for:
Total: typically 7–14 days door-to-door, sometimes longer for cross-country or remote routes. If you need it faster, ask about expedited service.
The broker posts your shipment on a national load board with a price that reflects fuel cost, route density (how easy it is to find a return load nearby), seasonal demand, and the carrier's empty miles to reach pickup. Carriers self-select shipments that pencil out for their schedule. The first carrier to accept at the listed price gets the load.
This is why a fair-market quote moves quickly and a too-low quote sits forever. The market sets the price, not the broker's website.
Open transport is the standard — the same trucks that deliver new cars to dealerships. Use it for daily drivers, fleet vehicles, and almost anything not exotic or low-clearance. Enclosed transport seals the vehicle in a covered trailer. Use it for classics, exotics, luxury cars, low-clearance vehicles, and anything you'd be heartbroken to find with a road-chip on the hood.
Every active carrier is federally required to maintain cargo insurance. Coverage limits vary: open carriers typically carry $100,000–$250,000 per vehicle; enclosed carriers carry $250,000–$1,000,000. The Bill of Lading is what triggers a claim — see our BOL guide for the inspection steps that protect you.
One price in writing. One named dispatcher who picks up the phone. One carrier we picked from a vetted network. Live updates from booking to delivery. All 50 states, with launch hubs in Arizona and Tennessee.
Seven to ten days is ideal. Last-minute shipments are possible but usually cost more because they require expedited dispatch.
Yes — you have your driver's direct number, and your dispatcher provides updates whenever the carrier checks in.
Yes, or you can designate an adult to release/receive the vehicle and sign the BOL.
Carriers can usually meet at a nearby parking lot if a residential street is too narrow for a 75-foot trailer. Your dispatcher coordinates this.
Yes — no valuables, no firearms, nothing perishable, and ideally nothing over 100 pounds. Personal items are not covered by carrier insurance.
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