How it works
How car shipping works, start to finish.
TL-4127 has a carrier. The company, the driver and the driver's phone are on your order page.
1 to 5 days
until a carrier is assigned, on most lanes
400 to 500
miles a day on the truck
5 emails
one at each change
2 inspections
photographed, at both ends
The four steps
Each step, and what you can check for yourself.
- 1
Get your price
Four short screens cover the route, the car, the first day it can go and how to reach you. The price opens right after, before you talk to anyone.
It comes from what carriers were paid in the last 90 days to move cars like yours on your lane. Open and enclosed sit side by side, each with a pickup window you can plan around. Where recent data is thin, you get a range, labelled as one. Motorcycles, RVs, boats, Hawaii and Alaska are priced by a coordinator.
What you see
- Both prices, open and enclosed
- A pickup window for your lane
- A saved price to come back to
- 2
Book and sign online
About 5 minutes. You add both addresses, who hands the car over and who takes it, and whether it runs. The whole transport agreement comes next, and you read it to the end before you sign.
Saving a card finishes the booking. The signed agreement lands in your inbox, and from here a coordinator owns your order.
What you see
- Every page of the agreement before signing
- The signed copy, by email
- Your order page link
- 3
A checked carrier is assigned
We assign a carrier running your lane, and only one that passes all four checks of the Trustline Standard. Those cover its dispatch history, FMCSA authority and safety record, delivery record and cargo insurance certificate.
Most lanes take 1 to 5 days. Enclosed trailers are fewer, so they can take longer. When a carrier is assigned, you get an email, and your order page names the company, the driver and the driver's phone, with the pickup window they give. If that window shifts, you hear the same day.
What you see
- The carrier company and the driver, by name
- A number to call or text the driver
- The pickup window the carrier gives
- 4
Pickup to delivery
The driver calls the day before and again when close. You walk around the car together, and its condition goes on the bill of lading with photos. Take a few of your own as well, since that record is what protects you at delivery.
The car covers about 400 to 500 miles a day, and your order page shows the truck's last position while the driver's app is sharing. At delivery, check the car against the pickup photos. Note any new damage on the bill of lading before the driver leaves, sign, and pay the COD to Carrier.
What you see
- Photos from pickup and from delivery
- The bill of lading from both ends
- An email when the car is loaded, on the road and when it arrives
Your order page
Everything about your order, on one page.
The link is in every email we send. Open it whenever you want to see what has happened, what comes next and who is involved.
Each status, with its time
Booked, carrier assigned, picked up, on the road, delivered. Every step shows when it happened, and each one sends an email.
The people on your order
The carrier company, the driver and the driver's phone, and the name of your coordinator at Trustline.
Photos and paperwork in one place
Your photos, bill of lading and signed agreement, all saved on your order page.
The truck on a map
While the driver's app is sharing location, the page shows the truck's last known position and when it was recorded. When sharing stops, the page says so.
Order TL-4127
2024 Honda Accord · Orlando, FL to New York, NY
Booked
Thu 17 Sep, 4:12 PM
Carrier assigned
Fri 18 Sep, 10:42 AM
Picked up
Mon 21 Sep, 9:30 AM · 6 photos
On the road
Last seen near Savannah, GA · 2:14 PM
Delivered
Expected Wed 23 Sep
Carrier
Carrier company name
Driver name · (000) 000-0000
Documents
- Bill of lading, pickup · PDF
- Transport agreement, signed · PDF
Pickup photos
What you receive
Five emails, one for each step that matters.
Each email says what just happened and what happens next, with a link to your order page. Reply to any of them and the coordinator on your order answers in the same thread.
- Booked, with your signed agreement attached
- Carrier assigned, with the driver's name and phone
- Picked up, with the inspection photos
- On the road, with the delivery estimate
- Delivered, with the bill of lading
Inbox
Trustline Carriers
3:05 PM
Delivered
The bill of lading is on your order page. Reply here if anything is not right.
Trustline Carriers
Tue
TL-4127 is on the road
Delivery still expected Wed 23 to Sat 26 Sep. Your order page shows where it stands.
Trustline Carriers
Mon
Your car is on the truck
Pickup photos are on your order page. Delivery expected Wed 23 to Sat 26 Sep.
Trustline Carriers
Fri
A carrier is assigned to TL-4127
The carrier, the driver, and the driver's phone are on your order page. Pickup window Mon 21 to Wed 23 Sep.
Updated just now
When you pay
Three points, the same on every order, in your agreement's terms.
1. When you book
Card saved
Your card is saved. Nothing is charged while we look for your carrier.
2. Carrier assigned
Reservation
Charged to that card once the carrier's details are on your order page.
3. At delivery
COD to Carrier
Paid to the driver in cash, certified funds, a cashier's check or a money order.
Your price screen and page one of the agreement show the split for your car. More in the help center.
Two options at booking
Both optional, both on the details step.
- Guaranteed pickup date, $200. For a date that cannot move. The carrier picks up on the pickup date you choose, or the $200 goes back on your card. It covers the pickup date, not delivery.
- Expedited dispatch, $350. For a car that needs to go now. Your car reaches carriers first, at a higher rate, so one takes it sooner. It is added to the COD to Carrier, and dates stay estimates.
Questions
Questions about the process.
For anything else, the help center has it.
How long does shipping a car take?
Coast to coast is usually 6 to 9 days on the truck, at about 400 to 500 miles a day. Add the wait for a carrier with space on your lane, 1 to 5 days on most lanes. Your price screen shows the pickup window before you book.
Will the pickup date change?
It can. Weather and traffic move dates, so the price screen gives you a realistic window, and your order page shows the dates your carrier gives. If the window moves, you hear the same day. When the date cannot move, add the $200 guaranteed pickup date.
Do I need to be there?
Yes, you or someone you name, at both ends. That person inspects the car with the driver and signs the bill of lading. If neither of you can be there, tell your coordinator early. A car that is not ready at pickup carries a $100 rescheduling fee.
How do I pay the driver?
Cash, certified funds, a cashier's check or a money order. The COD to Carrier cannot be paid by personal check, business check or card.
What if the car arrives damaged?
Note it on the bill of lading and photograph it before the driver leaves, because damage left off at delivery cannot be claimed later. Send the claim in writing within 15 days of delivery. It is made against the carrier and its insurer, and we help you build it from the pickup photos and the bill of lading.
Your price
Your price is four short screens away.
Route, car, first day it can go, and how to reach you. You get open and enclosed side by side and a pickup window for your lane.
What sets the price
- Road miles between the two ZIPs
- Trucks running your lane this week
- The car's size and weight
- Whether it runs, rolls and steers
- Open or enclosed
- Time of year
Door to door across the lower 48, wherever local rules allow a truck. While your car is on the truck, it is insured under the carrier's cargo policy.
See your price. Then decide.
Enter the route, the car and the first day it can go. In about a minute you see your price, open and enclosed, with a realistic pickup window.