Auto Moving Service: What’s Included When You Ship Your Car
You’ve hired furniture movers and booked a flight. Now you need to ship your car. Here’s what an auto moving service actually covers.
What You’re Paying For With an Auto Moving Service
When you hire a car vehicle transport company, the service covers more than just a truck and a driver. You’re getting a full logistics chain that handles your vehicle from the moment it leaves your driveway to when it arrives at your new address.
Pre-Transit Vehicle Inspection
Before your car goes on a trailer, the driver does a full inspection. They photograph every panel, note any existing scratches or dents, and record everything on a Bill of Lading. You sign it together. This document is your proof of condition at pickup, and it’s what protects you if anything happens during transit.
Cargo Insurance
Any legitimate auto vehicle transport company carries insurance that covers your car while it’s on the trailer. You shouldn’t need to buy a separate policy for the shipment. Ask your carrier what their coverage includes before you book. When you’re already paying for home insurance in two provinces during a transition, you don’t want another surprise line item.
Shipment Tracking
When your life is split between two cities, knowing where your car is matters. Most professional carriers offer tracking. Automoves uses AutomovesONE, which lets you check your vehicle’s status at any point during transit. You’ll also get a call from the driver the day before pickup to confirm timing.
How Pickup and Delivery Work During a Move
Pickup Options
Your car gets picked up either from your door or from a carrier terminal. If you’re shipping from the home you’re selling, coordinate pickup before your closing date. Ideally the carrier collects the car a day or two before you hand over the keys, so you’re not trying to manage both on the same morning.
If that timing doesn’t work, you can drop the vehicle at a terminal before you leave. Automoves operates 17 terminals across Canada.
Delivery
Same inspection process at the other end. The driver walks the car with you, you compare it to the pickup photos, and you sign off. Takes about 20 minutes. If your new place isn’t ready yet, terminal delivery means your car waits at a secure location until you can pick it up.
What an Auto Moving Service Does Not Include
The service moves your car. It doesn’t move personal belongings inside it. Most carriers have strict rules about this because of insurance and weight limits. Leave the boxes for the furniture movers and remove everything from the vehicle before the carrier arrives.
The service also doesn’t cover mechanical issues. If your car doesn’t start or can’t roll, you’ll need a carrier equipped for inoperable vehicles. Automoves handles non-running cars with winch loading, but it’s a different service tier. The cost of shipping a car in Canada depends on your route, vehicle, and transport type, so it’s worth getting a quote specific to your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping your car as part of a bigger move?
If you know where your car needs to go, get a free quote from Automoves and see what the service costs for your route.
