Multi-Car Shipping

Give the year, make, and model of each vehicle, and flag anything that changes its footprint: a lift kit, oversized tires, a roof rack, a camper shell, or aftermarket bumpers. Deck space and legal weight are what the carrier is selling you. A group described as three sedans that turns out to include a lifted pickup can mean the truck arrives without room for it, and that failed pickup delays every other car on the order.

For every car, tell us whether it starts, rolls, steers, and brakes. Those four things decide whether it can be driven onto the trailer or needs winch loading, and only some carriers are equipped to winch. A non-running vehicle disclosed at quote time is a routine part of the plan. The same vehicle discovered at pickup is the single most common reason a multi-car load falls apart on the driver.

Someone has to release each vehicle at pickup and receive it at delivery, and it does not have to be you. A neighbor, a family member, a shop manager, or a dealership employee can act as your authorized representative provided they can inspect the vehicle and sign the bill of lading. On estate and family moves where cars sit at different addresses, name the person for each one before dispatch.

Walk around each car and take time stamped photographs from every angle, including the roof, the wheels, and any existing damage. Do this for all of them, not just the valuable one. The bill of lading records condition at pickup and again at delivery, and your own photographs are what make any later conversation straightforward. Five minutes per vehicle is enough.

Personal items are not covered by carrier cargo insurance, they add weight the carrier is legally accountable for, and they are a frequent source of disputes. Clear each car out, including the trunk and any roof box. If a vehicle is being shipped as part of a household move, resist the temptation to use it as extra luggage space.

A quarter tank is enough to load, unload, and drive the vehicle away at the other end, without adding unnecessary weight across a group of cars. On a load of four vehicles, full tanks add up to real weight that the carrier has to account for against legal limits.

An open carrier runs roughly 75 to 80 feet long and needs room to stop, load, and turn. Residential streets, gated communities, low branches, and tight cul de sacs frequently cannot take one. Where access is doubtful, arrange a nearby meeting point such as a large retail parking lot. On multi-car pickups this matters more, because the truck may need to load several vehicles in one stop.