Relocating for a job, and handling the move yourself
Your employer gave you a relocation package and left the logistics to you. Most people in this position have never shipped a vehicle before and will not do it again for a decade, which is a bad combination with a start date that does not move.
If you are relocating for work and managing the move yourself, Clutch Auto Transport ships your vehicle door to door across all 48 continental states, with a documented condition report at pickup and delivery and an itemized receipt suitable for submitting against an employer relocation package or claiming as a reimbursed expense. Book it around your start date rather than your moving date, because those are usually not the same day.
What makes a work relocation different
A job relocation is not the same as an ordinary move, and the differences are the parts people get wrong.
There is a hard date. Closing dates slip and nobody much cares. A start date is a commitment you made to a new employer before you had any idea what week your car would arrive.
Somebody else may be paying. A relocation package, a lump sum, or a reimbursement against receipts. Which one you have changes what documentation you need to keep, and it is worth reading the policy before you book anything rather than after.
You are usually flying ahead of your things. Most people fly to start work and have the vehicle arrive after. That is fine, but it means somebody has to be available to receive the car, and it means planning how you get around for the first few days.
It is often two vehicles. If a partner is relocating with you, driving both is not realistic. One of them is shipping regardless, and shipping both together is usually the simpler arrangement.
Working it around a start date
Book from the start date backward
Work out the date you need the car and book backward from it with a few days of margin, rather than booking from the day you happen to be leaving.
Read the relocation policy first
Whether you have a lump sum, a direct-billed vendor, or reimbursement against receipts determines what you need to keep and sometimes who you are allowed to book with.
Keep the paperwork
The itemized receipt and the signed condition reports are what an expense submission needs. Save them at the time, because reconstructing them later is painful.
Arrange someone to receive it
If you fly ahead, you or an adult you authorize has to be there at delivery to walk the vehicle with the driver and sign.
Frequently asked
Will I get a receipt I can submit to my employer?
Yes. You get an itemized receipt for the shipment along with the signed condition reports from pickup and delivery. That is normally what an employer or relocation administrator asks for when reimbursing vehicle transport against a package.
My employer uses a relocation company. Should I book this myself?
Check the policy before you book. If your employer works through a relocation management company, vehicle transport may already be covered or may have to be arranged through their vendor to be reimbursed. Clutch works directly with RMCs as well, so if your program is managed, the right move is to ask your counselor first.
How far ahead of my start date should I ship the car?
Book as early as you can, and plan for the vehicle to arrive a few days before you actually need it rather than the morning of. Transport runs in windows rather than appointments, and a start date is the wrong thing to leave without margin.
Can I ship two vehicles at once?
Yes, and if both are going to the same address it is usually simpler and better priced than booking them separately. Tell us both vehicles at quote time.
Can I put belongings in the car to save on the move?
As a rule, no. Carriers are licensed and insured to haul vehicles, not household goods, and items inside are generally not covered. Some carriers allow a small amount in the trunk, under roughly 100 pounds, if it is agreed in advance.
What if my start date moves?
Tell us as soon as you know. Rescheduling before a carrier has been assigned is straightforward.
Price it against your start date
Two locations, the vehicle, and the week you need it there. Knowing the number now makes the rest of the relocation budget a real one.