How auto transport works
Auto transport works in six steps: you request a quote with your pickup and delivery locations and vehicle details; you book and provide a first available date; the Clutch team confirms the details with you before dispatch; a vetted carrier running that lane is assigned; the driver inspects and documents the vehicle's condition at pickup and you both sign the bill of lading; and you get updates along the way before inspecting the vehicle against the pickup report at delivery and signing. The pickup and delivery inspections are the two steps that determine whether a damage claim can be resolved.
The six steps, start to finish
Get a quote
You provide the pickup and delivery locations, the vehicle's year, make and model, whether it runs, open or enclosed, and roughly when you need it moved. Businesses do this in the portal; individuals use the online quote form.
Book the shipment
You confirm the price and your first available date. A first available date is the earliest day the vehicle can be collected, not a guaranteed pickup appointment.
Our team confirms the details
Before anything is dispatched, a Clutch coordinator confirms the details with you directly: addresses and access at both ends, the right contact at pickup and delivery, the condition and run status of the vehicle, and your timing. This is the step that keeps a driver from arriving to a surprise.
Carrier assigned
Clutch matches the shipment to a vetted carrier already running that lane. This is the step where a too-low price fails, because a rate no carrier will accept means the vehicle simply sits.
Pickup and inspection
The driver contacts you to arrange a window. At pickup you walk the vehicle together and document its condition on the bill of lading. Both of you sign. This document is the single most important piece of paper in the process.
Updates, then delivery and inspection
You get status along the way rather than having to ask, and business accounts can see it in the portal. The driver contacts you ahead of arrival, you inspect the vehicle against the pickup condition report, note any discrepancy before signing, and take delivery.
The bill of lading is the whole game
If you take one thing from this page: do not sign the condition report without actually looking at the vehicle.
The bill of lading records the vehicle's condition at pickup and again at delivery. The difference between those two records is what establishes whether damage happened in transit. If you sign at delivery without noting a problem, you have documented that the vehicle arrived in the condition described, and resolving a claim afterward becomes very difficult.
At pickup: walk the whole vehicle with the driver. Photograph every panel, the wheels, the roof, and the interior, with a timestamp. Make sure existing damage is marked.
At delivery: compare against the pickup report before you sign. Check in daylight if you can. If something is different, write it on the document before signing, and photograph it.
Questions about the process
Is a first available date the same as a pickup date?
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding in auto transport. A first available date is the earliest day the vehicle can be collected. Actual pickup happens within a window after that date, once a carrier running your lane is assigned. Providers who promise an exact pickup date on a standard shipment are usually about to disappoint you.
Does my vehicle travel alone?
Almost never on standard transport. An open carrier holds up to nine or ten vehicles and runs a route with multiple pickups and drop-offs, which is exactly why it costs a fraction of what a dedicated trip would. Dedicated single-vehicle transport exists but is priced accordingly.
Who actually moves my vehicle?
A vetted carrier from the Clutch network, matched to the lane. Carrier information is available once assignment is made. See Carrier Safety and Vetting for how carriers are approved.
Can I put anything in the vehicle?
As a rule, no. Carriers are licensed and insured to haul vehicles, not household goods, and items inside are typically not covered. Some carriers allow a limited amount in the trunk, often under about 100 pounds, but it must be agreed in advance.
What if nobody can be there at pickup or delivery?
You can authorize someone else who is 18 or older. What you cannot do is have nobody present, because the condition inspection requires a signature at both ends.
Two ways to start
Businesses that ship regularly get lane pricing and portal access. Everyone else can price a single vehicle in about a minute.
I ship for my business
Movers, dealers, RMCs, auctions, fleets. Contract pricing and the Clutch Transport Portal.