Auto Transport Questions, Answered Plainly
No hedging and no sales language. If an answer here costs us a booking, it is still the answer.
Call 239-273-4649Booking & price
+How is my auto transport price actually set?
Three things set it: the lane, the equipment and the calendar. Carriers post and accept loads on a national board, so the number is really the price at which a truck already heading your direction will stop for your car. Distance, vehicle size and weight, running condition, open versus enclosed, and how flexible your dates are all move that number. Nobody publishes a fixed rate for a reason — anyone who does is quoting you a bait number.
+What is the deposit, and what does it pay for?
The upfront deposit is the broker fee only. It pays us to source, vet and negotiate with carriers on your behalf and to present you the best offer we receive. The balance — the carrier's portion — is paid to the driver at delivery, typically by cash, certified funds or whatever that carrier accepts.
+How far ahead should I book?
Three to six weeks for October–December arrivals into Naples and for March–May departures out of Naples. Those are the two seasonal crunches in Southwest Florida. Off-season, one to two weeks is usually plenty.
+Do you offer a guaranteed pickup date?
Standard booking uses an ASAP window with a minimum 4-day pickup range. If you need something tighter, Rush Dispatch targets pickup within 48 hours of booking for a $500 fee, where available. Anyone promising you an exact hour on an exact day weeks out is telling you what you want to hear.
Equipment
+Open car carrier or enclosed car hauler?
Open is what moves about nine in ten vehicles: cheaper, faster to dispatch, exposed to weather the same way driving is. Enclosed puts the car in a hard-sided trailer with soft-tie wheel straps and usually a lift gate, and generally runs 40–60% more. Collector, exotic, low-clearance, freshly painted or genuinely irreplaceable cars belong enclosed.
+Can you ship a car that does not run?
Yes, on winch-equipped equipment. The three questions that set the price are whether it rolls, brakes and steers. If it fails any of those, it needs a rollback or forklift and prices differently. Disclose it up front — a non-disclosed inoperable vehicle is the most common cause of a driver refusing a load at the curb.
Naples logistics
+Can the truck come into my gated community?
Often no. Many Collier County guard gates refuse commercial vehicles outright, and tree canopy, paver streets and narrow cul-de-sacs stop an 80-foot carrier even where the gate allows it. The normal solution is a staging point minutes away — a plaza, church lot, clubhouse or the community's front entrance — agreed when the load is dispatched.
+Do you offer terminal-to-terminal?
In Southwest Florida we offer one terminal option: RSW ONLY, no other terminals. Everything else is door-to-door.
+Can you coordinate with my flight into RSW?
Yes. Tell us the flight date and we build the delivery window around it. The realistic version is that your car arrives a day or two after you do, so there is someone to receive it — not a driver standing at a locked gate while you are still in the air.
Insurance & claims
+Is my car insured during transport?
The carrier's cargo policy covers the vehicle in transit — typically $250,000 on open equipment and $1,000,000 on enclosed. We can request the certificate of insurance before dispatch. Your own policy usually remains in force as well; check with your agent about coverage in transit.
+Who do I file a claim with?
All claims are filed with the carrier, not the broker. That is not a dodge — it is how federal law structures the relationship. We help you document, submit and push the claim, but the carrier's cargo policy is the policy that pays.
+What is the Bill of Lading and why does it matter so much?
It is the inspection report and the contract of carriage in one document. Any damage not noted on it at delivery is extraordinarily difficult to claim later. Walk the car with the driver, note every mark on the diagram, photograph everything, and do not sign a clean BOL in the dark.
Packing & prep
+Can I put personal items in the car?
Up to 100 lbs maximum, in the trunk or below the window line, at your own risk. Personal items are not covered by the carrier's cargo insurance. Anything above that weight is unlawful freight on a car-hauling authority and can get the load refused at a weigh station.
+What do I do about my toll transponder?
Turn it off, bag it in the supplied foil sleeve, or remove it entirely. A live SunPass or E-ZPass riding on an open trailer through six states will run up charges. We are not responsible for tolls incurred in transit.
+Should I wash the car before shipping?
Wash and photograph it the day the truck arrives, not a week earlier. A clean car is the only way you and the driver can honestly agree on the condition noted on the Bill of Lading. Photograph the front, back and both sides, plus the carrier's truck, the cab with the DOT number, and the license plate.
The company
+Are you a broker or a carrier?
We are a federally licensed and bonded auto transport broker — USDOT #2273104, MC #774106, with a $75,000 surety bond, registered with SUNBIZ. We do not own the trucks. We source, vet and negotiate with the carriers that do, and we tell you plainly which is which.
+How do I verify you are who you say you are?
Look up MC #774106 and USDOT #2273104 on the FMCSA SAFER system directly. Do it for us and for every other company quoting you. If a company will not give you its MC number, that is the end of the conversation.
+Where are you located?
Offices in Naples, Florida and in Minnesota — the two ends of the busiest snowbird lane we run. You get a licensed agent on the phone, not an overseas call center.
Still have a question? Start with a quote
Tell us the direction, your dates and your Naples community. You'll get a seasonal range and a realistic window — not a fixed price or a promised date.
Price this move
Naples to anywhere in the USA, and anywhere in the USA back to Naples. Up to four vehicles per request.
Or call 239-273-4649