A long-distance move has a hundred moving parts, and your car is one of the easiest to hand off – if you time it right. Ship it too early and you're stranded without wheels; too late and you're renting a car at the other end. Here's how to line it up.
Work backward from your arrival
Start with the date you need the car at your new home, then plan backward:
- Transit time: a few days for a regional move, about one to two weeks coast to coast, depending on the route.
- Pickup window: typically 3-5 days from booking before the carrier collects your car.
- Booking lead time: a week or two ahead of your ideal pickup gets the best match of price and timing.
For a cross-country move, that usually means booking about two weeks before you want the car picked up, with pickup happening a few days before you leave.
Two common strategies
1. Ship first, fly later. The car gets picked up a few days before you depart. You keep driving it right up until pickup day, then fly. Best when you need the car until the last moment and can live without it for a few days at the destination.
2. Fly first, receive later. You head out on your own schedule and the car follows. Best when someone back home (family, a neighbor) can hand the car to the driver, or when your new place isn't ready yet.
Most families do a hybrid: one person drives one car while the second car ships.
What to tell your broker
- Your real deadline. The date you genuinely need the car, not a padded one – honest dates get honest planning.
- Both addresses and any access quirks. Apartment complexes, gated communities, and downtown streets can all affect where a big carrier truck can load and unload.
- Who's at each end. If you're already gone at pickup or not yet arrived at delivery, designate someone and share their contact info.
- What else is moving. Shipping two cars at once, or coordinating with your household movers, is easier planned together than separately.
One less thing on the list
A move is stressful enough without a multi-day drive. HIYAAKS Inc ships for relocations every week. Nothing is charged before pickup – a flat $150 deposit is collected by credit card once the carrier picks up your vehicle, and the balance is due at delivery. Get your free quote at hiyaaksincautoshipper.com.