Understanding Auto Transport Dispatch
When you ship a car, knowing how things work and what to expect is a big plus. It’s not like sending mail through USPS, you know; it’s different and takes more time and money and concentration and a lot of other things you don’t have to think about when you’re sending a letter. Part of the auto shipping process is dispatching your vehicle to a carrier. That’s literally all the auto transport dispatch process is – finding a carrier to ship your car.
About auto transport dispatch
But wait! you say. Isn’t that what I’m looking for now? The answer is no – when you’re online looking for quotes to ship your car, most of your quotes will come from a broker, not a carrier. We’re a broker, by the way, so anything said about them here also applies to us.
A broker does everything but ship your car (physically, anyway). They handle payment information, they handle paperwork, pickup and delivery addresses…and, most importantly, they dispatch your vehicle to a carrier. A broker’s job is to find a carrier that is either already in your pickup area or that will be in your pickup area and schedule with them to pick your car up. This is dispatch, and without it your vehicle will never get shipped.
Dispatching is quite important because it’s how a carrier gets found. Carriers are across the country running routes and many times the carrier scheduled to pick your car up is hundreds of miles away from you when it’s dispatched. They have to schedule pickups and deliveries days and weeks in advance.
With new dispatches coming their way, they have to schedule them in properly and this can be a challenge. This is also part of the reason why dispatch can take a few days. More popular routes see smaller dispatch windows while rural routes tend to take longer. Either way, make sure to talk to an agent to learn more about your specific shipment.
But can I get quotes to ship a car still?
You don’t need to be versed in all things auto transport in order to get quotes to ship a car. But you really should take a minute or two and fill out our free quote request form. It’s free and easy and, perhaps more importantly, will get you a free quote that’s built to get your vehicle dispatched quickly. Pricing things right means we get your vehicle shipped when you need it shipped. So fill out our free form or call us at 800-930-7417 any time to get started.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
- When to go with an Enclosed Transport - October 2, 2023
- Understanding California’s EV Mandate - August 1, 2023
- Top Reasons Auto Shippers Are Delayed - January 9, 2023
