Can I Ship a Vehicle That Does Not Run?
Any time you ship a vehicle it’s going to be a time-consuming, costly process – and that’s for a vehicle that is running and driving and, you know, fully operational.
Auto shippers have a much different time when they are trying to ship a vehicle that does not run, mostly because they can’t load a vehicle that can’t start or roll the same way they would with most others.
But the fact that they can’t load a non-running vehicle the same way as they would load a normally-operating vehicle does indeed mean that they can ship a car that doesn’t start or run. However, it does still require that the vehicle have wheels, can steer, can brake, roll and all that stuff. If it doesn’t run it’s fine, but if it doesn’t roll you’re going to have some issues.
To ship a vehicle that does not run, carriers have to winch them onto the truck. This is basically exactly what it sounds like – they use a large winch and cable that can slowly pull the vehicle onto place. Not every carrier company owns a winch, though, which means that those that do not cannot ship a vehicle that does not run.
To load a vehicle, the car has to either be winched or driven up a ramp and then fitted into place on the truck. That’s something that most normal people can’t do by themselves simply by pushing the car – there’s too many forces working against them, particularly gravity. Imagine trying to push 900 pounds of car up a slope by yourself – even if you haven’t done it, you know how hard it is to push a car. Without a winch, a carrier can’t ship a vehicle that does not run.
So what can you do? Well, to make certain that the carrier will have a winch, you have to tell your broker all the information about your vehicle, including the fact that it does not run. This is important – pertinent information has to be given to your representative before you book your order, including whether or not your vehicle can start and run and move under its own power.
A carrier with a winch will need to be found, but as we mentioned not every carrier has a winch and not every one can ship a vehicle that doesn’t run. Make sure to talk to your agent about what your vehicle is doing and what you need when you ship your vehicle.
If you are interested in trying to ship a car that does not run, take a moment or two and fill out our free online auto transportation quote request form. It shouldn’t take you more than a minute or two, but once you do you will get a free quote to ship your vehicle right away. If you have questions about our services, or would like to get a quote over the phone, you can contact one of our agents any time, toll-free, at 800-930-7417.
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.
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