Can I Ship a Damaged Vehicle?
Auto shipping companies are quite used to shipping vehicles of all different shapes and sizes and conditions. From big pickup trucks to small two-seat roadsters, from cars fresh off the showroom floor to ones that called a junkyard home for years, car carriers can ship anything that can fit on their trucks, including damaged vehicles.
Most every auto transport company will be able to ship a damaged vehicle, but there are some caveats that you need to be aware of when you are trying to ship a damaged vehicle, as the type of damage and its extent can play a big role in making your shipment easier or harder.
Most customers that are trying to ship a damaged vehicle are ones that have recently been in an accident. Accidents suck, but they happen, and many times people don’t have the funds to both fix it and have it shipped, or they’re shipping it to a bodyshop in another state for personal reasons.
Sometimes they simply sell them outright to junkyards and other scrap metal places that will pay customers for their wrecked vehicles. Of course, there are many reasons someone may want to ship a damaged vehicle, but these are the most common. If the vehicle simply has some cosmetic problems, like a crumpled fender or something minor like that, you probably won’t have to pay any additional money or anything like that.
But, if it’s in a real mess, all twisted and broken, carriers may have a hard time loading it onto the truck. See, most carriers simply drive vehicles that they are shipping onto and off of the truck – this is the easiest way for them to go about it as it takes less time and work to simply maneuver a car onto the back of their truck.
If the vehicle cannot run, a winch will be required, which is generally more expensive as not every carrier actually has one. If a vehicle is too damaged to drive, a winch will be needed to load and unload it, but if the vehicle cannot roll due to damaged wheels or rims or something, a carrier likely won’t even touch it – getting a vehicle that can’t roll onto a transport truck can be difficult and time-consuming and, as a result, often cost-prohibitive. Talk to an agent to learn more and get details about your vehicle and whether or not it can be shipped.
If you are interested in trying to ship a damaged vehicle, you can at the very least get a free quote to ship it. All you need to do is fill out our free online auto shipping quote request form, right here on our website, to get a free quote right away. If you have questions about our services, getting a damaged vehicle shipped, or would simply like to speak to someone over the phone, you can contact one of our representatives any time 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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