Auto Shipping FAQ: Can I Ship a Vehicle With no Tires?
When you ship a vehicle, almost every car transport company that compiles a quote for you is going to ask you whether or not the vehicle runs, rolls, brakes and steers, and if the vehicle can’t do any of the four things listed above, it’s usually going to be harder to actually get it picked up.
Non-running vehicles are usually the most common, and transportation is as simple as finding a carrier with a winch to load and unload it, since they can’t drive it on or off the truck as it doesn’t run.
Vehicles without brakes can be tricky, but careful planning and precise loading and unloading techniques make it possible. Same with vehicles that can’t steer well – if your vehicle can’t maneuver at all, it’s going to be a lot more difficult. But a vehicle without wheels or tires is generally the most difficult to ship, and for several reasons.
Most auto transport companies use a car’s natural method of getting around – that is, rolling on the tires – to get them onto and off of the truck. They usually drive them up a ramp and into position on the trailer and then secure it into place, but if there are no tires at all, what is a carrier to do? Typically, the answer is not much – the thing can’t even roll onto the truck, which as you can imagine kind of puts a damper on the whole loading it onto the truck thing.
So how do they move vehicles without tires? Unfortunately, most of them don’t; any loading or unloading of a vehicle without tires will likely damage the vehicle itself, which is something that most shippers won’t do.
Your best bet is to just bite the bullet and put some new tires on; even if they’re mismatched, underinflated, bald, it doesn’t matter, so long as they can allow the carrier to get the vehicle onto the truck then they’ll work. Many people will just go down to the local car shop or vehicle tire place and see if there’s anything they can get for cheap. Some carriers may be willing to help out, but most won’t because having your vehicle ready to go onto the truck is your responsibility, not theirs.
If you’re unable to get tires for your vehicle, we recommend giving us a call and speaking to an auto transport representative. They’ll be able to give you a free quote to ship regardless of the condition of your vehicle. They can also let you know how it works and what to expect. You can also use our free quote form to get an instant quote right away. No matter the condition of the vehicle, American Auto Shipping can get it shipped.
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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