Shipping Household Items With an Auto Transport Company
We get asked the question “can I put stuff in my car while it’s being shipped” a lot. This isn’t surprising; a few suitcases, some blankets or pillows, can’t possibly cause any problems…right?
Normally, the answer to that question is no, they generally won’t cause problems. Items that are lightweight typically don’t cause issues when shipping a vehicle. However, heavier items in vehicles certainly can cause issues. There are several reasons as to why, and we’re going to touch on them in this article.
Read on to learn about shipping household items with an auto transport company, how it works, what you can expect, and what to know about it.
Article Overview
Can I ship household items with an auto transport company?
The technical answer to this is “no.” Auto transport carriers are not licensed to transport household goods, only vehicles. This means that any household items inside the vehicle are not allowed to be in the vehicle.
But that’s the technical answer. The actual answer is “it depends.” Most auto shippers don’t mind a few items in the vehicle. So long as items are either in the trunk of the vehicle or below the window line, they typically don’t care.
This, however, depends on a number of factors. Some carriers don’t take household items at all (though they’re pretty rare). Most carriers will take vehicles with items inside providing the weight of all those items is under 100 pounds. Some put the limit at 50 pounds, but most will still take vehicles with items inside.
Why the weight limit, though? Weight is an important factor when shipping a vehicle, one that carriers need to take into consideration with every vehicle they load. Believe it or not, weight is important.
How weight impacts car shipping carriers
Every truck that is on the road, regardless of the industry it operates in, has to abide by weight limits. These limits are set by the federal government and are the reason why you see weigh stations all up and down state and interstate highways.
Trucks cannot be overweight. If they are, and they’re caught being over the weight limit, they need to shed that weight. Most of the time, carriers leave themselves plenty of leeway in terms of weight. They can load ten cars at a time and often don’t have to worry about it unless they have multiple large vehicles on the truck – or if they have lots of weight from household items.
If a carrier is overweight, that extra weight needs to be shed before they can continue. If that weight is caused by household items, they’ll often just be taken off the truck at the weigh station and disposed of then and there. So, if those items are in your vehicle, they won’t be there at delivery.
Many auto shipping companies can operate a bit overweight, provided they avoid weigh stations. Most, though, won’t do this; they have established routes that include weighing stations, and they don’t want to deviate from that route. So, they make sure they aren’t overweight at any time.
How weight can impact car shipping prices and services
Auto shippers that move vehicles with household items will charge more for those items. Typically, they charge $1 per pound, up to $100 pounds. Some will set their limit at 50 pounds, but the result is the same. If you don’t know how much additional weight is in your vehicle, the driver will have to make a judgment call on how much extra to charge.
This additional money is often added to the carrier price you pay and is not collected by us. You’ll pay the carrier for the extra items either at pickup or delivery, usually at the driver’s discretion.
A very important thing to know, though, is that no household items are ever insured by the carrier’s insurance. You put items in your vehicle at your own risk. Carriers are not liable nor responsible for damage to personal items during transport.
Therefore, we highly recommend avoiding anything expensive, heavy, or that holds sentimental value. We also recommend securing your items in some sort of box or tote if possible. This will minimize potential issues with items shifting during loading, transport, or unloading.
What can’t I put in my vehicle when I ship it?
Of course, there are going to be plenty of items that you cannot put in your vehicle when you ship it. These are usually based on common sense, but the law also plays a role in telling you what you can move across state lines and what you can’t.
Naturally, items such as hazardous chemicals or other materials, guns, and ammunition cannot be in a vehicle when it is shipped. Having these items in your vehicle, unbeknownst to the carrier, can cause legal issues for you if they are discovered.
Carriers will not move vehicles that have any food or liquid in them, and they won’t move any vehicle with plants or pets. Oftentimes, vehicles will sit on the truck for days, up to a week or more. Carriers will not feed pets or water plants that are in any vehicles. They just tell you no, they won’t load your vehicle if you have those in there.
For more information about what you can and cannot put in your vehicle when shipping it, give us a call to speak to a representative.
Ship your vehicle today with American Auto Shipping
If you’re interested in shipping your vehicle, give American Auto Shipping a call! We have live agents standing by that can give you a quote, answer questions, book your shipment, and more.
If you have lots of items you need to move, it’s recommended you contact a household moving company instead. Those moving companies are licensed to carry household goods, so make sure to talk to them if you have lots of items you need to be shipped alongside your car.
However, if you don’t have enough items in your vehicle to warrant that, we can still help. If you’re interested in shipping household items along with your vehicle, just let us know. You can always fill out our online quote form to get a free quote over the phone, but only a representative can explain more about shipping household items with your vehicle. If you have questions or concerns, you can also call us at 800-930-7417 to speak to one of our live agents.
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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