Blog

Sometimes the whole reason you have to ship a car is that you can’t drive it at all. Many classic car restorers run into this problem. They found the car of their dreams and needed to bring it back to their shop to work on it. It could need a whole engine overhaul or body work before it’s deemed safe for the road. If you’re trying to ship a car that doesn’t run, you might run into a few added headaches, but we can help you save time and money in the process.

Does it roll?

If your car can still roll, then things may not be as big of a problem as you thought. If the car can still roll, brake, and steer, then your vehicle can still go on most auto transports. There will be a few added steps for your driver to handle, which will cost a few extra dollars. These are typically labeled as “non-run fees”. They will add these to your total cost.

Even so, a non-run fee is still cheaper if your car cannot roll, brake, or steer.

No Brakes!

If the car can roll and steer but doesn’t have any brakes, you might run into a few more issues. This issue will depend on how heavy your car is. If it’s a lightweight vehicle, the transportation company may feel comfortable hauling it. But if it’s a heavy pickup, they may ask you to fix the brakes before shipping.

The other option is a flatbed truck, which doesn’t worry if the brakes are working. However, these are more expensive than the traditional auto carriers. For this reason, many flatbed trucks only ship shorter distances. If you need to get your car shipped across the country without the brakes, you may run into some issues.

Steering’s Out

If your car cannot roll or steer, then it is technically immovable. Flatbed trucks may be the solution again, but there are risks. The vehicle will need to a winch to pull it onto the flatbed. This would pull the car up the ramp, but this could end up damaging the car. Once that winch starts, it’s hard to stop if the vehicle doesn’t have the clearance to get up the ramp.

Bottom line, If You’re Trying to Ship a Car that Doesn’t Run, make sure it can Roll, Brake, and Steer.

Shipping companies deal with all types of vehicle conditions. It’s understood that when shipping a car like this, it’s probably going to a shop to have work done. However, if you can do enough repairs to at least get the vehicle to roll, steer, and brake before your ship it, you can save a lot of time and money.