Shipping a collector car, and the signature that decides liability

The car has to get from wherever it sold to wherever you keep it, and this is the part of the purchase most likely to be arranged in a hurry by someone who has just spent a lot of money and wants it over with.

It is also the last point at which damage can happen while somebody else is liable — and whether they stay liable depends almost entirely on a piece of paper you sign at delivery.

Open or enclosed

Open transport is the multi-level truck you see on the interstate. It is substantially cheaper, it is what most cars move on, and it exposes your car to weather, road debris and whatever leaks off the vehicle on the deck above.

Enclosed transport costs meaningfully more and is the only sensible choice for fresh paint, an open car, a low car, or anything where a stone chip would genuinely upset you. Enclosed carriers also tend to carry higher cargo insurance limits and to employ drivers used to handling valuable cars, which matters more than the walls do.

The rule of thumb that holds up: if the difference in cost is less than what a single paint correction would be, take enclosed.

Two details worth specifying rather than assuming:

• Lift gate rather than ramps, for anything with low ground clearance or a front splitter. Ramps are how splitters die.
• Soft straps over the wheels, not chains over suspension components. Say this out loud when booking.

Broker or carrier

Most of what you find online is a broker: they do not own a truck, they post your car to a load board and a carrier takes it. That is not inherently bad — brokers have reach, and a good one manages the problem for you — but you should know which you are talking to, because the broker is not the party who will be liable if something happens.

Ask directly: "Do you own the truck that will carry my car?" If the answer is no, ask who will, and then ask for that carrier's own documents.

Verify the carrier, not the broker. In the US, a motor carrier has a USDOT and MC number and its authority and insurance status are a matter of public record. Look them up. Ask for the certificate of insurance and read the cargo limit specifically — not the liability limit, which covers other people's property. A cargo limit well below your car's value means a total loss in transit is partly your loss.

Be sceptical of a quote far below the others. Transport is a thin-margin business with real fixed costs, and the usual way a number gets that low is that it is not the number you will eventually pay.

Preparing the car

• A quarter tank of fuel, no more. Weight costs money and a full tank is a hazard.
• Remove everything loose, inside and out. Personal items are typically not covered, and anything unsecured becomes a projectile that damages your own interior.
• Retract or remove the aerial, fold the mirrors, and note the tyre pressures.
• Photograph the entire car, in daylight, from every angle, plus the odometer, immediately before pickup. Date-stamped. This is your evidence and it takes four minutes.
• Tell the driver how to start and move it if there is anything unusual — a hidden kill switch, a clutch that needs a particular touch, a car that must not be pushed in gear.

The bill of lading is the whole game

At pickup the driver completes a condition report, usually on a diagram, and you or the seller signs it. At delivery you sign again.

That second signature is the moment your claim rights are decided. Signing a clean delivery receipt is you stating the car arrived in the condition recorded at pickup. If you then find damage, you are arguing against your own signature.

So:

1. Inspect before signing. In daylight if at all possible. If the truck arrives at night, say so and note the lighting conditions on the document itself.
2. Walk the whole car against your pickup photographs. Under the nose, the sills, the wheels, the roof if you can see it.
3. Write every discrepancy on the delivery receipt before you sign, however small, and photograph the annotated document with the driver present.
4. Do not accept "note it later and call the office." Later is after your signature.

A driver who objects to a careful inspection is giving you information. Most do not object at all — the professional ones expect it and several will walk the car with you.

Timing expectations

Transport is scheduled around routes, not around your calendar. A cross-country move commonly takes one to two weeks from pickup, and pickup itself may be a window rather than a day. If a deadline matters — a show, an insurance date, a storage lease — pay for expedited and confirm it in writing, or build in slack. Auction houses also charge storage after a grace period, so an unmoved car can quietly start costing money at both ends.