---
title: How car shipping works — from quote to delivery
canonical: https://www.carshippers.ai/blog/how-car-shipping-works-from-quote-to-delivery
date: 2026-06-24
format: agent-markdown
---

# How car shipping works — from quote to delivery

**Category:** How Car Shipping Works

> Most of our customers have never shipped a car before. Here is exactly what happens at every step — so there are no surprises. Step 1 Tell us about your shipment — takes 90 seconds Enter pickup city, delivery city, vehicle year/make/model, preferred pickup dates, and transport preference (open or enclosed). No account, no credit card, […]

Most of our customers have never shipped a car before. Here is exactly what happens at every step — so there are no surprises.

## Step 1

Tell us about your shipment — takes 90 seconds
## 

Enter pickup city, delivery city, vehicle year/make/model, preferred pickup dates, and transport preference (open or enclosed). No account, no credit card, no commitment.

What’s in the quote – Origin & destination · vehicle details · transport type · starting price (no range — a real price) · estimated transit days · pickup window · all fees included.

What’s NOT in the quote – No credit card required · no account needed · no commitment · price is held for 7 days (standard).

Why 30 minutes? – AI matches the route instantly. The 30-minute window is the human specialist review — every quote is checked by a person before it reaches you. Speed of AI, accuracy of human expertise.

Step 2 · Carrier matching

## The AI finds your match — a human verifies it
## 

What happens between your quote request and the price landing in your inbox.

Live carrier scan – Our system pings 10,000+ FMCSA-verified carriers active on your route — looking at availability, capacity, equipment type, and route history in real time.

Best-match scoring – Carriers are ranked by safety score, on-time rate, customer rating, and pricing — not just who’s nearest or cheapest.

Specialist review – A human shipping specialist verifies the AI match against route conditions, seasonal factors, and any vehicle specifics before sending the quote.