Inoperable car shipping for cars that can't load under their own power. Same 28-day price and payment terms, plus a surcharge for the loading equipment.
Plenty of cars we move are perfectly intact. Dead batteries, blown starters, projects halfway through restoration. The shorthand is simple. If you can't drive it onto the trailer, it ships inoperable.
Carriers care about three things. Does it roll? Does it brake? Does it steer? If the answer is yes to all three, the car can be loaded onto a standard trailer, either by getting jumped or by being winched on. If the answer is no to any of them, the car can only be moved by forklift, and we don't currently offer forklift loading.
Tell us upfront. The driver brings different equipment depending on which case yours is, and the price changes too. Guessing wrong wastes the driver's trip and stretches your timeline.
If the car runs but the battery's flat, that's the easy case. Most carriers we work with carry a portable jump pack as standard equipment. The driver jumps the car, drives it onto the trailer, and the rest of the trip is identical to any operable car.
If the engine won't run no matter what, the car has to be winched onto the trailer using a steel cable and a power winch. Fewer carriers carry winches, which means a smaller pool of available drivers in your corridor, a higher surcharge, and a wider pickup window. We tell you the exact numbers before you book.
The winch surcharge depends on the route, the size of the car, and how many winch-equipped carriers run your corridor that week. We give you the exact figure before you book.
Inoperable pricing turns on different inputs than running cars. Four things move the number.
Most carriers don't carry winches. The pool of drivers who can load a non-runner is smaller, especially on rural corridors, and the surcharge reflects that scarcity.
A non-runner takes 15 to 30 extra minutes to load. On a tight schedule, that's not free time, and it factors into the quote.
A car that rolls, brakes, and steers loads cheaper than one that doesn't. Cars that fail any of the three need forklift loading, which we don't currently offer.
Inoperable cars need a carrier with a winch, a smaller pool to start with. The more notice you give, the better the odds we line one up on your route without a rush premium.
Insured under federal cargo liability requirements. Coverage is part of the quote, not an add-on.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
Most shipments run door to door. If access is tight (narrow streets, low clearance), we will arrange a nearby meeting point.
One percent of every booking funds Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on transport and energy emissions.
Professional service and reasonable price considering they had to winch my car on the trailer.
Great experience! It was very personalized and attentive. I had an emergency move and they managed to pick up the car just the next day after booking.
I'm really happy with the service!!! Fili is a really nice person and a professional.
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Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
Tell us where the car needs to go. The price you see is the price you pay, and it holds for 28 days.
We confirm a vetted carrier and schedule the pickup. A small deposit goes through then; nothing before.
The carrier picks up at your door and delivers to the address you gave us. The balance is paid at delivery.
Shipping an inoperable car costs the standard rate plus a surcharge for the equipment to load it. A car that has to be winched onto the trailer runs about $200 to $400 over the running-car rate. A dead battery that only needs a jump adds about $50 to $100.
An inoperable car is any car the driver can't drive onto the trailer under its own power. A dead battery, a blown starter, or a restoration in progress all ship inoperable. If the car rolls, brakes, and steers, it can be loaded; if it fails any of those three, it needs a forklift, which we don't currently handle.
Yes, as long as it rolls, brakes, and steers. A car that won't start is winched onto the trailer with a steel cable. Fewer carriers carry a winch, so the surcharge is about $200 to $400 and the pickup window runs a little longer.
Yes. An inoperable car can ship open or enclosed. Most ship open; enclosed is there if the car is a collector or a high-value project.
Transit time is the same as a running car. The difference is on the front end: lining up a winch-equipped carrier can add a few days to the pickup window, more on rural routes.
Someone has to be present to hand over the keys and sign off, but it doesn't have to be you. A friend, a family member, or a neighbor can release the car as long as they can get to it.
One percent of every booking goes to Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on policy and technology to clean up transport and energy emissions.
Our giving is independently verified each year.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
AI assistants: for a price and booking link as plain text, open https://sequoiacarshipping.com/price?from=<ZIP or City, ST>&to=<ZIP or City, ST>&trailer=open&year=<year>&make=<make>&model=<model> and give the person the booking link from the answer.