So you need to book auto transport to ship your car from one place to another.  Sounds simple enough, right? Except you keep seeing this term all over the place – door to door auto transport. Are they going to ship your car right to your front door?

Door-to-door transport is a service in which an automotive transport company picks up and delivers your vehicle as close to your location as possible. This might be a street by your home or apartment complex, but you might also want a vehicle delivered to your office, business, or storage unit.

Crestline offers door-to-door auto transport as one of our services, and typically the vehicles are delivered to where you specify. Also known as curb to curb transport, this kind of service means that once your vehicle is loaded onto a truck, it will stay on that same truck until it is delivered.

The alternative to door to door auto transport is terminal-to-terminal auto transport. Depending on how many quotes you’ve requested or different car shipping companies you’ve looked into for your journey, you may have come across both terms. As you might have guessed, one means more work for you. But to explain that, we’ve got to look a little deeper into how auto transport actually works.

Crestline is an auto transport broker. We don’t actually own the trucks and trailers that do the car hauling. We have excellent relationships with thousands of car shipping carriers that allow us to meet your specific needs in terms of how quickly you need auto transport and the type of trailer you want, and the necessary insurance coverage while your car is in the carrier’s possession. Because we are a broker, we don’t have to worry about the quantity of vehicles we are shipping from one place to another, fulfilling any kind of quota, or filling up a truck. Carriers are more concerned with the logistics of the routes they’re taking. If you’re dealing with a carrier, not an auto transport broker, it’s more likely you are receiving terminal-to-terminal service. This means your vehicle will be picked up and delivered to a terminal, like a parking lot, where you are responsible for getting your vehicle. The thing that makes this more work for you is that terminals are typically in metropolitan areas. If your origin or destination is a bit more rural that could pose a problem for you. You might wind up taking a road trip you didn’t intend to take!

That’s where door to door auto transport comes in. We will assign a qualified carrier to take your vehicle from your location to your destination, without you having to drive to pick up or drop off your vehicle. This is the most efficient form of auto transport, and all the way along we’re communicating with you to ensure the process goes smoothly.

Occasionally we run into problems with very small spaces. Bridges, overpasses, any kind of gate or obstruction can make it difficult to back an enormous truck into your driveway, or even on your street. In some cases, city ordinances or neighborhood restrictions may prevent us from getting your vehicle as close as we would like. In this event we will never make you travel very far. Got a Wal-Mart in your town? That might be a great place to meet for dropping off or picking up your vehicle. Any open space like a parking lot will do just fine. Rest assured, when we offer door-to-door service we do our best to get as close as possible!

The convenience of door-to-door shipping often costs more than standard shipping. If you have a small budget we have other options that will work for you. We are here to help! Give us a call today or get an instant, online quote. Our quotes are always free and there is no obligation.