Yes. This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer is straightforward — non-running vehicles get shipped every day.
What matters is telling us up front. A carrier that arrives expecting to drive a vehicle onto a trailer and finds one that won't start has made a wasted trip, and your move gets rescheduled. Everything below is about avoiding that.
What Counts as Inoperable
The working definition is simple: a vehicle that won't start under its own power at the time of pickup.
But "won't start" isn't the only thing that matters. When you request a quote, we need to know three things:
- Does it roll? Do the wheels turn freely, or is something seized?
- Does it steer? Can the front wheels be turned to guide it onto a trailer?
- Does it brake? Will it stop once it's moving?
A vehicle that rolls, brakes, and steers can be winched onto a trailer relatively easily. One that fails any of those needs different equipment and more time, and that changes both the price and which carriers can take the job.
Other conditions worth mentioning: a missing wheel or tire, no key, a locked steering column, collision damage that affects the body's shape, or a vehicle sitting on a lift or blocks.
Common Reasons People Ship Non-Running Vehicles
- Project cars. You bought it precisely because it doesn't run. Getting it home is the first step.
- Classics and antiques. Often mechanically sound but not road-legal or not trusted for a long drive.
- Collision and insurance vehicles. Moving from a lot, a body shop, or an auction.
- Inherited vehicles. Something that's been sitting in a garage for years and needs to get to you.
- Auction and salvage purchases. Bought sight-unseen, sold as-is.
Equipment and How It Gets Loaded
Standard open transport relies on vehicles being driven on and off the trailer. That's why an inoperable vehicle needs a carrier equipped differently — most commonly a truck with a winch, and sometimes one with a liftgate or ramps designed for it.
Not every carrier has that equipment. That's the real reason non-running transport costs more and takes longer to schedule: you're drawing from a meaningfully smaller pool of trucks, and loading takes longer once one arrives.
If the vehicle doesn't roll at all, options narrow further and may involve a flatbed or specialized equipment. Tell us the specifics and we'll tell you honestly what's involved.
What It Costs
Expect to pay more than you would for the same vehicle in running condition. Three things drive that:
Fewer available carriers. Winch-equipped trucks are a subset of the fleet, so there's less competition on your route.
Longer loading time. Winching a vehicle on takes considerably longer than driving one on, and carrier time is the product being sold.
Positioning. A non-running vehicle often has to be loaded in a specific spot on the trailer, which can limit what else the carrier takes on that run.
Beyond that, the usual factors apply: distance, route, vehicle size, and open versus enclosed.
Should You Repair It First?
Sometimes worth considering. If you don't know why the vehicle won't start, a mechanic's diagnosis is cheap. A dead battery or a bad starter is a small repair, and getting it running could save more on transport than the fix costs.
But if you're shipping a project car specifically to work on it, or the repair is substantial, don't bother. Ship it as-is. We've handled every version of this and we're not going to talk you into a repair you didn't want.
Preparing a Non-Running Vehicle for Pickup
- Make sure it's accessible. A carrier can't winch a vehicle out of a garage, from behind other cars, or off a steep or soft surface. It needs clear, flat, firm access.
- Have the keys if they exist. Even a non-running vehicle usually needs the steering unlocked and the transmission out of park.
- Air up the tires if you can. Flat tires make winching considerably harder.
- Photograph everything. Existing damage matters more here than usual, since these vehicles often have plenty of it already. Timestamp your photos.
- Secure loose parts. If body panels, bumpers, or trim aren't attached, remove them or secure them properly.
- Empty it out. Cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not contents. Project cars in particular tend to accumulate parts in the trunk.
- Be there or send someone. The condition report has to be signed at pickup and delivery.
Open or Enclosed?
Open transport works fine for most non-running vehicles, including project cars and salvage. Enclosed makes sense if the vehicle is a classic worth protecting, has fresh paint or bodywork, or is missing glass or panels that would leave the interior exposed to weather.
Get a Quote
Tell us the condition honestly and we'll quote it accurately. There's no version of this where a surprise at pickup works out better for either of us.
Quotes are free and take about a minute. We move vehicles between all 48 continental states — see pickup details and transit times for any state we serve, whether that's Georgia to Texas or anywhere else.