How we ship a collector car
A promise is only worth something if you can check it. So we wrote down every step we take with your car, from booking to delivery, and we follow the same steps for every car we ship. We ship door to door, by ocean or air, from our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, covering all of the US for imports and exports. Our own team loads every car and handles every document.
Booking and your named handler
We think a collector should never have to explain the same car twice. The handler you meet at booking is the person who tracks the pickup, the loading, the documents and the delivery, and the person who answers when you call.
- Price the move first in our instant calculator, door to door, by ocean or air.
- At booking, your handler confirms the pickup address, the destination and the shipping method.
- Tell us where the car is: a private garage, a dealer, an auction in the US or an event overseas.
- Tell us who hands over the car and keys if you can't be there, with their name and phone number.
- Your handler sends every update. You never chase a new contact halfway through the move.
Pickup and the first condition report
The first condition report is made where the car stands today:
- A licensed, insured carrier we book collects the car.
- The driver photographs the car from every side, plus close-ups of any existing marks.
- The condition, the title and the number of keys go on the Bill of Lading. See the documents in our US import guide.
- Walk around the car with the driver and point out anything you know about.
Tell us before pickup if:
- the car sits low to the ground
- it has anything aftermarket that changes its clearance or dimensions Lowering or lift kitsSpoilersBody kitsSplittersOversized wheels or tiresRoof racks
- the car does not run (and whether it rolls, steers and brakes)
- the tires are flat
- a bank or lender still holds the title
These cars may need a different trailer or equipment. Telling us early saves a wasted trip.
At our warehouse
Covers, racks, loose trim and personal items come out before the car leaves our warehouse. Spare parts that should travel with the car are agreed with your handler in advance.
- The car arrives at our own warehouse in California, Florida or New Jersey, not at a third-party yard.
- Our own team receives it and checks it against the pickup photos.
- Your handler confirms the car is in and tells you what happens next.
- Convertibles: the roof is closed and latched before loading.
- The car is uncovered, windows and windshield included, so it can be inspected.
Loading: soft straps, wheel nets, battery disconnected
- Our own team loads every car. Nobody else touches it at this step.
- The second photo condition report is made at loading, before the car is closed in.
- The car is tied down with soft straps and wheel nets.
- The battery is disconnected before the car is closed in.
Documents
Paper sets the pace of an international move more often than the ship or the plane does. Our own team handles every document, in this order:
- Title original, checked
- Photos pickup and loading
- Paperwork prepared by our team
- Entry by a licensed customs broker
- Then the car moves
- The title travels with the car. It goes to the driver at pickup and is recorded on the Bill of Lading.
- Export and import paperwork is prepared by our own team before the car ships.
- The customs entry is filed by a licensed customs broker. West Coast Shipping does not file customs entries.
- Duties and taxes depend on the destination and the car. Your handler tells you which documents the broker needs.
- Every document is checked before the car ships, not after it lands.
- For a car bought at an overseas auction or event, your handler works through the seller's paperwork with you.
Ocean or air, and what changes
- By ocean, the car travels RoRo or in a container. By air, it flies on a cargo flight.
- The flight is the fast part. Air saves time only when the documents are ready before the car reaches the airport, which is why we prepare them first.
- Our instant calculator prices both, door to door, so you can compare them side by side.
- Your handler helps you pick the method that fits the car, the destination and your dates.
- The handling steps above stay the same either way: the same photo reports, the same handler, the same paperwork order.
Delivery and the final condition report
The third photo condition report is made at delivery. Compare it with the pickup and loading photos, walk around the car, and tell your handler about anything new before you sign.