How to read a car shipping contract

Read the price-change clause, the cancellation terms, the personal-item rule, and the cargo limit before you pay. Those four decide what the headline number means. The rest of the contract is how those four are enforced. This is general information, not a review of your form, and not legal advice.

RideShipper does not write the carrier's contract and does not sign it. The quote checker can flag a price and a deposit pattern. It cannot highlight a PDF you have not read.

Who the contract is with#

The first block should name the company, its address, and whether it is the broker or the carrier. Match that legal name to the SAFER Company Snapshot. FMCSA's February 10, 2015 advisory tells you to check the MC docket and to be wary of a site that will not say which role it is. A broker must not represent itself as the carrier, and its advertising must show broker status (49 CFR 371.7).

If a broker's contract says a carrier will be named later, find the date and your right to look that carrier up before pickup. "To be dispatched" is not a party. The handoff is explained in how a quote becomes a named carrier.

The price, and when it can move#

Write down the number, what it includes, and the sentence that lets it change. You want to know which of these you are signing.

• The price can change only until a carrier accepts the load.
• The price can change after that, including near pickup or at delivery.

The first is an estimate until acceptance, then a price. The second is an estimate for longer. Both can be lawful if they are written and you agree. The problem is a large number on page one and a quiet sentence on page four. The close reading is the price-subject-to-change clause. If the price already jumped after you paid, use the deposit and the new price.

Also list fees that are not in the number. A car that does not run, a closed gate, a storage day, or an enclosed trailer can be extra. If the contract says "plus applicable fees" and does not name them, ask for the list before you pay. The fee guide is the vocabulary.

Compare the number with the range for the route and the vehicle. A range is not a legal cap. A number far under it, tied to a non-refundable deposit, is the pattern to slow down for.

Cancellation and the deposit#

Read cancellation next to the price clause, not in a separate mood. The useful question is what you get back if you reject a new price. A contract that keeps the deposit when you refuse the increase is how a low first number sticks. Get the refund path. Same card, or a check, or a credit you did not ask for. The BBB's July 21, 2023 alert tells you to pay by credit card rather than by a wallet, a wire, or a prepaid card, because a card charge is easier to contest. The contract's refund rule is still the first path. A card dispute is the second, and it is not a promise. See how to ask for a deposit back.

Personal items#

Find the sentence about items left in the car. Many contracts say the carrier is not responsible for personal property in the vehicle, and some say the car must be empty. Read the one you have. A child seat, a roof box, and a trunk full of boxes are the usual arguments. The practical page is personal items removed. Do not rely on a verbal "a few things are fine" if the contract says empty.

The cargo limit and the claim clock#

Find the most the carrier will pay for damage to the car, the deductible if one is stated, and the exclusions. 49 USC 14706(c), in the 2023 Code edition, allows a written or electronic declared value, or a written agreement, limiting liability for property other than household goods described in section 13102(10)(A), if that value would be reasonable under the circumstances. If you are given one number, ask whether a higher limit exists and what it costs. The certificate should match the contract. How the federal filing differs is what insurance covers a shipped car.

Then find how long you have to note damage and how long you have to file a claim for a dollar amount. 49 CFR 370.3 says a notation on the delivery receipt is not the claim by itself. 49 USC 14706(e) says a carrier may not set a claim period under 9 months, or a lawsuit period under 2 years from a written disallowance, for a claim under that section. If your paragraph is shorter, ask a lawyer. Meet the printed date in the meantime. The filing steps are how to file a damage claim.

The bill of lading is a second document, issued when the car is picked up. For carriers subject to 49 CFR 373.101 it names the parties, the points, and a description of the freight. Read it at the curb. It does not replace the contract you are reading now. The field guide is how to read a bill of lading. The ten-line printout is the contract review checklist.

Household-goods movers have estimate rules that people sometimes paste onto a car. A binding estimate is that mover idea. Do not assume it applies because the paragraph sounds familiar. Use the sentences in the car contract.