How to ship a car that does not run

You can ship a car that does not run. The person pricing it needs three answers: does it roll, does it steer, and do the brakes work? "It doesn't start" is only the first sentence. A car with a dead engine and good tires is a winch job on many car carriers. A car that will not roll, or whose steering is locked, may need a flatbed, a hook truck, or a yard that will load it for you. Those are different prices.

RideShipper is not the carrier. It shows a range and sends your request to companies. It does not send the truck, take a deposit, or insure the car. Companies may pay RideShipper for the introduction. See how we make money.

What do rolls, steers, and brakes mean?#

Use the words a dispatcher uses. An operable vehicle starts, steers, brakes, and rolls. An inoperable vehicle fails at least one of those.

A car that rolls and steers but has weak brakes can still be dangerous on a ramp. Say "brakes are soft" if that is the truth. A driver who is told the car is fine, and then cannot stop it, can refuse the load after the trip to your address.

If the transmission is stuck in park, say that. Some cars can be shifted to neutral with a procedure in the owner's manual. Some cannot without a key, power, or a technician. Do not promise neutral if you have not done it.

What kind of truck shows up?#

Common practice, which you should confirm in the quote, looks like this.

• Runs and drives. A standard car carrier. You or the driver drive it onto the deck.
• Does not start, but rolls, steers, and brakes. Many carriers winch it onto the trailer. The winch is the extra labor. The inoperable fee page explains why that charge exists. The dollar amount is the carrier's, in the contract, not a number we print.
• Does not roll, or does not steer. A winch on a multi-car trailer may be the wrong tool. A flatbed or a wrecker may be required. Some car-shipping brokers will not place this load. Ask before you pay a deposit.
• Missing wheels, a bumper, or glass. Say what is missing. Straps need metal to hold. A car with no wheels is not a "non-runner" in the ordinary sense. It is a project car or a salvage shell.

Auction yards add their own rule. Many will not let a buyer drive a salvage car off the lot even if it runs. The yard loads it, or a permitted transporter loads it. Read the yard's release rules. The sequence is on shipping a car from an auction.

What should I say in the quote request?#

Write the three answers in plain language. Example: "Engine does not start. Rolls, steers, and the brakes hold. Automatic, can be shifted to neutral with the key on." Or: "Front wheel seized. Will not roll. Sitting in a driveway, not a garage."

Also say:

• Where it sits. A multi-car carrier is a long truck. A tight alley, a parking garage, or a backyard may be impossible. You may have to meet at a wide street. See residential pickup.
• Whether it is an electric car. A dead drive battery is not the same as a dead starter. If the pack is damaged, leaking, or was in a fire, that is not a winch onto a shared trailer. The rules and the maker's steps are on shipping an electric car.
• Whether the title is in hand. A non-runner still needs someone with authority to release it.

The range widget assumes a running car until you say otherwise. This sedan table is a running-car yardstick only.

Mark the car as not running in the request. If you hide it, the truck that arrives may be the wrong truck, and the price can be re-quoted when the driver sees the car.

What does an ocean line charge for a non-runner?#

Highway carriers and ocean operators do not share one fee. Two published examples, from pages opened on 10 November 2026:

• Alaska Marine Lines says it accepts inoperable gas-powered vehicles, with an additional charge at origin and destination for loading and unloading. It also says it does not ship electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids.
• Pasha Hawaii's vehicle overview lists an inoperable fee of $500 per vehicle, and storage of $25 per day after the free days. Its residential pickup service was suspended on that page. Those are Pasha's published figures, not a RideShipper estimate, and Pasha can change them.

Other lines may refuse a non-runner or price it only by phone. If the car is going to Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico, the ocean booking is separate from the truck to the port.

What should I do before the driver arrives?#

1. Confirm it is the car you described. Try the shifter and the steering once more.
2. Clear a path. Move other cars. Tell the driver about a ditch, a steep driveway, or soft ground.
3. Have the key, even if the car will not start. Steering locks and shift locks often need it.
4. Photograph all four corners, the roof, and the damage that made it a non-runner.
5. Be there, or have a person there who can sign the condition report. A non-runner often already has damage. If it is not on the paper, a later claim is weaker.

At delivery, look before you sign. New scratches from the winch or the deck go on the bill of lading. RideShipper does not handle the claim.

Check the company the same way you would for a running car. FMCSA's advisory says an auto broker only arranges the move, and that both interstate brokers and transporters must be registered. Use the company check on the MC or USDOT number before you pay. A very low quote for a non-runner is a reason to slow down. The quote checker compares a number you already have with the range for the lane.

Where is the car sitting?#

The three mechanical answers are not enough if the truck cannot reach the car.

• A driveway with a steep apron can stop a trailer even when the car rolls.
• A parking garage often has a height limit the carrier will not fit. Say the clearance if you know it. If you do not, do not invent a number.
• Grass, gravel, or a curb can trap a heavy truck. Offer a wide street as the meeting point before the driver is already stuck.
• A car in a backyard, a field, or a garage with a dead battery and a closed door needs a person who can open the path. An empty property is a missed pickup.
• At an auction, the yard may bring the car to a lane, or it may not. Ask the yard. Do not tell the carrier "it is in row 12" unless the yard said the driver may go there.

Write the location in the same note as rolls, steers, and brakes. A correct mechanical description and a wrong address still produces a dry run if the contract charges for one. Ask that question before you pay a deposit. The amount, if any, is in the contract.

If the car has been sitting for months, say so. Tires go flat, brakes seize, and rodents get into the air intake. A car that rolled last year may not roll on pickup day. Try it the day before if you can do that safely. If you cannot, tell the driver it has not been moved. That is better than a surprise winch on a car with a locked wheel.

If you are not sure which of the three answers is true, say "not confirmed" instead of "it runs." A guess that turns out false is how the price changes at the curb. The fee page explains the charge. The contract states the amount. Bring a key even when you think the car is dead. Steering locks and shift locks often need it, and a driver cannot invent one.