Shipping a non-running collector car starts with an exact description of what the vehicle can and cannot do. “It doesn’t start” is not enough. The carrier needs to know whether the car rolls, steers and brakes; whether it leaks; whether any parts are loose; and whether its design, damage or modifications require special loading equipment.
The safest approach is to disclose those details before accepting a quote and obtain written confirmation that the assigned carrier accepts the vehicle in its current condition. Loading requirements affect carrier selection, price and even whether the vehicle can be collected as scheduled. One transport company’s terms, for example, warn that inaccurate condition details or special instructions can lead to additional fees or cancellation.
TL;DR
Give the broker and actual carrier a written condition report covering starting, rolling, steering, braking, tire condition, leaks, loose parts, dimensions, ground clearance and access at both ends. Identify the vehicle precisely and supply applicable manufacturer transport instructions. Do not assume that a winch makes every non-runner loadable. Confirm the equipment, attachment points, trailer type, insurance terms and inspection process in writing before pickup.
The non-running vehicle disclosure checklist
Describe each function separately. A car with a failed engine but free-rolling wheels is a different assignment from a restoration shell with seized brakes, flat tires and disconnected steering. Use direct statements rather than a broad label such as “project car.”
- Starting and power: Does the engine start? Is there working low-voltage electrical power? Can the ignition or accessory system be activated when required?
- Rolling: Do all wheels rotate freely? Note seized brakes, damaged hubs, locked driveline components, flat tires or missing wheels.
- Steering: Does the steering operate through its expected range? Is the steering wheel or linkage disconnected, locked or damaged?
- Braking: Do the service brake and parking brake work? State whether the car can hold itself once positioned.
- Tires and suspension: List flat, deteriorated or mismatched tires, collapsed suspension, broken components, or a vehicle resting unusually low.
- Leaks and contamination: Identify known fuel, oil, coolant, brake-fluid, battery-acid or transmission-fluid leaks, including their location and severity.
- Loose or fragile parts: Disclose unsecured trim, glass, exhaust components, spoilers, bumpers, racks, luggage and boxes of removed parts.
- Dimensions and modifications: Provide accurate length, width, height, wheelbase and ground clearance when unusual. Include lowered or lifted suspension, oversized wheels, wide bodywork and long overhangs.
- Loading instructions: Supply the relevant manufacturer transport instructions, approved attachment information and any model-specific requirements available for the car.
- Site access: Describe gates, slopes, soft surfaces, narrow streets, low branches or wires, parking restrictions and space limitations at pickup and delivery.
Loose accessories and low bodywork deserve particular attention. Montway’s consumer terms require customers to remove or secure loose parts, fragile accessories, low spoilers and non-permanent exterior racks or luggage. Those are that company’s terms, not a universal contract, but they illustrate why every item must be checked against the assigned carrier’s agreement. For a broader preparation process, use this collector-car enclosed transport checklist.
Agree on the loading plan before dispatch
A winch can help move some inoperable vehicles, but it does not solve locked wheels, inadequate clearance or the absence of an approved pulling point. Montway states that a vehicle unable to roll, steer or brake may require a winch and heavy-duty loading equipment, with pricing affected by the condition and required equipment. Confirm what the assigned truck actually carries rather than relying on a general service description.
The plan should identify the trailer type, loading equipment, minimum clearance, securement approach and any vehicle-specific restrictions. It should also address how the car will be positioned at delivery if it still cannot move under its own power. Whether open or enclosed transport is appropriate depends on the car’s value, condition, weather exposure and handling needs; this open-versus-enclosed transport comparison explains the broader tradeoff.
Manufacturer instructions take priority over improvised recovery ideas. Tesla’s Model 3 transporter instructions, for example, discuss model-specific tow-eye use, Tow Mode, low-voltage power, dollies or skates, and tire securement. They also warn against pulling from chassis, frame or suspension components. Those directions apply to the identified Tesla model; they do not establish safe attachment points for another vehicle. Obtain instructions for the exact make, model, year and configuration being shipped.
Resolve contract contradictions in writing
A booking page may advertise inoperable transport while the standard consumer contract uses different language. Montway publicly offers inoperable-vehicle transport, yet its consumer terms say a shipment must be tendered in operable condition and may also be governed by the actual carrier’s separate terms, tariffs, rules or classifications. For a non-running collector car, written acceptance by the assigned carrier and a confirmed loading plan are therefore more useful than a verbal assurance from the booking desk.
Make the vehicle’s condition part of the order confirmation and carrier paperwork. Include photographs and retain the messages in which the carrier approves special handling. Also confirm whether quoted pickup and delivery dates are estimates; Montway’s terms, for example, describe them as estimates affected by weather, roads, regulations and mechanical problems.
Verify the carrier and coverage separately
A USDOT or operating-authority record does not prove that your collector car has sufficient cargo protection. Use the FMCSA Company Snapshot to check a carrier by name, USDOT number or MC/MX number and review available identification, safety-rating, inspection, out-of-service and crash information. Treat that as carrier screening, not as a cargo insurance certificate.
Federal filings are easy to misunderstand. FMCSA says requirements vary by entity type, authority, cargo and vehicle type. Its filing chart lists no federal cargo-insurance filing requirement for the covered non-hazardous for-hire property-carrier category, while a broker’s $75,000 surety bond or trust is not cargo coverage for your vehicle. Review FMCSA’s insurance filing chart and then request current evidence of the actual carrier’s relevant coverage.
Ask for the policy limits, effective dates, exclusions, deductibles and the stages of transport to which coverage applies. Progressive likewise advises checking whether transporter coverage applies at pickup, during transit and at delivery, while noting that an owner’s comprehensive or collision coverage may apply depending on the policy and deductible. Progressive’s vehicle-shipping insurance overview provides useful questions, but your insurer and the carrier’s insurer must answer them for the policies involved. The amount and structure needed for a valuable vehicle are covered further in our guide to vehicle transporter insurance.
Document condition at both ends
Photograph the car from every side before loading, including the underbody where practical, wheels, glass, interior and existing damage. During pickup, compare the car with the carrier’s inspection report or bill of lading, add omitted damage or mechanical limitations, and keep a signed copy.
Repeat the inspection at delivery while the carrier is present and record newly observed damage as an exception on the delivery document. Montway’s consumer terms call for pickup and delivery inspections, signed paperwork and photographs; its B2B terms also exclude pre-existing or not reasonably observable conditions and mechanical or electrical operation or non-operation. Exact notice and claim requirements vary, so follow the contract and policy that govern your shipment.
The practical rule
Do not book a non-running collector car as though it were simply a normal car with a dead battery. Describe every mobility limitation, modification, leak and loose component; provide model-specific transport instructions; and require the assigned carrier to approve the condition and equipment plan in writing. The best carrier is not merely one willing to accept an inoperable vehicle. It is one prepared for this vehicle, at these locations, under terms you have actually reviewed.