Vehicle Transport,Collection and Delivery
Planned moves rather than emergencies. You pick the dates, the vehicle gets collected from one address and delivered to another, anywhere in the UK. Running or not.
You're booking the person who'll be driving it, not a broker selling the job on.
When people book transport
Buying or selling
A car too far away to drive home, or one that needs to reach its new owner.
Non-runners
A car that won't start, heading to a garage, a restoration, or a new home.
Classics and project cars
Vehicles the owner would rather not put miles on, or that aren't road legal yet.
Trade and fleet
Movements between sites, including repeat work.
Running, non-running and damaged
A car that doesn't start is still straightforward to move. It doesn't need to be driven on or off, which is exactly why transport exists.
The useful thing to say on the phone is whether the car starts, whether it rolls, and whether it steers. Those three answers decide how it gets loaded and how long collection takes. A car that rolls and steers is quick. A seized or crash-damaged one takes longer, and that gets reflected in the quote rather than discovered on the day.
What vehicle transport costs
Price comes down to distance, the vehicle itself, and whether it's a runner. Distance is the main driver, and the cost per mile usually falls as the journey gets longer, because the fixed part of the job spreads further.
Beyond distance, four things move a quote: whether the vehicle starts and rolls, how accessible both addresses are for a transporter, whether your dates are fixed or flexible, and the size and weight of the vehicle. Access is the one that catches people out, so it's better known in advance than found on the day.
Anyone quoting a precise national price without knowing those things is guessing.
Choosing a transport company
Worth asking anyone, including me.
Who's actually moving it?
Brokers take the booking and sell the job on. Ask whether you're speaking to the operator.
What if it won't start on the day?
Agree this before collection, not during it.
How are times confirmed?
You want a named day and a realistic window, not "sometime that week".
Is it insured in transit?
Ask, and ask for the detail rather than a yes.
Get a transport quote
For a planned job, sending the details is often easier than explaining them on the phone. Fill this in and you'll get a callback with a price and a date. For anything urgent, call instead.
You can also send the details on WhatsApp, which is the easiest way to include photos of the vehicle. For a non-runner in particular, a couple of pictures answer more questions than a form can.
Common questions
Can you transport a car that doesn't start?
Yes. Non-runners are routine. Mention it when you get in touch so collection is planned properly.
How far will you travel?
Transport jobs aren't limited to the local area. UK-wide collection and delivery is available.
How much does it cost to transport a car in the UK?
It depends on distance, the vehicle, and whether it runs. Send both postcodes for a real figure rather than an estimate.
Can you move a classic or non-road-legal car?
Yes. Say what it is so it's handled appropriately.
How far in advance should I book?
The sooner the better for a specific date, though shorter notice is often workable. Worth asking either way.
Open or enclosed transport
Most cars travel on an open transporter. It is the standard, it is cheaper, and the car is exposed to nothing worse than it would meet being driven.
Enclosed transport costs more and exists for vehicles where that matters: classics, show cars, anything freshly restored or resprayed, and cars the owner would rather did not arrive with a week of motorway grime on them. If you are moving something valuable or irreplaceable, ask about it and expect to pay the difference. For an ordinary car, open is the sensible choice.
What the quote covers
Collection, delivery, strapping and securing, and insurance while the vehicle is in transit. Worth asking any transport company what that insurance actually covers and what the excess is, rather than accepting a yes.
Also worth asking whether the price is fixed or an estimate, and what would change it. A number that can move after booking is not really a quote. Here the figure is agreed up front, and the only thing that changes it is finding something materially different from what was described.
Distance is the main driver of price, and cost per mile usually falls as the journey gets longer, because the fixed part of the job spreads further. That is why a long run rarely costs proportionally more than a short one.