A Car Shipping Company Left You Stranded! What Next? | Shiplux

Imagine this, you are making a big move across the country on a short timeline. You have the plane tickets booked for the next day, and are ready to go. Your house has been packed up and the movers are on their way. You did the research and found a car shipping company, and are simply waiting for it to be picked up.

The phone rings. “We don’t have any drivers available. We will have to delay pickup.”

You hang up, shocked and probably very angry. (Don’t punch anything, you could hurt yourself). What are you going to do? You don’t have anybody who can hold your car until the pickup happens. You have to get to the next location on time.

First, take a deep breath. Next, realize you do have some options, and ShipLux  is here to help.

Shipping Timelines
When you signed with this carrier, they probably gave you a window for picking up your vehicle. Most auto shipping companies use contract drivers to ship their loads, which means that—in order to schedule a pick up and delivery they must find a driver who will be in the area and willing to take that load.

Yes, we said willing, because contract drivers can choose to take a job or not.

This means that auto shipping companies generally need 7-14 days advance notice, and will have a 3–5-day pick-up window, once you are on the books.

If they are leaving you stranded, it either means you are in the middle of nowhere and there are no drivers anywhere near the route, or the shipping company don’t have a steady stable of drivers or are not paying enough to make that pickup worthwhile for a driver.

That sounds a little sketchy, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t solve the problem of that awful phone call, either, does it? But there are actions you can take!

Finding a New Carrier

Your instinct will probably be to jump on the phone and find a company that can save you. There are reliable, legitimate car shipping companies that offer same day, and/or expedited shipping (although it may cost you a little more). 

More money?! You’ve already paid a deposit to those scoundrels. We’ll talk about cancellation policies below.

But first, it helps for you to understand the differences between same day, expedited, and standard shipping.

Same day shipping will give you a guaranteed door-to-door pickup time within 24 hours. Given the situation, this is an excellent option for your needs. Expedited shipping also has a guaranteed pickup time, but it may take a little longer (between 1-5 days). You’ve already discovered that standard shipping has no guarantees.

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How will you find this miracle company that can save you at the last minute? It actually comes down to one important question;

Does the company have a fleet of drivers as well as access to contract workers?

Why is this the most important question? It is really very simple. A company with access to both types of drivers will have: 

Remember, though, when it comes to fast shipping, what we are really talking about is the speed of pick up. Same day or expedited shipping refers to when the car is picked up, not when the car is delivered. The delivery time will depend on factors including distance, location, time of year, and weather. As much as we would like to think we had the power—nobody can control how quickly things move or how speedy the route.

Cancellation Policies
Your first instinct was to call around—but before you can even sign on with a new company, you will have to cancel with the old one.

Why? Because once you have signed up with a company, you are placed in a national database to find drivers. If you double book, it can lead to more headaches, and actually cause the cost to you to rise (even if you were to go for standard shipping), because drivers will wait for the competition to give them the best payment.

Every auto shipping company will have their own cancellation policy. Some include clauses which say you may not cancel to go to another company unless they are unable to pick up your vehicle for some reason (like their inability to find a driver) Some will charge a fee for cancellation. Some will return the deposit in full, as long as you cancel within a certain timeline.

Leaving you stranded gives you every reason to find a new carrier. While they are not cancelling on you, you have every right to want to cancel on them. They will probably do everything they can to keep your business, but why would you if they are making your life more difficult?

The challenge here is to understand a company’s cancellation policy, before you hire them. A reputable company like ShipLux will be upfront about their cancellation policy, and have it easily accessible on their website. 

Don’t Panic! Contact ShipLux
After you’ve gotten over the shock of being stranded by your moving company, you have the power to make some choices.

Step 1:  Check your cancellation policy, and make a decision if you want to give them a chance or let them go.

Step 2:  Do a little research on companies that offer same day shipping, including ShipLux. Check for online reviews, and the reputation of the company. For example, at ShipLux, we are already known for helping when other companies fail.

Step 3:  Ask for a price quote, and talk to the agents about any questions and concerns. Talk with them about your timeline and your specific needs.


The best companies will work with you so that you can stop worrying about the car being pickup immediately, and get on your way.  Contact ShipLux today! Allow us to turn your sudden stress into comfort and success!