The short answer
To ship a car for a new job, book 1-2 weeks before your start date and choose Standard pickup (1-7 business days) if your timeline has slack, or Expedited (1-5 days, +35%) if you're tight on time. Pick a delivery address you can access during business hours, since apartment complexes often require a nearby staging spot. You pay $0 at booking; your card is only charged when the carrier picks up.
- Standard pickup windows run 1-7 business days from your requested date; Expedited narrows that to 1-5 business days for a 35% premium.
- Cross-country routes typically add 1 day of transit for every 400-500 miles once the carrier is loaded and moving.
- Booking 10-14 days ahead of a hard start date gives enough buffer to absorb a weather delay or carrier reschedule without missing day one.
- $0 is due at booking; the full order total is charged only the instant the carrier physically picks up your vehicle — nothing is owed at delivery.
- Large trucks generally cannot access tight apartment complex parking lots, so a nearby parking lot or wide street is the standard meeting point.
Build your timeline backward from day one
Start with your first day at the new job and work backward. If you need the car available the weekend before you start, your delivery window should land 2-4 days earlier to leave room for slippage. From there, subtract typical transit time for your route (roughly 2-3 days for under 1,000 miles, 5-8 days cross-country) and the pickup window itself (1-7 business days Standard). For most new-grad moves with a two-week notice, Standard pickup is enough; if you're relocating with less than a week's notice, Expedited pickup buys back several days.
Standard vs. Expedited: which one fits your move
- Standard (1-7 business days to pickup): best when you have 10+ days before you need the car, and want the lowest price.
- Expedited (1-5 business days to pickup, +35%): best when your start date is fixed and less than a week away.
- Either tier can be booked weeks in advance with $0 due today — booking early doesn't cost more, it just reserves your place in the carrier network sooner.
Where new grads get tripped up on delivery
New apartments in dense cities are the number one delivery snag for first jobs. A 75-foot carrier cannot turn into most apartment complex driveways or narrow downtown streets. Look up a nearby grocery store, big-box parking lot, or wide commercial street within a mile or two of your new address and plan to meet the driver there. Confirm this location by phone the day before delivery — a five-minute call avoids an hour of circling the block with a semi truck.
Handling a lease you haven't signed yet
It's common to accept a job and start apartment hunting after you arrive. If you don't have a fixed address yet, you can list a friend's address, your new employer's office (with permission), or a short-term corporate housing address as the delivery point, then update it later — carriers can usually accommodate an address change if it's communicated before the truck is en route.
Before you sign anything, know this
- No deposit is ever required — $0 is due at booking, full stop.
- Your card is charged the full total only when the carrier physically loads your car, not before.
- Nothing is owed at delivery, so you're not scrambling for a cashier's check or cash on your first day in a new city.
- Ask for the driver's live tracking link so you can plan your own travel or move-in around the actual pickup and delivery windows.
Frequently asked questions
- How far in advance should I book car shipping for a new job?
- Book 10-14 days before you need the car if possible. That gives Standard pickup (1-7 business days) enough runway plus a buffer for transit and any weather delay, without paying the Expedited premium.
- What if I don't have a permanent address yet?
- You can use a temporary address — a friend's home, corporate housing, or your new office with permission — and update the delivery location later as long as you communicate the change before the carrier is en route.
- Do I pay anything before the car ships?
- No. $0 is due at booking. Your card is only charged the full order total the moment the carrier physically picks up your vehicle, and nothing is due at delivery.
- Is Expedited shipping worth it for a tight start date?
- If you have less than a week before you need the car, yes — the 35% premium buys a 1-5 business day pickup window instead of up to 7, which can be the difference between having your car for day one or not.