Dealer Auto Transport Built for High-Volume Lots
We move cars for dealerships, auction buyers, and fleet operators across all 50 states. Over 42,000 dealer units shipped since 2018, with per-mile rates that drop the more you ship. Call us at (602) 860-6894 for a volume quote today.
Ship Your Car Today
Get a quote or talk to our team right now
How Dealer Auto Transport Actually Works
Dealer auto transport is pretty straightforward. You've got inventory that needs to move between lots, auction sites, or straight to a customer's driveway. We put those cars on multi-vehicle haulers and get them where they need to go, usually within 5-8 days depending on the route.
What makes dealer shipping different from retail? Volume and speed. Our carriers know that a car sitting on a trailer is a car that's not on your lot making money. That's why we schedule pickups around your hours, assign carriers within 24 hours, and photograph every unit from 8 angles before it leaves your property.
Getting started takes about 10 minutes. Send us your vehicle list with year, make, model, and VIN for each unit, plus pickup and drop-off locations. We'll match you with a carrier and lock in pricing the same day for most routes. Our corporate relocation shipping runs on the same carrier network, but dealer transport is built for faster turnover and bigger loads.
Why Dealers Pick National Auto Transport Over Other Brokers
We've worked with over 280 dealerships since opening our Phoenix office in 2018. Everything from franchise lots running 200+ units a month to independent used car shops moving 8-10 vehicles. Every dealer account gets a named rep who answers the phone, not a call center.
Here's where we're different from most brokers: we don't charge dealers the same price as a guy shipping his Camry to Florida. Dealers moving 10+ cars a month save 15-25% off standard rates, and you won't pay a dime until the vehicle's on the truck. No deposits, no prepayment headaches.
We shipped a $210,000 Lamborghini Huracan from a Scottsdale dealer to their partner lot in Miami last quarter. Enclosed carrier, GPS tracked the whole way, arrived a day ahead of schedule without a scratch. Our classic car shipping team handles the high-dollar stuff, but even your bread-and-butter Accords and F-150s get the same attention to detail.
What Dealer Auto Transport Costs (Real Numbers)
Standard dealer rates land between $375-$750 for routes under 1,000 miles. Ship 5+ vehicles a month and those numbers drop. Our highest-volume dealers, the ones moving 50+ units monthly, pay $0.35-$0.50 per mile. Compare that to the $0.65-$1.25 per mile a retail customer pays on the exact same lane.
The discount tiers are simple. Ship 5-9 cars a month and you'll save about 10% off retail pricing. Move 10-19 and that jumps to 18%. At 20+ vehicles, you're on our platinum tier with the lowest per-mile rates we offer, plus your shipments get assigned to carriers before anyone else's. Billing is monthly with NET 30 terms once you've got 90 days of history with us.
Specialty moves still get the dealer discount. EV shipping runs $475-$1,050 at dealer rates, and enclosed transport for your high-line inventory costs $750-$1,500 based on distance. We quote everything upfront so there aren't any surprise charges on your invoice.
Dealer Transport Timelines: Pickup to Delivery
Most dealer shipments take 5-8 business days from pickup to delivery during normal months. Shorter routes like Phoenix to LA or Dallas to Houston often wrap up in 3-4 days. If a customer is waiting on a vehicle and you need it faster, rush shipping cuts that to 2-4 days for an extra $175-$350 per car.
We schedule pickups during your business hours so your lot crew isn't waiting around on a Saturday morning. Carriers give you a 2-3 hour arrival window, load 7-10 vehicles per truck, and every unit gets GPS tracking so you can tell your buyers exactly where their car is. Multi-stop runs work too if you've got trade-ins sitting at different addresses.
Summer months (May through September) add 2-3 days to most timelines because carrier demand spikes. But dealer accounts get first priority on scheduling, and we've locked in contracts with carriers who run the busiest dealer corridors. Routes like Atlanta car shipping down to Florida or the Texas-to-California auction lane stay on schedule even when things get busy.
Which Dealerships Get the Most Out of This Service?
Multi-location dealer groups see the biggest wins. If you've got 3+ lots and you're constantly shuffling inventory based on what's selling where, that's our sweet spot. We move slow movers to your high-traffic location and distribute hot models across your network so every lot stays stocked with what buyers actually want.
Auction buyers are our second-biggest dealer segment. We're registered at Manheim, ADESA, and dozens of independent auction houses across the country. Win a bid on Monday and we'll have it on your lot by Thursday or Friday. Our team handles the pickup coordination at the auction site so you don't have to send someone out there.
Rental companies rotating fleet vehicles, specialty dealers running exotics or collectibles, and franchise groups doing manufacturer swaps all use our dealer program too. Our Phoenix team works with enclosed carriers who know how to handle six-figure inventory and keep the paperwork tight for your insurance and floor plan lenders.
Insurance and Damage Protection for Dealer Shipments
Every car we ship carries $250,000 in primary liability coverage, and our cargo insurance covers the full retail value of each vehicle. Not the wholesale price, not the auction price, the actual retail number. We document every unit with photos from 8 angles at both pickup and delivery so there's never a question about what happened in transit.
Most brokers won't tell you this, but standard cargo policies only pay "reasonable" repair costs. That's a problem when you're shipping a $90,000 BMW. Our dealer program includes agreed-value coverage for anything over $75,000, and claims get processed in 5-7 business days instead of the 3-4 weeks retail customers wait.
We carry garage liability for when drivers are working on your lot, and every carrier in our network holds an FMCSA safety rating of Satisfactory or higher. Anyone with drug/alcohol violations or at-fault accidents in the last 24 months gets cut from our roster, period. Reach out for a quote and we'll send you our full coverage breakdown so your insurance department can review it before we ship anything.
How It Works
Send Us Your Vehicle List
Email or upload your inventory with VINs, pickup addresses, and destinations. We've got a CSV template that takes 5 minutes to fill out, or just call us at (602) 860-6894 and we'll build the order over the phone.
Lock In Your Dealer Rate
You'll get a volume-discounted quote back within 2 hours. We'll confirm pickup windows that fit your lot schedule, and returning dealers get same-day carrier assignments on most routes.
We Pick Up on Your Schedule
The carrier shows up during your business hours with a 2-3 hour window. They'll inspect and photograph every vehicle, then load 7-10 units. Most pickups take 45 minutes to an hour.
Tracked Delivery with Full Documentation
Follow every truck on GPS in real time. At delivery, the driver does a final walk-around, notes any changes, and hands over signed condition reports you can file with your records or forward to buyers.
Dealer Rates vs Retail Rates: What's the Difference?
| Feature | Dealer Transport | Retail Transport |
|---|---|---|
| Per-Mile Cost | $0.35-$0.50/mile | $0.65-$1.25/mile |
| Volume Discounts | Starts at 5 cars/month | None |
| Carrier Priority | First in line, always | First come, first served |
| Payment | Monthly invoicing, NET 30 | Pay before pickup |
| Your Point of Contact | Named account rep | Whoever answers |
| Pickup Windows | Your business hours | Carrier's choice |
| Condition Reports | 8-angle photo docs | Basic inspection form |
If you know you'll be shipping during May through September, book those loads in March or April. Carrier capacity gets tight once the snowbird season ends and summer buying picks up. We set aside about 35% of our carrier network for dealer accounts during peak months, but that space fills fast. Dealers who confirm schedules ahead of time keep their rates locked and their pickups on time.
Dealer Auto Transport Questions We Get All the Time
Straight answers from our dealer transport team in Phoenix, AZ.