Santa Rosa, CA Car Shipping

Preparing your vehicle for transport from Santa Rosa, CA is simple. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth pickup:

Clean your vehicle: Wash the exterior so you can document any existing damage with photos. This helps with the inspection process.

Remove personal items: Take out all belongings, toll passes, and fragile items. Carriers are not insured for personal property left inside.

Check fluid levels and battery: Ensure your vehicle has enough gas (about 1/4 tank) and a working battery so it can be loaded and unloaded.

Remove or secure accessories: Take off bike racks, spoilers, or other exterior add-ons that could be damaged. Retract or remove antennas.

Disable alarms: Turn off your car alarm to avoid issues during transport.

Provide a key: Have a spare key ready for the driver.

For more detailed guidance, visit our Vehicle Shipping Tips page.

Yes, your vehicle is fully insured during transport from Santa Rosa, CA. All Sherpa Auto Transport carriers must carry a minimum of $1,000,000 in liability insurance and $100,000 in cargo insurance.

Before your shipment begins, we verify that the carrier’s insurance policy is valid and current. This protects your vehicle throughout the entire journey from Santa Rosa.

For added security, all contracted carriers list Sherpa as a Certificate Holder on their insurance policy. This means we monitor coverage to ensure your vehicle stays protected from pickup to delivery.

If you have questions about insurance coverage for your specific vehicle, our team is happy to provide additional details and documentation.

We recommend scheduling your car shipment from Santa Rosa, CA at least 1-2 weeks in advance for the best rates and availability.

Here’s why early booking helps:

• Better pricing: Carriers can plan efficient routes and bundle your vehicle with others heading the same direction
• More carrier options: You’ll have access to more qualified carriers instead of scrambling for last-minute availability
• Flexible scheduling: You can choose pickup dates that work best for your timeline

Need to ship sooner? We can often arrange pickups within 2-5 days, though this may limit your carrier options and could cost more. For long-distance or cross-country routes, booking 3-4 weeks ahead is even better.

Pro tip: If you have flexible dates, let us know. This gives carriers more options to include your vehicle in their existing routes, which can save you money.

No payment is due at the time of booking. We do require a payment method on file so that it is available to charge once a carrier is secured. We accept all major debit and credit cards, including Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express. The most convenient option is to pay for your shipment in full by credit card at the time a carrier is secured.

We also allow you to pay for your Initial Payment via credit or debit card and then pay the outstanding balance on delivery day via cash or a certified check made out to the carrier.

Your Sherpa shipment includes up to 100 lbs of personal items or household goods stored in the trunk area or secured below the window line. If you are shipping to or from a port or your shipment includes ocean transit, your vehicle must be emptied of all items. Sherpa and your assigned carrier cannot be responsible for personal items left inside the vehicle. See our Vehicle Shipping Tips for more details.

Yes. It is important that you, or another adult that you trust, is there for pickup and delivery of your vehicle. This designated person plays an important role in the shipping process including documenting the state of the vehicle and signing the Bill of Lading, which acts as a receipt of the vehicle’s condition.

Open auto transport uses an open-air trailer that carries multiple vehicles at once. Your car is exposed to weather and road elements during transit. This is the most common and affordable option, used for about 90% of vehicle shipments.

Enclosed auto transport ships your vehicle inside a covered trailer, protecting it from weather, dust, and road debris. This premium service costs 40-60% more than open transport.

Which should you choose? Most Santa Rosa residents choose open transport—it’s safe, reliable, and budget-friendly. Consider enclosed transport if you’re shipping a luxury car, classic vehicle, exotic sports car, or any car with custom paint or modifications. The extra protection is worth the cost for high-value vehicles.

Learn more in our open vs enclosed auto transport guide.

Yes, we offer door-to-door auto transport service for Santa Rosa, CA residents. This means we’ll pick up your vehicle from your home or business and deliver it directly to your destination address.

How it works: When you book with us, simply provide your pickup and delivery addresses. Our carrier will come to your location in Santa Rosa to load your vehicle and deliver it right to your door at the destination.

Important note: In some cases, large car carriers may not be able to access narrow streets, low-hanging trees, or tight residential areas common in certain Santa Rosa neighborhoods. If this happens, our driver will contact you to arrange a nearby meeting spot like a shopping center parking lot or main road. This ensures your vehicle is transported safely while still offering maximum convenience.

Door-to-door service is included in our standard pricing and is the most popular option for our Santa Rosa customers.

Many Auto Transport companies try to tease customers with lower rates, only to surprise you with “hidden costs” later. At Sherpa Auto Transport, we do things differently. We provide one locked-in price upfront and stick to it. If unexpected costs arise, we pay them out of our own pocket.

While we may not always be the cheapest option at first glance, our commitment to transparency and reliability offers exceptional value. As a premium service, we ensure an stress-free experience from start to finish.

We transport sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and motorcycles across the nation, including service to Alaska and Hawaii. At this time, we do not service boats, golf carts, ATVs, or RVs. We can ship both operable and inoperable vehicles so long as the vehicle can roll, brake, and steer, and that you can provide the carrier with a key to the vehicle. We can also ship electric vehicles.

Visit Sherpa’s FAQ page to learn more about car shipping!