Santa Clara, CA Car Shipping

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

Remove personal items: Take out all belongings from the interior and trunk. Carriers are not insured for personal items, and extra weight can affect shipping costs.

Clean your vehicle: Wash the exterior so you can document its condition with photos before shipping. This helps with inspection reports.

Check for leaks and issues: Make sure your car runs properly, has no fluid leaks, and the battery is charged. Inflate tires to proper pressure.

Remove or secure loose parts: Take off custom antennas, spoilers, bike racks, and toll tags. Retract mirrors if possible and secure the trunk.

Disable alarms: Turn off car alarms to prevent issues during transport.

Keep fuel low: Leave only a quarter tank of gas. This reduces weight and meets safety requirements.

Provide a key: Have a working key ready for the driver at pickup.

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

Yes, your vehicle is fully insured during transport from Santa Clara, CA. All carriers in our network 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 is active and valid. We also require all carriers to add Sherpa Auto Transport as a Certificate Holder on their policy. This gives you extra protection and peace of mind.

You’ll receive a copy of the carrier’s insurance certificate before pickup. We recommend taking photos of your vehicle before and after transport to document its condition.

We recommend scheduling your pickup from Santa Clara, CA at least 1-2 weeks in advance. However, booking earlier gives you the best results.

Here’s why early booking helps:

• Better pricing: Carriers can plan routes more efficiently and often offer lower rates
• More carrier options: You’ll have access to more available drivers in the Santa Clara area
• Flexible scheduling: You can choose pickup dates that work best for you
• Route optimization: Carriers can bundle your vehicle with other shipments heading the same direction

Need faster service? We can often arrange pickups in 2-5 days, though expedited service may cost more. If you have a tight deadline, let us know and we’ll work to accommodate your schedule.

The key is to book as soon as you know your moving dates. This gives carriers time to plan efficient routes through Santa Clara and ensures you get the best service at competitive rates.

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 open-air trailers that carry multiple vehicles at once. Your car is exposed to weather and road debris during transit. This is the most common and affordable option, costing significantly less than enclosed transport.

Enclosed auto transport ships your vehicle in a covered trailer, protecting it from weather, dust, and road debris. This premium service typically costs 50-60% more than open transport.

Which should Santa Clara residents choose? Most people use open transport—it’s safe, reliable, and budget-friendly. Choose enclosed transport if you’re shipping a luxury car, classic vehicle, exotic sports car, or any vehicle with custom paint or modifications. Given Santa Clara’s tech industry and higher concentration of premium vehicles, many residents opt for enclosed transport for added peace of mind.

Learn more in our open vs enclosed auto transport guide.

Yes, we offer door-to-door auto transport service for Santa Clara, CA residents. This is our most popular shipping option because it’s convenient and saves you time.

Here’s how it works: When you book your shipment, simply provide your Santa Clara pickup address and your final destination. Our carrier will come directly to your location to pick up your vehicle and deliver it right to your door at the destination.

Santa Clara has mostly accessible streets, but if your location has narrow roads, low-hanging trees, or tight residential areas, the carrier may need to meet you at a nearby open area like a shopping center parking lot or gas station. This is rare, but our drivers will work with you to find the most convenient alternative spot if needed.

Door-to-door service means no trips to a terminal and no extra hassle—just easy pickup and delivery at the addresses you choose.

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!