New Jersey to California Car Shipping

Preparing your vehicle for transport from New Jersey to California is simple when you follow these key steps:

Remove Personal Items: Take out all personal belongings, including toll passes like E-ZPass, GPS devices, and any fragile items. Carriers are not responsible for personal property left in vehicles.

Clean Your Car: Wash your vehicle inside and out. This helps you spot any existing damage during the pre-transport inspection.

Document Existing Damage: Take photos of your car from all angles. Note any scratches, dents, or other issues on the inspection report.

Prepare for Handoff: Have a working key ready for the driver. Make sure your car starts and runs properly.

Remove Accessories: Take off or secure loose items like bike racks, spoilers, or custom mirrors that could get damaged during transport.

Check Fluids and Battery: Ensure your car has enough gas (about 1/4 tank), working brakes, and a charged battery.

For complete preparation details, visit our Vehicle Shipping Tips page. Following these steps will help ensure your car arrives safely in California.

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

Before your car leaves New Jersey, we verify that your carrier’s insurance is active and valid for the entire trip to California. We also require all carriers to add Sherpa as a Certificate Holder on their insurance policy for extra protection.

This comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against damage during loading, transport, and unloading. You can ship with confidence knowing your car is protected every mile from the East Coast to the West Coast.

For car shipping from New Jersey to California, we recommend booking your pickup service at least 2-3 weeks in advance. This gives you the best chance to secure competitive rates and your preferred pickup dates.

Here’s why early booking matters:

• Better pricing: Carriers can plan efficient routes and bundle shipments
• More availability: Peak seasons fill up quickly
• Flexible scheduling: You’ll have more pickup window options

If you’re moving during busy times like summer or around holidays, consider booking 4-6 weeks ahead. Last-minute bookings are possible but may cost more and offer fewer scheduling options.

Ready to ship? Contact Sherpa Auto Transport today to secure your New Jersey to California car shipping service.

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 transport is the most common and cost-effective option. Your car rides on an open trailer alongside other vehicles. It’s fully insured and safe, but exposed to weather and road debris during your New Jersey to California journey.

Enclosed transport costs 40-60% more but provides complete protection inside a covered trailer. This option is ideal for luxury cars, classic vehicles, or cars with custom paint jobs that need extra protection during the 2,800-mile cross-country trip.

For most standard vehicles shipping from New Jersey to California, open transport works perfectly fine. Choose enclosed transport if your car is worth over $50,000 or has sentimental value you can’t replace. Learn more in our complete open vs enclosed transport guide.

Yes, we offer door-to-door auto transport service from New Jersey to California. This means we’ll pick up your car right from your home, office, or preferred location in New Jersey and deliver it directly to your new address in California.

Here’s how it works: When you book your shipment, simply provide us with your pickup address in New Jersey and delivery address in California. Our assigned carrier will come directly to these locations to handle your vehicle.

In some cases, large car carriers can’t access certain streets due to low bridges, narrow roads, or tight turns. If this happens, don’t worry – our driver will work with you to find a safe, nearby meeting spot like a shopping center or gas station. This ensures your car stays protected while making pickup and delivery as easy as possible.

Door-to-door service saves you time and hassle during your cross-country move from New Jersey to California. No need to drive to terminals or arrange extra transportation.

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!