Can I pack personal items or luggage inside my car during transit?#
Most carriers allow personal items in the boot and below the window line for an additional fee, but the allowance varies by carrier and is confirmed when you book. Anything you leave in the vehicle travels at your own risk.
- Placement - everything stays in the boot or flat beneath the rear window line. The front cabin and the footwell directly behind the driver's seat stay completely clear.
- Weight - carriers set a per-vehicle allowance. Overloading can breach axle weight limits, which means refusal at pickup or an excess weight fee.
- Not permitted - dangerous goods, flammable liquids, perishables, plants, and anything valuable or irreplaceable.
How long does interstate car transport take across Australia?#
Transit times are estimates, given in business days rather than calendar days, and they vary with the route, the service you choose and how often that lane runs. On a Melbourne to Brisbane move our own quotes have returned windows from 3–6 business days up to 8–11, depending on the option selected. The window shown on your quote is the one that applies.
We update these ranges when a lane changes. If your move is time-critical, tell us before you book and we will confirm the current window with the carrier.
Business days, not calendar days
Business days are Monday to Friday and exclude public holidays. An estimate of 8–11 business days is roughly two to three weeks on a calendar - worth knowing if you are timing a move around a settlement or a start date.
What moves the estimate
- Service level - the same route can differ by several business days depending on which option you pick. Every option in your quote shows its own window.
- Lane frequency - how often trucks run that corridor. Busy east-coast lanes move more often than cross-country ones.
- Door service - a collection or delivery leg at either end adds time on top of the depot-to-depot window.
- Regional pickup or delivery - feeder connections to and from regional centres add days at both ends.
- Seasonal peaks - Christmas and end of financial year are the two busiest periods.
- Weather and road closures - flooding and bushfire closures can extend a window with no notice.
Estimated business days. A dash means that lane has not yet been confirmed from quote-engine output.
| Route | Estimated business days | Mode |
|---|
| Melbourne ⇆ Brisbane | 3–11, by service level | Road |
|---|
| Melbourne ⇆ Sydney | — | Road |
|---|
| Sydney ⇆ Brisbane | — | Road |
|---|
| Melbourne / Sydney ⇆ Perth | — | — |
|---|
| East coast ⇆ Darwin / Cairns | — | Road |
|---|
Is my vehicle insured while being transported interstate?#
Transit cover, its exclusions and any excess vary by carrier, so the terms attached to your booking are the ones that apply to your move. Before loading we complete a photographed condition report that you review and sign, and a second at delivery — those two records are what any question about damage is settled against.
- Condition report - a full report is completed before loading, with photographs of every existing mark, and you review and sign it. A second report is completed at delivery.
- Take your own photos - dated, high-resolution, every panel, before you hand the keys over. It costs five minutes and it is the record that settles most questions.
- If something is wrong - raise it at collection, before you drive away, and photograph it then. Claims are far simpler when they are documented at handover.
What is the difference between depot-to-depot and door-to-door car transport?#
Depot-to-depot means you drop your car at a secure transport hub and collect it from another, and it is the cheaper of the two options. Door-to-door means we arrange collection from and delivery to the addresses you give us, where the street allows safe access for a multi-car transporter.
- Why depot costs less - no feeder run at either end, and more scheduling flexibility. Useful if you have not finalised your new address yet.
- Access limits - semi-trailers cannot navigate narrow suburban streets, steep driveways or low overhead powerlines. Where that applies we arrange a nearby wide road or commercial carpark, agreed with you in advance.
- Both are priced in every quote, side by side, so you are comparing rather than guessing.
Can I transport an unregistered or non-running vehicle?#
Yes — unregistered vehicles, project cars and non-runners can all be moved, as long as you tell us before booking. A non-drivable vehicle needs a winch-equipped truck, which changes the price, so declaring it at quote time means the first price you see is the one you pay.
- Non-drivable means it cannot start, brake or steer.
- It still needs to roll and steer to be winched safely onto the deck. A seized brake or a locked steering column requires a dedicated flatbed tilt - tell us and we will arrange it.
- Have the keys and the VIN available at handover, along with proof of ownership for an unregistered vehicle.
How should I prepare my vehicle for interstate transport?#
Wash the car so the condition report is accurate, remove your toll tag and any valuables, and check that it starts, brakes and steers. Tighten anything loose — roof racks, bumpers, trim — because loose parts delay transport and can damage the vehicle in transit.
- Wash the exterior. Dirt hides scratches and dents during the pre-trip condition check, and that check is the record you both rely on afterwards.
- Remove or bag the e-tag. Stow it in a foil pouch so it does not trigger toll gantries along the route.
- Turn off aftermarket alarms. Secondary sensors drain the battery mid-transit.
- Check tyres and fluids. Correct pressures, and no active oil or fluid leaks.
- Charge the battery. A drivable car that arrives non-drivable attracts an extra fee.