Buying unseen — online marketplace, auction, dealer at the other end of the country — is now normal. Getting the car home is the part people leave until last, and it is the part with the deadlines.
Transport is straightforward if the paperwork, access and keys line up. Here is what to sort before the truck is booked.
Before you book transport
- Confirm the exact collection address, including any yard, unit or gate number
- Confirm who will be present to release the vehicle and whether there are access hours
- Check whether the vehicle rolls, steers and brakes — auction cars often do not
- Get the keys situation clear; no keys is fine but changes the equipment needed
- Agree the delivery address and whether the truck can get to it
- Make sure payment and release are settled — sellers will not hand over a car otherwise
Do I need to insure it before it moves?
A vehicle carried on a flatbed is not being driven, so it does not need to be road-taxed or driven under your own policy for the journey. It does still need to be legally yours to move, and you should arrange your own insurance before you drive it on the road at the other end.
Keep the V5 or a bill of sale accessible — a seller or a yard may ask for proof before releasing the vehicle.
Condition, on the record
Whether the car is a runner or a project, photograph it at collection and at delivery. Any reputable operator will be comfortable with that, and it protects both sides.
Note existing damage and mention anything fragile — a loose bumper, an aftermarket splitter, no handbrake — before loading, not after.
Delivery access in Cornwall
The most common delivery problem here is not distance, it is the last hundred metres. Narrow terraced streets, unadopted tracks, steep driveways and villages with no turning space all restrict where a flatbed can unload.
If your address is tight, agree a nearby drop point in advance — a wide layby, a car park or a farm entrance — rather than discovering the problem when the truck is already on your lane.
Need this sorted today?
Send us the collection and delivery postcodes and we will quote the run.
Frequently asked questions
Can you collect a car that does not run?
Yes. Non-runners are winched onto the flatbed. Tell us if it does not roll, steer or brake, or has no keys, so we bring skates or dollies.
Does the car need tax and MOT to be transported?
Not to travel on the flatbed, because it is not being driven. You will need tax, MOT and insurance before you drive it on the road after delivery.
Can you deliver to a narrow street or a farm track?
Often, but tell us in advance. Where a flatbed cannot safely get in or turn, we agree a nearby unloading point with you before the job rather than on the day.
How far will you travel to collect?
We cover Cornwall for collection and delivery, and handle onward legs beyond the county by arrangement. Give us both addresses and we will quote the actual route.
Services covered in this guide
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