Terms of service

These terms govern your use of this website and any quote, booking or shipment you arrange through Tailwind Auto Transport ("we", "us"). By requesting a quote, accepting a booking confirmation, or tendering a vehicle for transport, you agree to them. If you are booking on behalf of someone else, such as a family member, an employer or a customer, you confirm that you have their authority to do so.

Your booking confirmation may contain additional terms specific to your shipment, such as the price, pickup window, payment schedule and cancellation terms. Where the confirmation and these terms differ, the confirmation controls for that shipment.

Tailwind Auto Transport arranges vehicle transportation as a broker; transportation is performed by independent, FMCSA-authorized motor carriers.

In plain terms: we arrange your shipment and manage it on your behalf. We do not own or operate the trucks that carry your vehicle. The motor carrier assigned to your shipment performs the transport under its own operating authority and is responsible for your vehicle while it is in the carrier's care, custody and control, from the signed pickup inspection to the signed delivery inspection. The carrier's cargo insurance applies to your vehicle during that period.

Before a carrier is assigned to your shipment, we confirm that its operating authority is active with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and that it holds the insurance we require. We provide you with the carrier's name before pickup.

A quote is our estimate of the all-in price for the shipment you described, and it is valid for the period stated on the quote. It is based on the information you provide: the pickup and delivery locations, the year, make and model of the vehicle, whether the vehicle runs and drives, any modifications, the type of carrier requested and your dates.

If the vehicle or the locations differ from what was described when the quote was issued (for example, a vehicle that does not start, a lift kit or oversized tires, a roof box, a second vehicle, or a pickup address a car carrier cannot safely reach), the price may change. We will tell you before pickup wherever possible, and you may cancel without penalty if you do not accept the revised price before the carrier is dispatched.

A shipment is booked when you accept a quote and we issue a booking confirmation. The confirmation sets out the price, the pickup window, both addresses, the contact person at each end, and the payment and cancellation terms for your shipment.

Pickup and delivery windows are estimates, not guarantees. Car carriers transport several vehicles for several customers on each trip, and their schedules are affected by traffic, weather, road closures, other customers, and federal hours-of-service rules that limit how long a driver may drive. We will keep you informed of changes as we learn of them. We do not guarantee a specific pickup or delivery date or time unless we have expressly agreed to one in writing in your booking confirmation.

The amount due, when it is due, and the accepted payment methods are set out in your booking confirmation. No charge will be made that is not stated there, or that you have not agreed to in writing afterward. If a payment is not made when due, we may hold or cancel the shipment and the carrier may hold the vehicle until payment is received, to the extent permitted by law.

The cancellation terms for your shipment are set out in your booking confirmation. If you need to cancel or change your dates, addresses or vehicle, tell us as early as you can. Changes requested before a carrier is dispatched are usually straightforward. Changes requested after dispatch may not be possible, or may carry additional cost, because a truck has already been routed to your shipment.

We may cancel a booking if we are unable to arrange a carrier within a reasonable period, if the shipment was materially misdescribed, or if the vehicle cannot be safely transported. If we cancel for a reason other than your breach of these terms, any amount you have paid for that shipment will be refunded.

To let the carrier do its job safely and on time, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information about the vehicle, its condition, any modifications, and the pickup and delivery locations.
• Prepare the vehicle for transport: a reasonable fuel level (about a quarter tank) or a moderate charge for an electric vehicle, alarms disabled or their instructions provided, loose parts and accessories secured or removed, and the vehicle clean enough to inspect.
• Remove personal items and valuables (see section 8).
• Have an authorized adult (18 or older) present at pickup and at delivery to release or receive the vehicle, take part in the inspection, and sign the bill of lading.
• Provide one working set of keys (including any key needed to start, unlock or shift the vehicle) to the driver at pickup.
• Tell us in advance about anything that could affect access, such as a gated community, a narrow street, a parking garage or a time restriction.
• Hold all required documents for the vehicle, including proof of ownership or authority to ship it and any lienholder or lessor consent required.

Car carriers are licensed to transport vehicles, not household goods. Personal items left in a vehicle are not covered by the carrier's cargo insurance, are carried at your sole risk, and may be refused by the carrier. Some carriers allow a small quantity of items secured in the trunk or below the window line; the carrier's policy applies. On shipments between Canada and the United States, the vehicle must be empty of personal items other than standard equipment, because anything in the vehicle must be declared to customs.

You are responsible for any fines, delays, inspection costs or other consequences caused by items left in the vehicle, and for any weight-related costs they cause.

At pickup, the driver and your representative inspect the vehicle together and record its condition on the carrier's bill of lading, which serves as the inspection report and the receipt for the vehicle. You will receive a copy. We strongly recommend taking your own dated photographs of the vehicle at pickup.

At delivery, your representative should inspect the vehicle against the pickup record before signing. Any new damage must be noted on the bill of lading at delivery, before the delivery signature. A delivery signature without any notation is the carrier's record that the vehicle was delivered in the same condition as it was received, and it may limit or defeat a later claim.

Claims for damage to a vehicle during transport are made against the carrier and handled through the carrier's cargo insurer, subject to the carrier's and insurer's terms, limits, deductibles and time limits. We will help you prepare and submit a claim and will provide the shipment records we hold. Our assistance does not make us the insurer or the party liable for the damage.

Mechanical, electrical or structural conditions that could not be detected during a visual inspection, normal wear, pre-existing damage, and damage caused by items left in the vehicle are generally excluded from carrier coverage.

You must tell us before booking if the vehicle does not start, steer, brake or roll under its own power, or if it has been lifted, lowered, widened or fitted with racks, boxes or other equipment that changes its dimensions or weight. These conditions determine which carrier and equipment can safely transport the vehicle and affect the price. A vehicle that arrives for pickup in a condition that was not disclosed may be refused, delayed or re-priced, and any costs that result are your responsibility.

For shipments that cross the border, you are responsible for providing accurate and complete information and documents about the vehicle and its owner, including identification, proof of ownership or registration, and any lienholder or lessor consent, and for signing the customs declarations and authorizations that allow the carrier to present the vehicle on your behalf. We assist in preparing the paperwork package based on the information you provide.

Customs and border decisions, inspections, holds, duties, taxes and penalties are determined by government agencies and are outside our control and the carrier's. Costs or delays that result from inaccurate or incomplete information, from items left in the vehicle, or from a government decision are your responsibility. Information we provide about customs requirements is general guidance and is not legal, tax or immigration advice.

Your primary recourse for loss of or damage to your vehicle during transport is the assigned carrier and its cargo insurance, as described in section 9. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Tailwind Auto Transport is not liable for loss of or damage to a vehicle while it is in a carrier's care, custody and control.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages, including lost income, lost use of the vehicle, rental car costs, travel costs, missed appointments, or delay, however caused. Where our liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amount you paid to us for the shipment concerned.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law, including liability for our own fraud or willful misconduct.

The content on this site is provided for general information. We work to keep it accurate and current, but transit times, seasonal patterns, regulatory requirements and carrier practices change, and we do not warrant that any page is complete or error-free. You may not use the site in a way that interferes with its operation, or copy its content for commercial use without our permission.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State in which Tailwind Auto Transport is organized, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and by applicable federal law governing interstate transportation. If a dispute arises, you agree to contact us first so we can try to resolve it directly.

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in effect when you book a shipment applies to that shipment. The effective date of the current version appears at the bottom of this page.