MOVEDIGEST GUIDE
Keys, Alarms and Toll Tags: Prepare Before Car Shipping
Before handing over your vehicle, remove active toll tags, disable the alarm and prepare a spare key. Then confirm whether your contact is the broker or the carrier, lock the car after loading and verify the provider’s registration.
Remove the active toll tag, disable the alarm and prepare a spare set of keys before your car is picked up. Once the vehicle is loaded and ready for transit, lock it unless the driver gives different operating instructions. You should also confirm who will physically receive the keys and instructions: a broker arranges transportation, while a carrier performs it broker and carrier roles.
What to do before pickup
Use this short preparation sequence:
- Remove the toll transponder. An active tag can register toll charges while the car is traveling on the carrier, potentially causing duplicate billing or unexpected violations active toll tag charges. Transport-preparation guidance also recommends removing toll tags before the vehicle is loaded removing toll tags.
- Disable the alarm. If you cannot disable it, give the driver a reliable way to turn it off disabling the alarm.
- Prepare a spare key set. Give the transporter a spare set for emergencies, while keeping your primary key spare keys for emergencies.
- Confirm the handoff. Ask whether the person coordinating the shipment is a broker or the direct carrier. That distinction matters because the company arranging the shipment may not be the company taking physical possession of the vehicle.
- Lock the vehicle after loading. Once the car is loaded and ready for transit, it should be locked locking the loaded vehicle.
Keys: give access without losing control
The practical goal is to provide the transporter with the access needed to load, move or handle the vehicle while retaining your main key. A spare set is recommended in case of an emergency spare key set.
Before pickup, clarify who should receive the keys. If you booked through a broker, the broker may be your administrative contact, but the carrier is the party performing the transportation. FMCSA advises consumers to understand this difference and check whether they are dealing with a broker or transporter understanding the transport provider.
A simple handoff plan is:
| Item | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Primary key | Keep it with you | Retain your main vehicle key |
| Spare key | Give it to the transporter | Allows access in an emergency emergency access key |
| Alarm instructions | Disable the alarm or provide shutdown instructions | Prevents an active alarm from interrupting handling alarm shutdown instructions |
| Locking | Lock the car after loading | Secures the vehicle for transit locking after loading |
If your vehicle uses a key fob or has a separate alarm remote, include only what the transporter needs and explain which control disables the alarm. The supplied evidence supports providing a way to turn the alarm off; it does not establish that every vehicle uses the same procedure, so follow your vehicle’s controls and give clear instructions.
Toll tags: remove them before the car moves
An active toll transponder can continue to be detected while the vehicle is on a carrier. That can create transport-related toll charges, duplicate billing or unexpected violations transport-related toll charges. Removing the tag before pickup eliminates that exposure during the shipment removing the transponder.
Do not assume that leaving the tag in place is harmless simply because you will not be driving. The vehicle’s movement during transportation can still result in toll activity. Put the tag somewhere safe, and check your account afterward if you are concerned about charges associated with the shipment.
Broker or carrier? Confirm before releasing the vehicle
In U.S. interstate auto transport, an auto broker arranges transportation, while an auto transporter or carrier performs the transportation broker versus carrier responsibilities. Ask your contact directly:
- Are you the broker arranging the shipment or the carrier transporting the vehicle?
- Who will physically receive the keys at pickup?
- Who should receive the alarm instructions?
- Which company and driver will handle the vehicle?
Both interstate brokers and carriers are required to be registered with FMCSA, and the agency advises consumers to check registration before hiring a provider interstate registration requirements. Verify the relevant provider rather than assuming that the company that first contacted you is the carrier.
Pickup-day checklist
Before the driver arrives, confirm that:
- The active toll tag has been removed.
- The alarm is disabled, or the driver has clear instructions for turning it off.
- A spare key set is ready for the transporter.
- You know whether your contact is a broker or the direct carrier.
- The appropriate provider’s registration has been checked.
- You know who will receive the keys and instructions.
- The car will be locked after loading, unless the driver provides different instructions.
These steps address the three main access concerns: unwanted toll activity, an alarm that cannot be silenced and a vehicle that cannot be moved when needed. They also reduce confusion at handoff by separating the company arranging transportation from the carrier physically transporting the car.
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