Auto Shipping Support in Chicago, IL
When your move crosses state lines, your car needs a plan too, and we coordinate trusted vehicle transport so it arrives ready to drive.
- Licensed & Insured
- Uniformed Crews
- Local & Interstate
- Equipment Included
- MC #087428 · DOT #3120049
- 5-Star, Customer-Focused
Auto Shipping in Chicago
You are moving out of state and you cannot drive two cars and a moving truck at once. Maybe you have a second vehicle, a teenager away at school, or a long-distance relocation where putting another thousand miles on the odometer makes no sense. The car has to get there. You just cannot be the one behind the wheel.
That is where most household moves get complicated. You find one company for the furniture and a separate carrier for the car, then you spend a week playing phone tag, comparing pickup windows, and hoping the two timelines line up. Get it wrong and your sofa lands in Denver three days before the car you needed to actually drive around Denver. The stress is not the move. It is the coordination.
Melendez Moving handles that coordination for you. When you book a long-distance move with our crew, we organize vehicle transport alongside it so your household goods and your car are working off one plan, with one point of contact in Chicago. We tell you plainly what we run ourselves and what we arrange through a vetted auto carrier, and we keep the schedule honest from pickup to delivery.
Pro tip from our crew
If your car is going on the truck with your household goods or shipping separately, decide early whether you want enclosed or open transport. For a daily driver, open is fine. But if you're moving in a Chicago winter, ask us to coordinate pickup and drop-off windows around the weather. Road salt and a polar-vortex week are hard on a vehicle riding open on a trailer. Also: leave the gas tank about a quarter full, pull the toll transponder off the windshield so you don't rack up phantom charges, and clear personal items out before pickup. Auto carriers won't insure loose belongings left in the car.
Who This Service Is For
- Families relocating out of state who need a second or third vehicle moved without adding a long solo drive to an already full week
- Anyone making an interstate move who would rather not put thousands of highway miles on a newer car, a lease, or a classic
- Snowbirds and seasonal movers sending a vehicle to a second home in the lower 48
- Parents shipping a car to or from a student at an out-of-state school
- People moving for a job on a tight timeline who simply cannot spare a driver for a multi-day haul
What's Included
- A single point of contact in Chicago who coordinates your vehicle transport alongside your household move
- Clear, upfront detail on what we perform in-house versus what we arrange through a vetted auto carrier, confirmed before you commit
- Help matching the car's pickup and delivery windows to your furniture timeline so nothing lands days apart
- Guidance on open versus enclosed transport so you pick the right level of protection for your vehicle
- Coordination of pickup logistics from a Chicago address, including the realities of tight side streets and where a car carrier can actually stage
- A written quote that spells out the vehicle-transport portion so there are no surprises later
- Support tracking the handoff and confirming delivery once the car reaches its destination
When to Book Auto Shipping
Reach out as soon as your interstate move date firms up, ideally two to three weeks ahead. Auto carriers route trucks along set lanes, and the more lead time you give us, the better we can line up a pickup window that matches when your furniture leaves and when you need the car on the other end.
If your timeline is tighter than that, still call. We will tell you honestly what is realistic for your route and dates rather than promise a window we cannot hold.
How Your Move Works
- 1
Tell us about the move and the vehicle
Share your origin and destination, your move dates, and the year, make, and condition of the car. That tells us whether open or enclosed transport fits and how the vehicle timeline should line up with your household goods.
- 2
Get a clear quote
We put together a written quote that breaks out the vehicle-transport portion and states plainly what we run ourselves versus what we arrange through a vetted carrier. You see the full picture before you commit to anything.
- 3
Lock the schedule and pickup
Once you approve, we set the pickup window and sort the Chicago logistics, including where a car carrier can realistically stage on a tight residential street. We keep the car's timeline matched to your furniture so the two do not drift apart.
- 4
Track delivery and hand off the keys
We stay in the loop through transit, confirm the delivery window, and make sure the handoff at the destination goes the way it should. One plan, start to finish.
Why Choose Melendez Moving
- We are a real family-owned Chicago company, run by Lauren and Kevin Melendez, not a faceless broker that disappears after pickup
- One point of contact handles both your household move and your vehicle transport, so you are not stuck coordinating two strangers across two timelines
- We are straight with you about what we perform in-house and what we coordinate through a vetted auto carrier, confirmed before you sign anything
- We know Chicago streets, alleys, and tight residential blocks, so we plan vehicle pickup around where a carrier can actually fit
- We are properly licensed and insured for interstate work, carrying MC #087428, DOT #3120049, and IL license 220206, insured by Progressive
- Our brand promise is simple and we mean it: take care of people, period
We Handle the Building Headaches, Not Just the Boxes
In Chicago, the furniture is rarely the hard part. The freight elevator is booked, the condo board wants a Certificate of Insurance before the crew gets past the lobby, and there's nowhere legal to park the truck. We plan all of that before move day.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Many high-rises and condo associations require a COI on file before move day, and some won't let the crew past the lobby without one. Send us your building's requirements and we coordinate the paperwork with property management.
Freight Elevators & Loading Docks
We help reserve your freight-elevator window and loading-dock time slot, then plan the move around them so your slot is never lost.
City Permits & Parking
On blocks without a dock, the truck needs a legal spot. We walk you through Chicago's moving-truck permits and posted signage so you're not circling on move day.
Walk-Ups & Vintage Stairwells
Tight greystone staircases and narrow doorways are our normal. We measure first, protect woodwork and floors, and disassemble whatever needs to come apart.
Not sure what your building requires? Tell us about it and we'll handle the paperwork and scheduling.
Honest, Transparent Pricing
The number one fear when hiring movers is a final bill that blows past the quote. We explain exactly how pricing works and confirm the details with a direct call before move day, so the number you hear is the number you pay.
Hourly Pricing
Best for most local moves. You pay for the crew and truck by the hour, with a clear estimate up front of how long your move should take based on your home and access.
Flat-Rate & Binding Estimates
Best when you want one locked number, common for long-distance moves or moves with tricky building access. We assess your inventory and access up front and hold the price.
What Drives Your Final Cost
- How much you're moving (your inventory volume)
- Access on both ends: stairs, elevators, and carry distance
- Packing help and specialty items like pianos or antiques
- Storage needs between closings
- Timing, since month-end and summer are the busiest
Our No-Surprises Promise
- No surprise stair or long-carry fees
- No last-minute truck or fuel charges
- No inflated materials upsells
- Standard equipment included at no fee
Related Moving Services
All servicesAreas We Serve
We provide auto shipping across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, within about 50 miles of our Northwest Side base.
- Chicago, IL
- Mount Prospect, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Evanston, IL
- Oak Park, IL
- Plainfield, IL
- Aurora, IL
- Schaumburg, IL
- Elgin, IL
- Arlington Heights, IL
- Bolingbrook, IL
- Saint Charles, IL
- Wheaton, IL
- Des Plaines, IL
- Crystal Lake, IL
- Barrington, IL
- Lombard, IL
- Orland Park, IL
- Palatine, IL
- Downers Grove, IL
- Joliet, IL
- Tinley Park, IL
- Skokie, IL
- Kenosha, WI
Auto Shipping FAQs
It depends on the route and the vehicle, and we tell you plainly which it is before you commit. For many long-distance moves we coordinate transport through a vetted auto carrier and manage the whole thing for you. Where we can perform it in-house, we confirm that with you in writing first. Either way, you get one point of contact in Chicago and one schedule to follow.
Our vehicle-transport coordination is built to support a long-distance household move you book with us, so the car and your furniture work off one plan and one timeline. If you only need a car moved, call and tell us the route. We will let you know honestly whether we can help or point you in a sensible direction.
Car carriers are long, and plenty of Chicago blocks, alleys, and three-flat-lined side streets cannot accommodate one at the curb. We plan that ahead, often staging the pickup at a nearby spot with room for the truck to load safely. Knowing these streets is exactly why coordinating through a local crew beats a broker who has never seen your block.
Open transport is the common, more economical choice and moves most everyday vehicles just fine. Enclosed transport costs more and adds protection from weather and road debris, which makes sense for a newer, high-value, or classic car. We talk through your specific vehicle and recommend the right fit rather than upselling you.
Two to three weeks ahead is ideal so we can match the car's pickup and delivery to your furniture timeline. Auto carriers run set lanes, and more lead time means a tighter, more reliable window. Shorter notice is not a dealbreaker; we will tell you what is realistic for your route and dates.
We coordinate vehicle transport for long-distance and interstate moves across the lower 48, alongside the household moves we handle out of the Chicago area. Tell us your origin and destination and we will work out the plan from there.
Distance is the big one, but it's not the only factor. Open versus enclosed transport, the size and weight of the vehicle, and whether it runs under its own power (a non-running car needs a winch and costs more) all move the number. Timing matters too: popular snowbird routes like Chicago to Florida spike in the fall and spring, and a tight pickup window costs more than a flexible one. We coordinate with vetted auto carriers and get you a real quote based on your actual route and car, not a placeholder.
Most of Chicago is exactly this, so it's routine for us. Big auto carriers can't fit down a residential side street or a tight alley off Normandy or in a dense neighborhood like Logan Square. What usually happens is a meet-up: the carrier picks a nearby spot with room for the trailer, often a wide arterial, a grocery lot, or a school lot on a weekend, and you hand off the keys there. We help you line up that meeting point ahead of time and coordinate it alongside your household move so the car and the truck don't conflict on the same day.
What Customers Say
From start to finish, Melendez Moving exceeded my expectations. I had a long out-of-state move (Chicago to Dallas) and they delivered all my belongings without a scratch within 48 hours. Prompt, knowledgeable, and very friendly.
A friend used Melendez for a cross-country move and recommended them. From my first phone call, Lauren Melendez was responsive, knowledgeable, and professional. So glad we used them.
Lauren and Kevin were wonderful to work with: kind, professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. The binding estimate they gave us after a virtual walkthrough was exactly what we paid.
Need Auto Shipping in Chicago?
Get a clear quote from a local, licensed crew that takes care of people and their belongings.