When J&S Autohaus buys a car from an owner in Scottsdale, Miami, Dallas, or Chicago, the owner never drives it anywhere. An enclosed truck comes to the driveway, a driver with a clipboard and a camera walks the car, and the car leaves under a roof. That is the only way J&S moves a purchased car to Ewing, New Jersey.
Here is why, and what the owner should expect on the day.
Why enclosed and not open
An open hauler is fine for a commuter. It is not fine for a Ferrari with Rosso Corsa paint that has never seen a rock chip, a McLaren with exposed carbon, or a Porsche GT3 with paint protection film the owner paid real money for. Enclosed trailers keep the car out of weather, road debris, and the view of everyone at the truck stop. They also use soft tie-downs over the wheels instead of chains through the frame, and a liftgate or a low-angle ramp so a car with four inches of ground clearance gets on without scraping.
J&S pays for the transport. It is not deducted from the offer and it is not billed to the seller.
What happens before the truck is booked
The sale closes on paper first. The seller has signed the bill of sale, the power of attorney for the title, and the odometer statement. If there is a loan, the payoff letter is in hand. Payment is scheduled to go out on pickup, when the driver confirms the car matches the description. Nobody is asked to release a car before that is lined up.
Then J&S books the carrier. Most pickups land within three to seven days of the paperwork, depending on where the car is. The seller gets the carrier's name, the driver's phone number, and a pickup window.
Pickup day
The driver calls when about an hour out. The owner should have the car accessible, washed if possible, with the keys, both key fobs if there are two, the owner's manual and any service records that go with the car, and the fuel tank at a quarter or less.
The driver and the owner walk the car together. The driver photographs every panel, the wheels, the interior, the odometer, and any existing marks, and writes them on the bill of lading. The owner signs it. That document is what protects both sides if anything looks different on arrival in Ewing.
Then the car is loaded, strapped by the wheels, and the door closes.
Payment
Once the driver confirms the car on the bill of lading, J&S releases payment. Wire to the seller, or wire to the lender and the difference to the seller if there is a loan. Most sellers see the money the same business day or the next morning.
When the car arrives in Ewing
The car is walked again against the pickup photos. If something happened in transit, that is on the carrier's insurance, not the seller. The seller's part of the deal ended when the door closed in the driveway.
What to have ready on pickup day
- Both keys and any key cards
- Owner's manual, service records, window sticker if the owner has it
- The car unlocked, battery charged, tires inflated, fuel at a quarter or less
- A clear path for a 53-foot trailer, or a nearby parking lot if the street is tight
Where to start
Sellers anywhere in the country can start at jsautohaus.com/sell-my-exotic-car or call (609) 245-6634. J&S Autohaus, 1723 N. Olden Ave., Ewing, New Jersey. In Ewing since 1995, buying nationwide.