Whether you’re shipping a brand-new car or shipping a used one into the U.S. from overseas is no small task. It’s a process filled with regulations, compliance, documentation, and coordination across borders.
And when it comes down to how you’ll get it done, you really have two options:
👉 Do it all by yourself
👉 Or bring in a freight forwarder for cheap and best car transportation service
In this blog, we’ll walk you through both routes, so you can clearly understand what each path looks like, what’s at stake, and which option makes the most sense for you.
Let’s break it down.
Do It Yourself (DIY car import)
Lets assume you are sitting in Los Angles and want to import a car from India. Handling the process by yourself might be cost effective, but here’s what you’re taking on:
- It starts with finding a reliable international carrier one that’s legit, experienced in vehicle transport, and reasonably priced.
- Next comes the coordination with your overseas partner. You’ll need someone in India to arrange pickup and move the car to the export port. Different time zones, possible language barriers, and no personal network make this more complicated than it looks.
- Once the car is ready for departure, it’s your responsibility to file the correct export documents. One missing signature or typo, and your vehicle could get stuck before it even leaves the origin country.
- And then comes the Importer Security Filing (ISF) a critical piece of U.S. Customs compliance. It must be filed at least 24 hours before the cargo departs from the Indian port. Even if you’re using RoRo service, ISF is mandatory.
- If you forget to file it or make a mistake? You're looking at a $5,000 penalty—no exceptions, no second chances.
- Once your car reaches the destination port, then comes the customs clearance. You’ll need to navigate complex CBP paperwork, confirm that your car meets DOT, EPA, and NHTSA regulations, and be ready to defend your compliance if anything gets flagged.
- If your shipment gets flagged for a customs inspection or hold, you're on your own to figure out what’s wrong, who to contact, and how to resolve it fast before storage fees pile up.
- Once your vehicle clears customs, you’ll have to pay the applicable duties and secure a customs bond, even if you're not quite sure how those costs are calculated.
- Finally, you’ll need to arrange for inland transportation to get the car from the U.S. port to your home or business usually involving a different logistics provider, more paperwork, and another bill.
- Throughout the entire process, you’ll be responsible for manually tracking it—often with limited updates and no direct contact for troubleshooting if something goes wrong.
Shipping a car to the USA by yourself might save a few dollars, but the process, customs, documentation are really harder than it seems to be.
Hire a freight forwarding company
You choose to work with a freight forwarding company that specializes in auto shipping. From the moment you provide the vehicle details and pickup location, they take the wheel.
Now imagine this instead:
- You decide to hire a freight forwarder who lives and breathes international logistics. From the moment you give them your vehicle details and pickup location, they take the wheel.
- They start by booking the best shipping method for your vehicle, whether that’s RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off), a secured container, or air freight for high-value cars.
- Not only do they choose the right option, but they also offer cheap car transportation service because of their volume contracts with carriers.
- While you're going about your day, they’re already arranging pickup at the origin, handling transport to the port, and coordinating with local agents. No late-night calls, no confusion.
- Your documentation? Handled.
- They prepare and submit all the required export and import documents, from ISF filing to customs forms to DOT/EPA compliance checks. You don’t have to worry about missing a form, filing late, or triggering a costly delay.
- As your car ships, your forwarder keeps you in the loop with real-time tracking updates, so you’re never left guessing where your car is or what’s next.
- If there’s a hiccup say, your shipment is flagged for inspection they’re on it. They talk to the port, customs officers, and carriers, and resolve issues before they become expensive problems.
- When your car lands in the U.S., the forwarder clears it through customs, pays duties (if authorized), and ensures all release paperwork is ready.
- Finally, they arrange inland transportation from the port straight to your driveway, dealership, or garage (if you choose door-to-door service)—without you needing to call around or manage multiple vendors.
When you hire a freight forwarder, you’re not just paying for a service—you’re gaining a partner who knows the system inside out.
They anticipate problems before they happen, streamline every step, and protect your time, money, and peace of mind.
From pickup overseas to delivery in the U.S., they handle the entire process so you don’t have to stress over what form to file or who to call next.
Conclusion
Bringing a car into the U.S. whether from India or anywhere else isn’t just about putting it on a ship and waiting. It’s a maze of regulations, documentation, coordination, and deadlines.
Yes, you can do it yourself. But when you're juggling documentation, customs codes, compliance checks, and foreign coordination—all while hoping you haven’t missed a single regulation the “DIY savings” start to cost you in stress, time, and unexpected penalties.
On the other hand, when you work with a trusted freight forwarder, the entire journey becomes manageable.
Just your car, moving safely from the other side of the world, to your garage without the headaches in between.
Because sometimes, the smart move isn’t doing it all yourself. It’s choosing the right partner to do it with you.