Ship a car from the USA to Australia

In a container, booked directly with the licensed carrier rather than a broker. Container keeps the car enclosed and handled once, which matters on a five-week ocean leg. Cassandra Logistics is FMC-licensed under OTI No. 025125NF and issues the bill of lading in its own name, so you are dealing with the party actually responsible for the box. Get a price in 24 to 48 hours.

We do, and it is most of what we move on this lane. American classics, muscle cars and pickups going to enthusiast buyers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We collect from anywhere in the USA, load and brace the car at our own warehouse, and ship it containerised rather than on an open vehicle deck.

Yes, and most of our customers on this lane are doing exactly that. You never need to be in the United States. We collect from the seller or auction, handle the loading and the US export filing, and ship to your nearest Australian port. You deal with your customs broker at the other end.

Yes. Nationwide vehicle pickup and towing from any state, whether the car is at an auction yard, a dealer, a private seller or in a barn. Non-runners are routine, they get winched rather than driven. We bring it to our warehouse in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston or Baltimore for loading.

Yes, and we ship plenty of them. A car that will not start is winched into the container instead of driven in, which needs different gear at collection and loading but is completely normal for us. Just tell us up front, because a car described as running that turns out to be seized changes the plan on loading day.

Yes, and it is usually the cheapest way to move a restoration project. Engines, panels, trim and boxed parts travel in the same box as the car, which costs far less than shipping them separately later. Everything has to be listed on the export filing, so send us the inventory rather than adding things on the day.

Yes. For people relocating to Australia, putting the vehicle and the household effects in one container is usually the sensible move. They are treated differently at clearance so both need declaring properly, but the freight is one booking rather than two. Tell us the full contents when you ask for a price.

Yes. General containerised commercial cargo, machinery and equipment, and household relocations all move on this lane. Tell us the commodity, weight and volume and we will quote it the same way we would a vehicle.

It comes down to where the car is in the USA, which Australian port, and whether it shares a container or travels alone. Because we are the NVOCC rather than a reseller, the number we give you is the carrier rate. Send us the car and the two cities and you will have a firm figure inside 48 hours. Request a quote

Sharing a 40ft container with another vehicle heading the same way, since ocean freight is charged on the box rather than per car. On an ordinary driver that is the obvious choice. On a concours restoration it is usually worth paying for sole use so nothing else is handled next to it.

Collection from the US seller, transport to our warehouse, loading and bracing, the US export filing, and the ocean freight to your Australian port. Stink bug treatment is included where the season applies. What sits outside it is Australian duty, GST, your customs broker, compliance work and local delivery.

Usually one of three reasons. It is a broker price that moves once the booking is real. It excludes collection, loading or the export filing. Or it is quoting open-deck shipping against our container rate without saying so. Ask what is excluded and who issues the bill of lading.

It scales with the distance from wherever the car is to whichever of our four warehouses suits the routing. A car bought near the coast positions cheaply. One bought in the middle of the country costs more to move. We put the figure in the quote so you compare one complete number.

Almost always, if the timing works. Two cars in one 40ft container roughly halves the ocean cost each. If you are buying more than one, or you know somebody else importing to the same city, tell us and we will look at putting them in the same box.

Import duty where it applies, GST, port and wharf charges, your customs broker's fee, any compliance work, and delivery to your door. Those are set and charged in Australia. Our quote covers the US side and the ocean leg. We would rather you knew the split than found out at the wharf.

Yes, and this is the step that catches people. A Vehicle Import Approval must be granted before the car is shipped, applied for through the Department of Infrastructure's ROVER portal. Assessment can take up to 60 business days, so start it before you buy rather than once the car is at our warehouse.

Vehicles built 25 or more years ago, meaning 2001 or earlier as of 2026, can enter through a concessional pathway with simpler compliance than modern imports. It focuses on roadworthiness rather than full Australian Design Rules certification. For most American classics this is the route, and it is why 1990s cars move so well on this lane.

Possibly, through the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme. The model has to appear on the official SEVS register and the compliance work is done by a Registered Automotive Workshop before the vehicle can be registered. It is a longer and costlier path than the 25-year route, so check eligibility before you commit to the purchase.

Because Australia bans it at the border outright. The Department of Infrastructure states that importation of asbestos is prohibited and that you are responsible for ensuring your vehicle contains none before it ships. Border Force confirms the prohibition applies to vehicles of any type, age or value, and that other countries' tolerance levels are not accepted.

Brake pads, brake shoes, clutch components and gaskets on older vehicles are the common ones. Border Force notes that servicing vehicle brakes and clutches is among the top five non-occupational causes of asbestos exposure. Replacing suspect parts in the USA before shipping is far cheaper than dealing with it at an Australian wharf.

Australia applies seasonal biosecurity measures against the brown marmorated stink bug, and cargo shipped from the USA falls inside them. The 2026-27 season begins 1 September 2026. If your container is loaded during the season it needs treatment before it sails, arranged through an approved provider.

They run from 1 September through 30 April, and what decides whether your shipment is caught is the shipped-on-board date on the ocean bill of lading, not the date you booked or the date it arrives. A container loaded in late August and sailing in September is assessed on the sailing.

We do, as part of the booking. It has to be done by a provider approved by the Australian agriculture department, and the container must be sealed within a set window after treatment. Cargo that turns up untreated or treated by an unapproved provider can be refused discharge and sent back at the importer's cost.

Loaded on its own wheels, chocked, and strapped at the wheels or suspension rather than over the bodywork, then blocked so it cannot shift at sea. Where the straps attach is the whole difference between a careful load and a damaged car. On original paint it matters more than anything else we do.

Yes. We photograph the vehicle when it reaches our warehouse and again once it is loaded and braced, before the doors are sealed. On a valuable car that record is also what makes a claim work if anything does go wrong in transit.

If it is worth real money, yes. Standard carrier liability is limited by convention and is not calculated on what your car is actually worth, which surprises people. Arrange marine cargo insurance for the true value and photograph the car thoroughly before it leaves.

For anything you care about, yes. Roll-on roll-off means the car is driven aboard and parked on an open deck with hundreds of others, exposed for the whole crossing. Container means loaded once, sealed, untouched until your port. It also handles non-runners, which roll-on roll-off generally will not.

Inside 24 to 48 hours in normal cases, often faster. Send the year, make and model, where the car is sitting in the USA, and the Australian city it is going to. If you have a VIN, include it, because it lets us confirm the dimensions rather than estimating them.

The ocean leg is the predictable part. What actually sets your timeline is the import approval, which can take up to 60 business days, and the treatment window if you are shipping in season. We give you a concrete schedule with the quote instead of a vague range.

We arrange collection, bring the car to our warehouse, confirm the condition and photograph it, book the container, load and brace it, arrange treatment if the season applies, file the US export declaration, and send you the bill of lading. You pass that to your Australian broker.