Alberta to BC Shipping Information

The main trucking terminals in Alberta are in Calgary and Edmonton and the main terminal in British Columbia is located in Richmond. Your vehicle will be transported on an open car carrier from one of the terminals in Alberta to the terminal in Richmond.

If your vehicle is being picked up from another city outside the Edmonton or Calgary areas, it may be picked up by a truck and taken to one of the main terminals to wait for the second truck to take it to British Columbia. This will add a few days to the Wait/Transit Times.

If your vehicle is going to another location in British Columbia other than the Vancouver/Richmond area, it will be taken to the nearest terminal and will wait for another truck to take it to its final destination.

For example, if you’re shipping from Fort McMurray to Victoria your vehicle will be shipped like this:

Fort McMurray, AB → Edmonton, AB → Richmond, BC → Victoria, BC

The wait times and transit times are approximates, and not guaranteed for the standard method of shipping. Pickup and deliveries in remote locations can take longer.

How long does it take to ship my car?

The information above shows the approximate wait times and transit times for shipping a car from Alberta to British Columbia. Departures are usually not on fixed days as they can depend on volume of vehicles already booked and ones already at the terminals assigned to a load. It is recommended to book at least 1-2 weeks in advance. Booking in advance can help decrease transit times but normally your vehicle will be placed in queue to ship once it is at the terminal.  If you are shipping by enclosed transport trailer these transit times may not apply.

What is “Wait Time” and “Transit Time”?

• The wait time is how long your vehicle will wait before it is picked up or how long it will wait to depart on the truck/train once it is dropped off at a terminal.
• The transit time is how long your vehicle will take to arrive to the next terminal once it has departed.

Will my car be shipped by multiple trucks?

For shorter moves it may be shipped on only one truck, but for longer shipments it will be on multiple trucks/trains before it’s delivered. Canada is the second largest country in the world and to ship a car directly in one shipment across the entire country would be very expensive. It is the most economical/inexpensive way to ship your vehicle when it’s transferred between multiple trucks/trains between major cities.