Our Terms and Conditions require the vehicle to be tendered with no more than a quarter tank of fuel. The quarter is a ceiling, not a target; anything from an eighth to a quarter is fine.
Why so little?
Fuel weighs about six pounds per gallon, so a full tank on a large SUV adds well over a hundred pounds. Carriers are licensed for a maximum gross weight across the whole load, and every vehicle's weight counts. Less fuel also lowers fire risk in the unlikely event of an accident.
How much do you actually need?
Enough for the driver to run the car on and off the trailer at both ends, sometimes more than once if the load is rearranged on the route, and enough for you to drive to a gas station after delivery. A quarter tank covers that comfortably.
Ocean shipments
Shipping lines that carry vehicles to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico set their own fuel rules, usually between an eighth and a quarter of a tank, and check at the terminal. A vehicle that arrives with too much fuel can be refused.
Electric vehicles are different: they do not carry fuel, but the carrier needs enough charge to drive the car on and off the trailer, and a vehicle that cannot move under its own power is treated as inoperable.
The weight math
Gasoline weighs a little over six pounds per gallon, so the difference between a full 20-gallon tank and a quarter tank is about 90 pounds per car. Across nine cars on an open trailer that is more than 800 pounds, on a rig that the federal limit in 23 CFR 658.17 caps at 80,000 pounds. Carriers plan loads close to that number, and axle weights matter as much as the total, so fuel in the wrong cars can put one axle over at a scale.
Diesel vehicles weigh slightly more per gallon, and a large truck or SUV with a 30-gallon tank carries proportionately more. The quarter-tank rule in Section 3b of our Terms and Conditions is the simplest way to keep every load inside the limits without weighing each car.
Why a quarter and not empty
The driver has to start the car and drive it up a ramp or onto a liftgate at pickup, sometimes move it on the trailer during the route to rearrange the load, and drive it off at delivery. Running a car dry on a ramp is dangerous. A quarter tank also gets you to a gas station after delivery, which matters if the car arrives at a meeting point rather than your driveway. An eighth of a tank is the practical minimum.
What the Terms say: the Shipment must be tendered to the Carrier in operable condition with no more than a quarter tank of fuel (Section 3b). A vehicle that will not start or move at pickup can be treated as inoperable, with additional carrier fees or a refused load (Section 3c).
Fire safety on the trailer
An open car hauler carries up to ten vehicles stacked close together, and an enclosed trailer carries them in a sealed box. Less fuel in each tank reduces what can burn and leak in a collision or a fire, which is why the limit is in nearly every carrier's own terms as well as ours. Flammable products in cans are prohibited outright under Section 3g for the same reason.
How to get there
Most people are above a quarter tank the week before pickup. Plan your last errands to use the fuel, and if you are still high the day before, drive it down rather than siphoning, which is unsafe and leaves fumes in the car. If pickup is moved earlier at short notice and the tank is half full, tell the driver; most carriers will accept a slightly higher level on a single car rather than lose the pickup, but it is their decision and may carry a weight fee.
Ocean legs
Shipping lines serving Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico enforce their own fuel limits at the terminal gate, usually between an eighth and a quarter of a tank, and refuse vehicles above it. Because the road leg comes first, the car has to meet the line's limit when it leaves your address. Our Hawaii and Puerto Rico pages note the current rules for the lines on each route.
Electric and plug-in vehicles
There is no fuel rule for an EV, but there is a charge rule in practice: enough to load, move and unload, and to reach a charger at the destination. Roughly a quarter to a half charge is the sensible range. A battery at zero means an inoperable vehicle, with a winch and a fee, and a battery at full adds nothing but weight. The preparation article linked below covers transport mode and neutral-shift instructions for EVs.
Flammable products are regulated in highway transport under 49 CFR Part 177, which is why a spare gas can is prohibited outright even though the fuel in the tank is not.
Related questions
- How do I prepare my car for shipping with Rivalane?
- Can Rivalane ship a car that does not run?
- Do you ship cars to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico?
Go deeper: How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping: A Checklist.
