Factor
Distance
The per-mile rate falls as the trip lengthens. 150 miles runs about $1.65 a mile; past 2,000 it is closer to $0.55. This is why a short move can feel expensive for what it is.
Cross-country shipping→Cost Calculator
How much does it cost to ship a car?
Real ranges by distance, by vehicle, and on real lanes. No email harvest, no phone spam. Every number on this page comes from the same model behind the calculator.
Estimate
Pick your inputs, see the number.
Estimate
$816
$718 to $938 range
- Distance
- 1,200 miles
- Vehicle
- Sedan
- Transport
- Open Transport
- Per mile
- $0.68
Estimate based on average lane economics. Real quotes factor exact ZIPs, fuel surcharges, seasonal demand, and carrier availability. Get an exact quote in 30 seconds.
Get Exact Quote →By Distance
What it costs, by how far it is going.
Ranges below are for a running sedan, door to door. The per-mile rate falls as the trip gets longer because the carrier spreads one pickup and one delivery over more road. Larger vehicles scale up from here, and a vehicle that does not run adds a winch fee on top.
| Distance | Example | Open | Enclosed | Expedited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 200 miles | Philadelphia to New York | $225 - $275 | $400 - $500 | $325 - $425 |
| 200 to 500 miles | Atlanta to Nashville | $375 - $500 | $700 - $900 | $575 - $750 |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | Chicago to Dallas | $600 - $775 | $1,075 - $1,400 | $900 - $1,175 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 miles | New York to Miami | $775 - $1,025 | $1,400 - $1,825 | $1,175 - $1,525 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 miles | Denver to Philadelphia | $1,125 - $1,475 | $2,050 - $2,675 | $1,700 - $2,225 |
| Coast to coast | Los Angeles to New York | $1,350 - $1,775 | $2,450 - $3,200 | $2,025 - $2,650 |
By Vehicle
What it costs, by what you are shipping.
Price is really about deck space and weight. A lifted pickup takes the room of two sedans on the same trailer, so it costs close to two sedans. Ranges are for a 1,200 mile move on an open carrier.
| Vehicle | Open, 1,200 mi | Enclosed, 1,200 mi | vs a sedan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan & Coupe Transport | $725 - $950 | $1,300 - $1,700 | baseline |
| SUV & Crossover Transport | $825 - $1,075 | $1,475 - $1,950 | 1.15x |
| Pickup Truck Transport | $850 - $1,125 | $1,550 - $2,025 | 1.20x |
| Luxury & Exotic Transport | $1,500 - $1,975 | $2,725 - $3,550 | 2.10x |
| Classic & Collector Car Transport | $1,425 - $1,875 | $2,575 - $3,375 | 2.00x |
| EV Transport | $900 - $1,175 | $1,625 - $2,100 | 1.25x |
| Motorcycle Shipping | $400 - $525 | $700 - $925 | 0.55x |
| ATV & UTV Transport | $425 - $575 | $775 - $1,025 | 0.60x |
| Boat Transport | $1,000 - $1,325 | $1,800 - $2,375 | 1.40x |
| RV & Motorhome Transport | $1,150 - $1,500 | $2,075 - $2,700 | 1.60x |
| Travel Trailer & Fifth-Wheel Transport | $925 - $1,225 | $1,675 - $2,200 | 1.30x |
| Heavy Equipment Transport | $1,725 - $2,250 | $3,100 - $4,050 | 2.40x |
Real Lanes
Twelve real routes, with transit times.
These are live lanes off our own board, not illustrations. Transit is time on the truck once loaded, and does not include the pickup window. Open any lane for its own page.
| Lane | Miles | Transit | Open, sedan | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY to Philadelphia, PA | 81 | 1-2 days | $125 - $150 | $200 - $275 |
| Los Angeles, CA to San Francisco, CA | 347 | 1-3 days | $325 - $450 | $600 - $800 |
| Atlanta, GA to Chicago, IL | 589 | 1-3 days | $450 - $575 | $800 - $1,025 |
| Boston, MA to Charlotte, NC | 721 | 2-4 days | $550 - $700 | $975 - $1,275 |
| Tampa, FL to Dallas, TX | 917 | 2-4 days | $675 - $900 | $1,225 - $1,625 |
| Orlando, FL to Chicago, IL | 986 | 2-4 days | $750 - $975 | $1,325 - $1,725 |
| Dallas, TX to San Diego, CA | 1,182 | 2-4 days | $700 - $925 | $1,275 - $1,675 |
| Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA | 1,371 | 3-5 days | $825 - $1,075 | $1,475 - $1,925 |
| Houston, TX to San Francisco, CA | 1,642 | 3-5 days | $975 - $1,275 | $1,775 - $2,300 |
| Houston, TX to Seattle, WA | 1,889 | 5-7 days | $1,125 - $1,475 | $2,025 - $2,650 |
| New York, NY to Phoenix, AZ | 2,140 | 5-7 days | $1,025 - $1,350 | $1,875 - $2,425 |
| Boston, MA to Las Vegas, NV | 2,369 | 7-10 days | $1,150 - $1,500 | $2,075 - $2,700 |
What drives the price
Six factors that move the number.
Factor
Lane density
The biggest single reason two quotes differ on identical mileage. A carrier running between two major metros has hundreds of cars to choose from. A pickup ninety minutes off the interstate has one, and a lot of empty miles.
Popular lanes→Factor
Vehicle size
Deck space and weight, not sentiment. Pickups and SUVs run 15 to 25 percent above a sedan. Dually and lifted trucks add an equipment surcharge on top.
All vehicle types→Factor
Transport type
Enclosed runs about 1.8 times open. Expedited adds roughly half again. Standard open is the baseline nine of ten vehicles ship on, including new cars going to dealers.
Open vs enclosed→Factor
Season
Two predictable migrations bend prices every year. Southbound peaks from late October, northbound from March. Shipping against the flow is the cheapest lever you control.
Snowbird season→Factor
Vehicle condition
A car that will not start, steer and roll needs a winch and a driver equipped for it, typically $150 to $250 more. Disclose it up front or risk a dry run fee.
Inoperable transport→Reading a quote
Why two quotes for the same car differ by $400.
Put the same vehicle and the same two cities into four websites and you will get four prices. Nothing about the shipment changed. What changed is what each company was willing to tell you.
A quote built against live carrier capacity is a price. A quote built from a quarterly average is an invitation to hand over a deposit and start waiting. Both look identical on a web page, and the cheap one is often the expensive one: your shipment sits unclaimed at a rate no driver will accept, and a week later the number goes up because your moving date is now close.
Ask what portion of the quote reaches the carrier. A company that cannot answer does not know whether a driver will take it. Ours is generated against capacity on your specific lane, a $99 deposit locks it, and the balance is paid on delivery after you have inspected the car.
Pay less
Six ways to bring the number down.
Widen the pickup window
A three day window instead of a fixed date lets a driver fit you into an existing route rather than build one around you. This is the single biggest lever, and it is free.
Ship against the season
Northbound in January and southbound in April are the two best-value directions in the country, because the trucks are running empty that way.
Meet the truck
A full-size carrier cannot always reach a narrow residential street. Meeting at a nearby shopping centre often saves both a day and a surcharge.
Choose open unless you have a reason
Nine of ten vehicles ship open, including new cars going to dealerships. If a chip would not genuinely hurt, the enclosed premium is comfort rather than protection.
Be honest about the vehicle
Disclose a non-runner, a lift kit or a leak up front. Every one of those discovered at pickup costs more than it would have cost to declare.
Book off the metro edge
Pickup in the metro rather than an hour outside it. Lane density is worth more to your price than almost anything else you control.
By State
Pricing where you are.
Every state has its own page with local lanes, transit times and what moves the price there.
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All locations →By the numbers
6,400+
Vetted carriers in network
$1M
Cargo insurance per shipment
98.4%
On-time delivery rate
24h
Average dispatch time
FAQ
Common pricing questions.
How much does it cost to ship a car?
Standard open-carrier transport runs roughly $0.55 to $1.65 per mile depending on distance. Short hauls under 200 miles typically land between $250 and $400. A 1,000 to 1,500 mile move is usually $750 to $1,150. Coast to coast averages $1,350 to $1,750 for a standard sedan. Enclosed transport runs about 1.8 times the open rate.
What affects the cost of auto transport?
Six things: distance, lane density, vehicle size and weight, transport type, season, and whether the vehicle runs. Distance sets the baseline, but lane density is what separates two quotes on the same mileage. A route between two major metros has hundreds of carriers competing; a rural pickup ninety minutes off the interstate has almost none.
Why is the per-mile rate higher on short trips?
Because a carrier still burns a full pickup and a full delivery on a 150 mile move, and those fixed costs are spread over far fewer miles. Under 200 miles you are paying roughly $1.65 a mile. Past 2,000 miles it falls to about $0.55.
Is the cheapest quote the best deal?
Usually not. Some brokers quote a number no carrier will accept, take your deposit, and then explain a week later that the price needs to rise because nobody has picked up your shipment. Ask what portion of the quote goes to the carrier. A real quote is built from a rate a driver has actually agreed to run.
Does an inoperable vehicle cost more to ship?
Yes. A vehicle that does not start, steer and roll needs a winch and a driver equipped to use one, which typically adds $150 to $250 and narrows the pool of carriers who can take it. Disclose it up front. A non-running car discovered at pickup usually means a wasted trip and a dry run fee.
When is the cheapest time to ship a car?
Ship against the seasonal flow. Southbound peaks from late October through January and northbound from March through May, so northbound in January and southbound in April are the two best-value directions in the country. Moving your pickup window by two or three weeks off a peak is the cheapest discount available to you.
Why does enclosed transport cost more?
Enclosed trailers carry two to six vehicles instead of eight to ten, load by lift gate rather than ramps, and carry higher cargo insurance limits as standard. The premium is roughly 40 to 60 percent, which pays for itself the first time it prevents damage on a car where the paint is the value.
How much do I pay up front?
A $99 deposit locks your rate at quote time. The balance is paid to the carrier on delivery, after you have inspected the vehicle against the condition report. Paying on delivery is deliberate: it keeps everyone's incentives pointed at the car arriving in the condition it left in.