Student car shipping for move in and move out.
Parents book on behalf of students, school ID gets 5 to 8 percent off, dorm pickup and delivery, August move in and May move out are peak.
Student car shipping is its own thing.
College move in is August. Move out is May. Spring break is March. Internships are June. Your kid is at a school 1,500 miles away and you do not want them driving an old Civic across the country alone. Or you do not want to spend a long weekend driving with them and then flying back.
Whipshipper picks up the car from home and delivers it to the dorm, apartment, or campus garage. Parents book on behalf of their student. Student ID or enrollment letter unlocks a 5 to 8 percent discount on top of standard rates.
Peak windows are August move in and May move out. Book 3 to 6 weeks ahead for those windows because the lanes fill up. Off peak runs, mid semester, summer internship, all standard rates and faster availability.
Why families use Whipshipper for student cars
Built around how parents book for college kids.
5 to 8% student discount
School ID or enrollment letter at quote unlocks the discount. Applied automatically.
Parent books, student rides
Parent books and pays. Student just needs to be there for pickup or delivery, or send an adult representative.
Dorm or apartment delivery
We deliver to dorms with truck access, off campus apartments, parent house, or campus parking garage.
Flexible windows for school calendar
Book August move in 3 to 6 weeks ahead. May move out is similar. Mid semester runs are standard windows.
Live GPS for parents
Parents track the car on their dashboard. Student gets SMS too. Everyone stays in the loop.
Open transport is the call
Most student cars are 5 to 10 year old daily drivers. Open transport is the value play.
Drive or ship
Both are options. Here is when shipping wins.
Ship with Whipshipper
- Car door to door without anyone driving cross country
- $99 deposit locks the rate, balance on delivery
- Live GPS tracking for parents
- 5 to 8% student discount with ID
- Pickup or delivery while student is at orientation or finals
- No motel rooms, no gas receipts, no time off work
- No fatigue driving across the country
Drive the car
- Cost: gas, motels, food, time
- 1 to 4 days of driving each way
- Wear and tear on the car
- Often a parent flies back at full fare
- Risk of breakdown on an unfamiliar route
- Pressure to arrive on a tight schedule
- Can be a great road trip if you have the time
Student volume
Real volume from real college lanes.
Student auto transport tips
Six things that make the move easy on parents and students.
Book 3 to 6 weeks ahead
August and May lanes fill up. Earlier is better. Off peak is more flexible.
Use the student discount
School ID or enrollment letter at quote. 5 to 8% off automatically.
Parent books and pays
Parent books, pays the $99 deposit, student is the contact at pickup or delivery.
Plan pickup around finals or orientation
Schedule pickup or delivery for a window the student can be there, or send a parent or roommate.
Empty the car
Dorm gear, clothes, mini fridges, none of that goes in the car. They are not insured in transit.
Photo before pickup
Walk around with the student's phone. Photos protect both the family and the carrier.
How student shipping works
Four steps from quote to dorm delivery.
Parent gets a quote
Pickup at home, drop off at school address or dorm. Apply student ID for the discount.
$99 deposit locks the rate
Parent pays the deposit, balance on delivery, card, cash, or wire.
Pickup
Carrier picks up at home with parent or student present. 1 to 3 day window.
Dorm or apartment delivery
Driver calls 2 hours out, walks the car with the student, signs the BOL, done.
Student auto transport rates
Standard rates with 5 to 8 percent student discount applied at quote with school ID.
| Distance | Open Transport | Enclosed Transport | Transit Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 500 mi | $415 to $645 | $650 to $1,020 | 2 to 4 days |
| 500 to 1,000 mi | $645 to $920 | $1,020 to $1,390 | 3 to 5 days |
| 1,000 to 2,000 mi | $830 to $1,290 | $1,390 to $2,030 | 5 to 7 days |
| 2,000+ mi | $1,015 to $1,660 | $1,850 to $2,680 | 7 to 10 days |
Estimates only, your exact rate comes from the live carrier load board. Get an instant quote at the top of the page for real numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the student discount?
Can a parent book on behalf of a student?
Can you deliver to a dorm?
What is the peak window?
Can the student be at school during pickup or vice versa?
Can my student leave gear in the car?
How does my student get tracking updates?
What about a high value car like a Tesla?
What if my student's car does not run?
How do we pay?
Ready to ship?
Pick the path that fits how you want to move.
Every auto transport service we run
Auto transport is not one product. A dealer moving forty units off an auction lane, a collector shipping a numbers matching car across the country, and a family sending one sedan ahead of a move are three different jobs that happen to use the same highways. They need different trailers, different insurance limits, different loading equipment, and different scheduling. Quoting all three the same way is how customers end up with a truck that cannot legally carry their vehicle. Pick the line below that matches what you are actually moving, and the quote comes back against the right equipment the first time.
By transport type
Open Car TransportThe standard multi car carrier and the cheapest way to move a daily driver. Same trailers that deliver new inventory to dealers.Learn more →
Enclosed Auto TransportA sealed trailer, soft tie downs, and no road spray for classics, exotics, and anything you would not park outside.Learn more →
Door to Door TransportPickup and delivery at the addresses you give us. No terminal drop offs and no driving across town to meet a truck.Learn more →
Expedited Car ShippingNext day or two day pickup when the closing date moved or the buyer will not wait. Priority position in the dispatch queue.Learn more →- Budget Car ShippingFlexible dates and a wider pickup window traded for a lower rate. The honest version of a cheap quote.Learn more →
State to State ShippingInterstate moves with one carrier from origin to destination, no reloading and no handoffs between trucks.Learn more →
Cross Country ShippingCoast to coast runs past two thousand miles, priced on lane density rather than a flat per mile guess.Learn more →- International ShippingOcean freight by container or roll on roll off, with the port paperwork and customs filing handled for you.Learn more →
Online Purchase DeliveryBought from a marketplace, an out of state dealer, or a private seller. We collect it and bring it to your driveway.Learn more →- Auto Train AlternativeA door to door option for the Virginia to Florida run when the train is sold out or the schedule does not fit.Learn more →
- Inoperable Vehicle TransportWinch equipped carriers for cars that will not start, will not steer, or will not roll. Project cars included.Learn more →
Oversized TransportLifted trucks, duallies, and anything over standard deck height on trailers built for the clearance.Learn more →
By vehicle
Motorcycle ShippingCruisers, sport bikes, touring rigs, and trikes on soft straps and wheel chocks rather than a bare ratchet.Learn more →
Truck ShippingHalf tons through duallies, with the bed and tow package measured before we quote so the deck actually fits.Learn more →
RV and Motorhome TransportTowed, hauled, or driven by a bonded CDL driver depending on length, height, and whether it is roadworthy.Learn more →
Luxury Car ShippingEnclosed by default, lift gate loading, and a driver who has moved this class of car before.Learn more →
Classic Car ShippingVintage and restoration cars handled with soft ties, no wheel straps on original chrome, and full photo documentation.Learn more →
By who is shipping
Dealer ShippingAuction runs, dealer trades, and port to lot moves on volume pricing with one invoice across every unit.Learn more →- Fleet ShippingMulti unit relocations and seasonal rebalancing with contracted rates that hold through surge weeks.Learn more →
- For Online BuyersIndependent condition photos at pickup so you see the car before it leaves the seller, not after it arrives.Learn more →
- Auction ShippingPickup coordinated against auction release, gate pass, and storage deadlines so you are not paying late fees.Learn more →
- OEM LogisticsPlant to dealer and plant to port movement with reporting that matches manufacturer compliance requirements.Learn more →
- Rental Fleet RelocationSeasonal fleet balancing between markets, priced by the batch rather than one unit at a time.Learn more →
- Military Car ShippingPCS moves timed to report dates, with pickup that works around base access and a deploying schedule.Learn more →
- Student Car ShippingMove in and move out windows around the academic calendar, when every family in town needs the same week.Learn more →
Snowbird ShippingNorth in spring, south in fall, booked both directions at once so the return leg is locked before rates climb.Learn more →- Corporate RelocationEmployee moves billed to the company with the documentation a relocation package and an expense team need.Learn more →
Not sure which one fits? Call (888) 780-6207 and describe the vehicle and the route. A dispatcher will tell you which equipment it needs and what the lane is running, or start with an instant quote and adjust from there.
Auto transport coast to coast, state to state
We move vehicles in all fifty states, and the network is deepest where the freight already runs. Each state page below carries its own lane table, transit windows, and the local conditions that actually change a rate.
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
South
Midwest
Mountain
Read before you book
Most complaints in this industry trace back to something the customer was never told: that the first quote was a placeholder, that the broker on the phone is not the company driving the truck, or that personal items in the trunk are not covered by cargo insurance. None of that is complicated once somebody explains it. These are the explainers we send customers before they book, written to be useful whether or not you ship with us.
- How to Ship a CarThe whole process from first quote to signed delivery receipt, in the order it actually happens.Read the guide →
- How Auto Transport WorksWhat happens between your booking and a truck showing up, including who dispatches the load and why timing moves.Read the guide →
- Brokers vs CarriersThe difference nobody explains, why it changes who is liable for your car, and which one you are actually talking to.Read the guide →
- Spotting Transport FraudHow to check authority and insurance yourself, and the quote patterns that mean a company is about to raise the price.Read the guide →
- TruePrice GuaranteeWhy our quote is the price, and what the industry practice of quoting low and renegotiating at pickup costs you.Read the guide →
- Pre Shipping ChecklistWhat to clean, remove, photograph, and document before the driver arrives so a damage claim never becomes your word against theirs.Read the guide →
- Cheapest Ways to ShipThe levers that genuinely lower a rate, and the ones that only look cheap until pickup day.Read the guide →
- Hawaii Car ShippingPort schedules, island by island delivery, and what the ocean leg adds to a mainland quote.Read the guide →
- Alaska Car ShippingBarge versus the Alaska Highway, seasonal closures, and why a winter quote is not a summer quote.Read the guide →
- Why WhipshipperWhat we do differently on carrier vetting, rate locking, and tracking, stated plainly enough to check.Read the guide →
- Full FAQEvery question we get on pricing, timing, insurance, and paperwork, answered in one place.Read the guide →
- Customer ReviewsHow we handle feedback, what we do when a shipment goes sideways, and how to read transport reviews generally.Read the guide →
Lock your rate today.
$99 deposit holds the carrier, balance on delivery.