How much does it cost to ship a car?
What drives the price of car shipping, what reviewers on our site actually paid on popular routes, and how to tell a fair quote from a lowball one.
There is no single price for shipping a car. Two people moving the same car between the same cities a week apart can pay noticeably different amounts. What you pay comes down to a handful of things, and once you know them, quotes start to make sense.
What sets the price
- Distance and route. Longer trips cost more in total but less per mile. Busy routes between big cities are cheaper than trips to rural areas, because a driver can fill the truck easily.
- Open or enclosed trailer. Open carriers are the standard and the cheaper choice. Enclosed trailers carry fewer cars and cost more. See open vs enclosed transport.
- Vehicle size and weight. A pickup or large SUV takes more space and weight on the trailer than a compact sedan.
- Whether it runs. A car that doesn't drive onto the trailer needs a winch or forklift, and usually costs more.
- Season and demand. Prices rise in summer and on the snowbird routes in fall and spring. More on that in the cheapest time to ship a car.
- How fast you need pickup. A firm or expedited pickup date costs extra.
What reviewers on our site paid
Customers who write reviews on Transport Auto Reviews can share the price they paid. Here is what they reported on some of the most-reviewed routes. These reviews are mostly from 2015 to 2017, so expect prices today to be higher, but the differences between routes still hold.
- Florida to California: about $1,145 on average (66 reviews)
- California to Florida: about $1,084 (39 reviews)
- California to New York: about $1,172 (20 reviews)
- Florida to New York: about $833 (56 reviews)
- New York to Florida: about $752 (44 reviews)
- Texas to Florida: about $782 (22 reviews)
You can see more routes, with the years each average covers, on our shipping cost page and on each route page.
How to read a quote
A good quote names the total price, whether it's open or enclosed, the pickup window, and how payment works. Be wary of a quote far below the others. A price that's too low for the route often means the shipment sits unassigned until the price is raised, which is one of the most common complaints in car shipping reviews. We explain why in why your car shipping quote changed.
Compare before you book
Get more than one price, and look up each company before you commit: read its reviews, and check its USDOT number and operating authority. You can post your trip once and get prices from sponsoring companies, then compare them side by side with each company's reviews.