Editorial note: Homefront (defined in the Disclosure below) may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured on our site. This commission does not influence our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
Brogan Woodburn is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront and has read dozens of extended auto warranty contracts, including the fine print that will tell you whether your car insurance covers slashed tires or can get you a new engine replacement. His editorial experience in the auto industry includes work that appears on MarketWatch and Motor1.com.
Brogan is based in Prineville, Oregon, and enjoys exploring the outdoors in his free time. Having studied guitar at Berklee College of Music, he also performs classical guitar for local events and weddings.
The average car shipping cost is around $1,295 in total or around 86 cents per mile in 2024.
Car shipping costs depend on factors such as the time of year, vehicle type, transport type and distance.
Shopping early and comparing quotes are the best ways to get the cheapest car transport prices.
Car shippers provide a valuable service when you need to move your vehicle to another state. The best car shipping companies transport your car safely and keep you updated during its journey. Of course, this service comes at a cost.
In this article, we’ll look at how much car shipping costs from a few different viewpoints. The best way to know what you would pay is to compare free quotes.
On average, car shipping costs $715 to $1,909 for open and closed auto transport services between 500 and 2,400 miles with open auto transport services. With most companies, you can expect to pay between $500 and $2,000 depending on the distance and transport type.
Below are a few different examples to compare based on quotes we got from top car shipping services for transporting an operable 2020 Toyota Camry.
Distance is one of the biggest factors affecting what you pay for car shipping. Car shipping costs increase overall with distance, but the price per mile goes down. In other words, a 1,000-mile shipment won’t necessarily cost twice as much as a 500-mile shipment and you’ll probably get more bang for your buck with a long-distance shipment.
Enclosed shipping rates for 1,520 miles range from $1,145 to $3,280, which averages out to $1,909. Compared to choosing open shipping for the same distance, customers pay an average of $695 more for enclosed shipping. Open carriers are cheaper as they transport up to 10 vehicles at once. Enclosed auto carriers are more expensive, but they protect the vehicle on all sides.
The auto transport company you choose has a big impact on what you pay for shipping. While the average rate for a 1,530-mile open shipment is $1,214, quotes we received ranged from $745 to $1,990. Below are a dozen companies ranked by their average per-mile costs.
Below are a dozen companies ranked by their average per-mile costs:
Comparing car shipping quotes is important. One company might have good rates for short shipments but high rates for longer distances. The only way to tell is to get initial car shipping prices from a few different providers for your shipment.
To help you understand how car shipping costs work we’ve broken down the factors that change pricing and how payments work. We’ll also give advice on whether you should pick open or enclosed shipping and how to save money on auto transport.
Many things affect car shipping costs, from the time of year to the price of gas. Your auto transport provider will consider the following when determining your vehicle shipping cost:
There are a few things you can do to find cheap car shipping. The best strategy is to start comparing vehicle transport rates at least two weeks ahead of time. Many companies offer instant quotes and car shipping calculators, though some call back with a quote after you fill out a form.
By leaving a couple of weeks of flexibility, you won’t have to pay increased rates for expedited shipping. Comparing multiple quotes also gives you insight into which company offers better rates for vehicle shipping.
If you’re moving between large metro areas, you might also want to look into terminal-to-terminal shipping. Only some car shipping companies offer this service. It involves you dropping off and picking up your car from industry shipping terminals in various locations. It’s not available everywhere, but you can save some money compared with the standard option of door-to-door service.
An easy way to save some money is to opt for open transport instead of enclosed transport. This is the most economical transport option since your car shares a large open trailer with many other vehicles. You can also ask the carrier to load the vehicle on the top rack to protect it from dripping fluids.
Getting an auto transport quote is just the first step of the process. After that, the car shipping company will secure a carrier for your shipment. You might see the initial quote increase if the car transport company can’t find a carrier under that price.
In the auto transport industry, you have two options for payment from most companies. The first option is to pay a deposit by card when the carrier is dispatched to get your vehicle. Then, you pay the remaining balance in cash, money order or cashier’s check to the driver when they deliver your vehicle. You’ll save some money with this payment arrangement because drivers prefer to receive cash when they finish a job instead of waiting for the car shipping company to pay them later.
The other option is to pay for the entire vehicle shipment by card when the carrier is dispatched. This might be more convenient if you want to use a credit card. Some auto shipping companies even offer financing through PayPal.
The type of shipping is one of the biggest factors that influences car shipping costs. You have two main options: open or enclosed transport. Open transport is the cheapest way to ship a car. So why would you pay more for enclosed shipping?
Enclosed transport is the best option if you want to fully protect a classic car or luxury car along its journey. The truck driver will load your car into a contained trailer with up to three other vehicles. You don’t have to worry about harsh weather or road debris with enclosed trailer shipping.
While we found an average car shipping cost of $1,295 in total for enclosed and open car shipping, you’ll find different costs depending on your vehicle and the service you choose. We recommend comparing quotes from at least three providers to find the best option.
We also recommend starting your search at least two weeks before you need your vehicle shipped so you don’t have to pay for expedited shipping, and carriers have plenty of time to coordinate your shipment.
Start here with quotes from shipping companies:
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
The first step in the sometimes confusing car shipping process is to find the right company to handle your vehicle shipment. That’s not as easy as it may sound. So, we took out the hassle and ranked the best car shipping providers, broke down their service offerings and created a comprehensive guide to help you…
If you’re planning the logistics of a big move, you may be wondering how to ship a car and whether the service is right for you. Fortunately, shipping a car or truck is typically a very straightforward process with a number of benefits. Though you can’t move personal items in your car if you ship…
Planning a cross-country move is stressful even if you don’t have to ship your car. But when you use the right company, you can breathe a sigh of relief as a professional carrier transports your car thousands of miles. That said, it’s important to be aware of the cross-country car shipping process and pick the…
TEST Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.
The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.