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Jennifer Cook is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront and has spent hours perusing sample warranty contracts from vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers. She began her career in automotive content researching insurance and vehicle shipping companies. Jennifer is based in the sleepy town of Cedar Mountain, North Carolina and spends much of her time exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains. She hopes to become an accomplished scuba diver in the coming years but knows that fear of sharks is a healthy thing.
Most car shipping companies are brokers that connect you with a network of shipping carriers.
Open car transport is the most commonly used and affordable type of car shipping.
You can drop off and pick up your car at designated shipping terminals or use door-to-door delivery.
To ship your car, connect with a broker or carrier and provide details about your shipping needs, after which you’ll receive a quote. Once you find a carrier and a price you like, you can prep your car and complete the drop-off and pickup inspections.
Let’s dive into how car shipping works and what you can expect during the process. If you’re ready to compare shipping quotes, consider some of the best car shipping companies.
Most car shippers are actually what’s known as brokers. According to Steve Yariv, owner of Dealers Choice Auto Transport, almost all car shipping companies you see online are brokers only. These companies connect you to a network of dedicated car shipping carriers — the people who move your car — and provide a point of contact before, during and after you ship your vehicle.
Working with a broker instead of directly with a carrier may seem counterintuitive, but you can access a much larger network of carriers and more flexible shipping dates.
Note that some car shipping companies operate as both brokers and shipping carriers. These companies’ in-house shipping services may have limited service areas, while an extended network of shipping carriers helps clients outside of these service areas.
When you contact a car shipping company for a quote, you’ll be asked to provide details about your shipping needs, such as the following:
Once you provide this information, you’ll typically be offered an instant quote, though these fast quotes are not always guaranteed. Also, some companies may take a little longer to provide a quote, which isn’t necessarily bad. Your auto transport company may offer your job to several in-network carriers, which then bid on the job. The longer shipping carriers have to bid, the more likely you will receive a competitive price.
After choosing a company, you’ll need to arrange pickup and delivery, inspect your vehicle, sign the bill of lading and enjoy the convenience of shipping your car instead of driving it.
You can choose from a few different car shipping methods and delivery options to customize the speed and protection of your shipping service.
Most shipping carriers transport vehicles using specially designed trailers. With open car shipping, open-air trailers can carry several vehicles at once, making it the most cost-effective and affordable shipping method.
For enclosed shipping, carriers use closed-in box trailers to shield transported vehicles from weather and road debris, providing peace of mind for owners of luxury or classic cars. An enclosed carrier transports fewer cars at once and is slower and more costly than open car transport.
If you’re shipping your vehicle internationally or to Hawaii or Alaska, your car shipping methods may include a combination of open or enclosed trailers, airplanes, boats or trains.
Car shipping brokers and carriers typically offer door-to-door transport or terminal-to-terminal pickup and delivery.
If you choose door-to-door transport, your shipping carrier will pick up and drop off your vehicle as close to your preferred locations as possible. Door-to-door car shipping is convenient because you won’t need to travel to shipping terminals for your car. However, this service tends to cost more per mile than terminal-to-terminal shipping.
Terminal-to-terminal shipping utilizes the carrier’s existing network of service locations. With this delivery method, you must be able to drop off and pick up your vehicle at the shipping carrier’s designated locations. This option is more affordable and offers more flexible shipping dates than door-to-door shipping.
Reputable shipping carriers have insurance coverage that helps protect you and your vehicle in the event of damage caused by carrier negligence or equipment errors. This means that if your car is on an open carrier and is damaged by weather, road debris or other causes, these damages may not be covered. Always check out a company’s customer reviews to ensure customers are satisfied with their auto transport services.
Some companies offer additional protection available for purchase when shipping services are arranged. Always ask for proof of insurance and a copy of any coverage details and limitations before committing to working with a shipping company.
If you’re worried about your vehicle being damaged during open transport, consider getting quotes for enclosed auto transport as well. Your transport broker likely offers both options.
Based on quotes we received from the industry’s leading shipping brokers, you can expect shipping your car to take anywhere from one to two weeks. This includes a pickup time ranging from one to seven business days and a transit time of one to eight business days. Most shipping services will probably take less time, but you should plan for two weeks for long distances or specialized car shipping services such as enclosed transport or single-car shipping.
When researching car shipping brokers and carriers, we asked how much it would cost to ship a 2019 Toyota Camry over different distances. We sought quotes for both open and enclosed shipping with door-to-door pickup and delivery to help get a clear picture of what drivers like you should expect to pay.
Based on quotes we received, drivers looking to ship a car less than 600 miles can expect to pay between $400 and $900 for leading car carriers. For longer distances of around 1,500 miles, our quotes show a range of $700–$1,700 for open trailer shipping and $1,000–$2,700 for enclosed car shipping.
If you’re looking to ship your car cross-country or a distance of up to 2,400 miles, expect to pay between $850 and $2,400. However, the cost of vehicle transport ultimately depends on several factors.
When comparing auto shipping quotes, you’ll likely receive varying offers for the same job from different carriers. This is normal and has a lot to do with car shipping companies setting their prices based on their own determining factors. Some of those factors include the following:
Larger, heavier vehicles such as trucks and vans will cost more to ship than sedans and smaller vehicles.
Enclosed and single-car shipping will cost more per mile than open car shipping because fewer vehicles can be transported at once.
Terminal-to-terminal shipping requires you to travel to drop off and pick up your vehicle but costs less per mile than door-to-door pickup and delivery.
More people move during January and the summer, meaning car shipping companies will have less availability and higher prices during these periods.
Higher gas prices mean it’ll cost more to ship your car, no matter which method or delivery options you choose.
No matter which type of transport you choose, you should not try to ship personal belongings in your vehicle. Your car transport company will not cover lost, damaged or stolen personal items left in your vehicle during shipping.
Also, we recommend thoroughly cleaning the inside and outside of your vehicle before turning it over to car transport services. On your pickup date, your auto transport carrier will inspect your vehicle and note any dents, scratches or other damages on the bill of lading prior to taking your vehicle.
Now that you know how car shipping works and what to expect during the process, check out our step-by-step guide on how to ship a car.
If you’re ready to start comparing companies, consider kicking it off with quotes from one or more of the providers below.
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.
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