Birmingham, AL car shipping
Car Shipping in Birmingham, AL
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- Independent company rankings
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$240 – $1,945
Typical price
Sedan, open transport
1–3 days
Transit time
Most major cities
Los Angeles, Jackson
Top destinations
$240 – $660
Trips within Alabama
Published range for an in-state trip
Free · No obligation · About a minute
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About car shipping in Birmingham
Birmingham is built around a highway knot: Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 run as one road through the city and split near the airport, and I-65 crosses the whole thing at an interchange locals call Malfunction Junction. Three interstates plus the newer I-22 to Memphis give the city deep carrier supply in every direction. The trade-off is a downtown tangle that carriers would rather loop around than drive through.
- I-20 and I-59 share one roadway through the city before splitting near the airport
- I-65 crosses them downtown at the interchange known as Malfunction Junction
- I-459 is the bypass carriers use to avoid the downtown tangle
- I-22 gives a direct freeway run to Memphis
- US-280 southeast is a notoriously slow suburban corridor
- Main highways
- I-65, I-59/20, I-459
- Typical transit
- 1–3 days
- In-state trips
- $240 – $660
Car shipping rates from Birmingham
Estimated from published industry figures for a standard car. Your quote depends on season, vehicle and exact addresses.
| Destination | Distance | Open transport | Enclosed transport | Transit time | Route page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 2,160 mi | $800 – $4,080 | $1,040 – $6,530 | 5–9 days | Alabama to California |
| Jackson, MS | 260 mi | $240 – $660 | $290 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Alabama to Mississippi |
| Houston, TX | 680 mi | $495 – $1,285 | $635 – $2,055 | 2–3 days | Alabama to Texas |
| Jacksonville, FL | 450 mi | $360 – $990 | $435 – $1,585 | 1–2 days | Alabama to Florida |
| Atlanta, GA | 170 mi | $240 – $660 | $290 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Alabama to Georgia |
| New York City, NY | 1,030 mi | $720 – $1,945 | $935 – $3,115 | 3–5 days | Alabama to New York |
Storm season can pause pickups
No source publishes monthly prices by city, so this is what the studies say about timing.
Between June and November a named storm can close highways and hold carriers for days. Ship earlier in the window when a date matters.
Published price adjustments
- Pickup truckPickups cost about 38% more to ship than standard cars.Source: Move.org
- SUVAt 500 miles, an SUV averaged $743 against $696 for a car.Source: Move.org
- Non-running vehicleAdd $150 to $300 for a vehicle that does not run.Source: Direct Connect Auto Transport
Transit times from Birmingham
Typical days on the road after pickup.
- Atlanta, GA · 170 mi1–2 days
- Nashville, TN · 220 mi1–2 days
- Jackson, MS · 260 mi1–2 days
- Charlotte, NC · 430 mi1–2 days
- Jacksonville, FL · 450 mi1–2 days
- Houston, TX · 680 mi2–3 days
- Chicago, IL · 700 mi2–3 days
Popular routes from Birmingham
Car shipping companies serving Birmingham
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by city data.
Pickup areas around Birmingham
Where trucks reach easily, and where a meeting point helps.
- Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain BrookStrung along US-280 and I-459; loading is easy, though US-280 traffic decides the best time of day.
- Trussville, Gardendale, BessemerOut on the I-59/20 and I-65 legs with room to load; among the easier handovers in the metro.
- Downtown, Southside, AvondaleOlder grid beside the downtown interchange; a lot away from the ramps is faster than the street.
Good to know in Birmingham
- I-20 and I-59 are one road through the cityComing in from the southwest, I-20 and I-59 share a single roadway and run together through downtown Birmingham before splitting just east of the airport, where I-20 bends off to Atlanta and I-59 climbs northeast toward Gadsden. Alabama signs the shared stretch as I-59/20, so a destination, not just a route number, is what tells a driver which way to set up.
- Malfunction Junction is worth routing aroundWhere I-65 crosses the I-59/20 pair downtown is an interchange locals have long called Malfunction Junction, and it bunches up well outside rush hour. A driver quoting a wide pickup window inside the city is accounting for it, and many prefer to meet somewhere the truck never has to touch that knot of ramps at all.
- I-459 is the loop that skips the knotI-459 arcs around the south and east of Birmingham and lets through-traffic rejoin I-20, I-59 or I-65 without ever entering the downtown interchange. A lot of long-haul carriers stay on it by choice, which is why a pickup out in the I-459 suburbs is usually simpler to schedule than one in the center.
- I-22 opened a direct run to MemphisThe freeway northwest out of Birmingham, I-22, was finished in 2016 and gives the city a straight interstate shot to Tupelo and on to Memphis, a gap that used to push carriers onto slower US highways. A car moving between Birmingham and the mid-South now rides one corridor the whole way, which is why that direction fills more easily than it did a decade ago.
- Far enough inland to be a refuge, not a targetBirmingham sits about two hundred and fifty miles up I-65 from the Gulf, so tropical systems arrive as rain and wind rather than a storm surge. The city is where a lot of coastal Alabama heads when Mobile and Baldwin County are told to leave, and that northbound rush in the June-to-November season is the one weather event that reliably slows a pickup here.
- Moving to BirminghamIf you're moving from another state, you'll generally need to register your vehicle in Alabama. Check Alabama's motor vehicle agency for deadlines and inspection rules.
Sources: City of Birmingham, NOAA National Hurricane Center: season dates
Other Alabama cities
Starting prices on popular routes.
Helpful guides for Birmingham
Why ship from Birmingham?
- Carriers already serving Alabama
- Door-to-door pickup where trucks can reach
- Open and enclosed transport options
- Published price ranges you can compare before booking
- Common for relocations, students, military moves and car purchases
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from Birmingham?
Published figures put a standard car on an open carrier at about $240 – $1,945 from Birmingham to other major cities, depending on distance, season and vehicle. Shorter trips, such as to Atlanta, run about $240 – $660.
Car shipping cost calculatorHow long does it take to ship a car from Birmingham?
About 1–2 days to Atlanta and 5–9 days to Los Angeles, plus the pickup window before the car is loaded.
How long car shipping takesCan the truck pick up at my home in Birmingham?
Often, yes. On narrow, busy or restricted streets, the driver may ask to meet at a nearby open lot where a full-size carrier can load safely.
Door-to-door car shipping
Should I ship open or enclosed from Birmingham?
Open transport suits most everyday cars and costs less. Consider enclosed for luxury, classic or exotic cars, or anything with fresh paint.
Open vs. enclosed shippingIs my car insured when shipping from Birmingham?
Licensed carriers must carry liability insurance, and most carry cargo coverage for the cars they haul. Ask for the certificate of insurance before pickup.
Car shipping insuranceWhat's the cheapest way to ship a car from Birmingham?
Choose open transport, be flexible with dates, book one to three weeks ahead and meet the truck near a main highway if your street is hard to reach.
Cheapest way to ship a car
Where these figures come from
Published industry studies, not Haulwide shipments. Checked Sep 16, 2026.
- SGT Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 9, 2026. 30 months of the company's own shipping data (January 2024 to June 2026) across all 50 states and 1,581 state-to-state lanes, limited to completed single-vehicle open transport deliveries and mix-adjusted for distance.
- Move.org(opens in a new tab)
Published Mar 4, 2026. Nearly 800 broker quotes analyzed, priced for a running 2025 Toyota Camry with a one-week lead time using October 2025 quotes.
- Kelley Blue Book(opens in a new tab)
Published Jan 12, 2026. Quotes requested from eight transport companies for a 2025 Honda Accord on three routes from Orlando, on standard open carriers.
- Direct Connect Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
No publication date given. The company's own carrier data for an operable sedan on open transport; the page states no publication date.
- RoadRunner Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 1, 2026. The company's completed shipment history, which it describes as over 1 million vehicles delivered across 30+ years, updated September 2026. Its nationwide average is $1,215 at a median distance of 987 miles and a median $1.23 per mile.
The sources disagree, so figures are shown as the span across them rather than a single price. Pricing methodology
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