Car Shipping Transit Times from Denver
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Denver at a glance
- Typical price
- $350 – $2,740
- Open transport
- $0.40–$1.89 per mile
- Transit time
- 1–5 days
- Trips within Colorado
- $240 – $660
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1–2 days
Under 500 miles
Nearby states
2–8 days
500–2,000 miles
Regional and mid-distance
11 hours a day
Driving limit
Federal hours-of-service rule
Transit times from Denver to major cities
Estimated days on the road after pickup, from nearest to farthest.
| Destination | Distance | Standard transit | Open transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne, WY | 120 mi | 1–2 days | $240 – $660 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 400 mi | 1–2 days | $320 – $880 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 440 mi | 1–2 days | $350 – $970 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 700 mi | 2–3 days | $510 – $1,325 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1,000 mi | 2–4 days | $700 – $1,890 |
| Houston, TX | 1,050 mi | 3–5 days | $735 – $1,985 |
| Chicago, IL | 1,100 mi | 3–5 days | $770 – $2,080 |
| Atlanta, GA | 1,450 mi | 3–6 days | $1,015 – $2,740 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,760 mi | 4–8 days | $705 – $3,325 |
| New York City, NY | 1,950 mi | 4–8 days | $780 – $3,685 |
Pickup window vs. transit time
- Day 0
Book
Compare estimates, choose a company and confirm the price, pickup window and payment terms in writing.
- Before pickup
Carrier assigned
Your order goes to a carrier with space on your route. Busy routes usually fill faster than rural ones.
- A range of days
Pickup window
Pickup happens within an agreed window, not at an exact hour. Drivers usually call ahead to set a time.
In transit
Time on the road depends on distance, weather, other stops and drivers' required rest breaks.
- On arrival
Delivery
Inspect the car against the Bill of Lading and note any new damage before you sign.
What can slow a shipment from Denver
- Distance is the reason Denver quotes look the way they doSalt Lake City, Kansas City and Albuquerque are all a long day's drive away with very little in between. A carrier coming to Denver is often making the trip for your car rather than adding it to a route it was already running, and that is priced in. It also means fewer last-minute pickups.
- The traction and chain laws are real law, not adviceCDOT can impose a traction law, and then a chain law, on any state highway during winter storms. The chain law is the last step before a highway closes outright, and the fine is $100 plus a $33 surcharge, rising to $500 plus $157 if a violation closes the road. Carriers take it seriously, and a delayed winter pickup is usually this.
- I-70 is the corridor that stopsThe mountain stretch west of Denver is where closures actually happen, so a car going to or through Utah, Nevada or California in winter carries schedule risk that the same trip in July does not. A car going east on I-70 or south on I-25 rarely does.
- Cold starts and tire pressureA car that has sat on an open deck at altitude in January may not start readily on delivery, and tire pressures read low in the cold. Neither is damage. Worth knowing before you sign a condition report in a parking lot at five in the evening.
Truck drivers may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, which is why long routes are measured in days, not hours. Source: FMCSA hours of service
Standard vs. expedited shipping
Example: Denver to Los Angeles.
Standard shipping
2–4 days in transit
- Most cost-effective
- Widest choice of carriers
- Good for flexible schedules
Expedited shipping
Sooner pickup; similar time on the road
- Priority carrier assignment
- Shorter wait for pickup
- Costs more
Delivery dates are estimates. Weather, freeway closures and other stops on the truck's route can add time, so plan a little buffer.
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