Joliet, IL car shipping
Car Shipping in Joliet, IL
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- Independent company rankings
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$370 – $2,060
Typical price
Sedan, open transport
1–4 days
Transit time
Most major cities
Los Angeles, Indianapolis
Top destinations
$240 – $660
Trips within Illinois
Published range for an in-state trip
Free · No obligation · About a minute
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About car shipping in Joliet
Joliet sits at the interchange of I-80 and I-55 southwest of Chicago, and it has become the freight capital of the Midwest: the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, spread across Joliet and neighboring Elwood, is the nation's largest inland port. For shipping a car, that means the roads are saturated with trucks and there is a deep pool of carriers based nearby, so finding one is rarely the problem. The live complication is I-80 itself, which is in the middle of a years-long rebuild straight through town.
- The CenterPoint Intermodal Center here is the nation's largest inland port
- At the I-80 and I-55 interchange, so carriers run in every direction but north
- I-80 through Joliet is a multi-year reconstruction zone
- Industrial roads built for trucks make most pickups easy
- Main highways
- I-80, I-55, US-6
- Typical transit
- 1–4 days
- In-state trips
- $240 – $660
Car shipping rates from Joliet
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 | 2,060 mi | $760 – $3,895 | $990 – $6,230 | 5–9 days | Illinois to California |
| Indianapolis, IN | 190 mi | $240 – $660 | $290 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Illinois to Indiana |
| Houston, TX | 1,090 mi | $765 – $2,060 | $990 – $3,295 | 3–5 days | Illinois to Texas |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,020 mi | $715 – $1,930 | $930 – $3,085 | 3–5 days | Illinois to Florida |
| Kansas City, MO | 460 mi | $370 – $1,010 | $445 – $1,620 | 1–2 days | Illinois to Missouri |
| New York City, NY | 880 mi | $640 – $1,665 | $820 – $2,660 | 2–4 days | Illinois to New York |
Winter weather affects pickup, not just price
No source publishes monthly prices by city, so this is what the studies say about timing.
Storms and mountain passes can delay a truck that is already on the road, so a wider pickup window matters more here than a slightly lower quote.
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 Joliet
Typical days on the road after pickup.
- Indianapolis, IN · 190 mi1–2 days
- Des Moines, IA · 340 mi1–2 days
- Kansas City, MO · 460 mi1–2 days
- Atlanta, GA · 690 mi2–3 days
- Charlotte, NC · 700 mi2–3 days
- New York City, NY · 880 mi2–4 days
- Jacksonville, FL · 1,020 mi3–5 days
Popular routes from Joliet
Car shipping companies serving Joliet
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by city data.
Pickup areas around Joliet
Where trucks reach easily, and where a meeting point helps.
- Near the intermodal center and Arsenal RoadWarehouse and freight ground off I-55 with lots built to take a full carrier.
- Shorewood, Plainfield, New Lenox, MinookaNewer subdivisions off I-80 and I-55 with wide streets and room to load.
- Downtown Joliet and the East SideOlder grid near the Des Plaines River where meeting on a wider road is simpler.
Good to know in Joliet
- The nation's largest inland port is next doorThe CenterPoint Intermodal Center, across Joliet and neighboring Elwood, is described by the Federal Highway Administration as the nation's largest inland port, where BNSF and Union Pacific rail yards hand containers to trucks. The effect for a car is a dense local pool of carriers and drivers who work this ground daily, so finding a truck out of Joliet is rarely the hard part.
- Where I-80 and I-55 crossJoliet sits at the interchange of I-80, which runs coast to coast, and I-55, which drops to St. Louis, Memphis and the Gulf. A carrier heading in almost any direction but north is already on one of those roads, so lanes out of Joliet get covered quickly and are priced against heavy competition rather than against the city's own size.
- I-80 through town is a long construction zoneIllinois DOT is rebuilding sixteen miles of I-80 across Will County, from Minooka to New Lenox, replacing more than thirty bridges including the spans over the Des Plaines River in Joliet, with work running into the late 2020s. Lane shifts and closures are routine, so a driver crossing Joliet on I-80 may quote extra time, and it is worth asking about if your date is tight.
- Industrial ground, built for trucksMuch of Joliet and the townships around it grew up around the rail yards and warehouses, so the arterials are wide, the lots are large and an 80-foot carrier has room to turn. Door pickup usually works as booked out here; the older grid near downtown and the Des Plaines River is the tighter exception where a nearby lot is quicker.
- Moving to JolietIf you're moving from another state, you'll generally need to register your vehicle in Illinois. Check Illinois's motor vehicle agency for deadlines and inspection rules.
Sources: FHWA: CenterPoint Intermodal Center (Joliet/Elwood), IDOT: I-80 reconstruction in Will County
Other Illinois cities
Starting prices on popular routes.
Helpful guides for Joliet
Why ship from Joliet?
- Carriers already serving Illinois
- 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 Joliet?
Published figures put a standard car on an open carrier at about $370 – $2,060 from Joliet to other major cities, depending on distance, season and vehicle. Shorter trips, such as to Indianapolis, run about $240 – $660.
Car shipping cost calculatorHow long does it take to ship a car from Joliet?
About 1–2 days to Indianapolis 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 Joliet?
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 Joliet?
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 Joliet?
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 Joliet?
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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