Portland, ME car shipping
Car Shipping in Portland, ME
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
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$240 – $3,820
Typical price
Sedan, open transport
1–5 days
Transit time
Most major cities
Los Angeles, Manchester
Top destinations
$240 – $660
Trips within Maine
Published range for an in-state trip
Free · No obligation · About a minute
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About car shipping in Portland
Portland is the northeastern end of the busy Northeast lane. Trucks run up I-95 from Boston readily enough, but very little lies beyond the city, so a carrier often arrives and has to turn back rather than continue north, which matters most for a car coming in during winter. The city also splits its highways: the tolled Maine Turnpike, I-95, swings west of the peninsula while the free I-295 carries traffic through downtown.
- The far-northeast end of the dense I-95 corridor
- Carriers come up from Boston but have little reason to continue past
- I-95 is the tolled Turnpike west of the city; I-295 runs downtown
- Nor'easters and overnight snow-ban towing shape winter pickups
- Main highways
- I-295, I-95, US-1
- Typical transit
- 1–5 days
- In-state trips
- $240 – $660
Car shipping rates from Portland
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 | 3,150 mi | $1,040 – $5,955 | $1,350 – $9,525 | 7–13 days | Maine to California |
| Manchester, NH | 90 mi | $240 – $660 | $310 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Maine to New Hampshire |
| Houston, TX | 2,020 mi | $745 – $3,820 | $970 – $6,110 | 5–9 days | Maine to Texas |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,340 mi | $940 – $2,535 | $1,220 – $4,050 | 3–6 days | Maine to Florida |
| Burlington, VT | 190 mi | $240 – $660 | $290 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Maine to Vermont |
| New York City, NY | 340 mi | $270 – $750 | $330 – $1,195 | 1–2 days | Maine 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 Portland
Typical days on the road after pickup.
- Manchester, NH · 90 mi1–2 days
- Boston, MA · 120 mi1–2 days
- Burlington, VT · 190 mi1–2 days
- New York City, NY · 340 mi1–2 days
- Chicago, IL · 1,070 mi3–5 days
- Atlanta, GA · 1,230 mi3–5 days
- Jacksonville, FL · 1,340 mi3–6 days
Popular routes from Portland
Car shipping companies serving Portland
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by city data.
Pickup areas around Portland
Where trucks reach easily, and where a meeting point helps.
- South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook, FalmouthSuburban streets near the Maine Turnpike exits where a carrier loads without leaving the highway for long.
- The Old Port, Munjoy Hill, the West EndNarrow one-way peninsula streets where a lot off the hill is the realistic meeting point.
- Along I-295 and US-1 north toward YarmouthWhere carriers coming up the corridor or turning back stage for an easy handover either direction.
Good to know in Portland
- You are at the top of the Northeast corridorI-95 carries a constant stream of trucks up the coast from Boston, Portsmouth and the rest of the corridor, so reaching Portland is rarely the hard part. What thins out is everything past it: there is little population between here and the Canadian border, so a carrier often has no onward load and prices the empty return into a car coming in. Booking ahead helps most in winter.
- Two highways, and only one reaches downtownThe road most people call I-95 here is the Maine Turnpike, a toll route that runs west of Portland through the suburbs. I-295 is the free spur that branches off it and loops through downtown along the waterfront and Back Cove. A driver headed for the peninsula takes I-295, which is why the approach may not be the way you would drive it yourself.
- A snow ban will tow a car off the street overnightWhen the city calls a winter parking ban, cars left on the street overnight are ticketed and towed so the plows can work, and downtown's narrow peninsula streets are cleared block by block. No pickup happens into that, so between December and March it is worth asking what the company does if a storm lands on your date.
- The peninsula was not built for an 80-foot truckThe Old Port, Munjoy Hill and the West End sit on a narrow peninsula of one-way streets, brick, and parking along both curbs, with a grade on top of that. A full carrier will not get in, so handovers happen on a wider road or in a lot off the peninsula, which is normal here rather than a fault with your address.
- Moving to PortlandIf you're moving from another state, you'll generally need to register your vehicle in Maine. Check Maine's motor vehicle agency for deadlines and inspection rules.
Sources: Maine Turnpike Authority, City of Portland, Maine: parking bans
Other Maine cities
Starting prices on popular routes.
Helpful guides for Portland
Why ship from Portland?
- Carriers already serving Maine
- 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 Portland?
Published figures put a standard car on an open carrier at about $240 – $3,820 from Portland to other major cities, depending on distance, season and vehicle. Shorter trips, such as to Manchester, run about $240 – $660.
Car shipping cost calculatorHow long does it take to ship a car from Portland?
About 1–2 days to Manchester and 7–13 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 Portland?
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 Portland?
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 Portland?
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 Portland?
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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