Car Shipping FAQs

Most standard sedans cost several hundred dollars for short regional trips and roughly $1,000 to $1,700 for cross-country open transport. Enclosed transport usually costs about 30% to 60% more.

Long trips often work out to well under $1 per mile, while short trips can cost $1.50 or more per mile because loading and dispatch costs are spread over fewer miles.

Choose open transport, keep your pickup window flexible, avoid peak summer weeks and compare several quotes for the same dates.

A clear quote includes transport, carrier insurance and door-to-door service. Extra charges can apply for non-running vehicles, oversized or modified vehicles, expedited pickup and storage. Ask for the total price in writing.

Licensed carriers must carry cargo insurance, and its cost is built into the price. Check the coverage limit and deductible before pickup.

Coast-to-coast moves fall in the 2,000+ mile band in the table above, which is the cheapest per mile and the most expensive in total. Transit is usually a week or more, and the price moves with the season and how flexible your pickup window is.

A rate is the going price for a kind of move — a distance band, a vehicle, open or enclosed. A quote is one company's offer for your shipment on your dates. Rates tell you whether a quote is reasonable; only the quote is a price you can book.

Yes. Bigger vehicles take more room and weight on a trailer, so they carry a percentage uplift over a sedan — the Cost by vehicle table above shows the published figures. A lifted or modified truck can cost more again, because it may not fit a standard slot.

Prices follow demand rather than the calendar alone. Summer and the snowbird seasons are the busiest and dearest; late autumn and midwinter outside the holidays are usually quieter. A flexible pickup window is worth more than any single date.

Driving looks cheaper until you add fuel, nights on the road, food, wear and the value of the days. Shipping usually wins on long moves and loses on short ones, and it is the only option if the car cannot be driven or you are moving two.

Mostly distance, then the space and weight your vehicle takes on the trailer. That is why the per-mile price falls as the trip gets longer: loading, dispatch and paperwork cost the same whether the car goes 300 miles or 3,000.

Enclosed costs roughly 30% to 60% more than open. It is worth it for a car whose repair or replacement would hurt — classics, exotics, low-clearance and freshly restored vehicles. For an everyday car, open transport is what almost everyone uses and what most carriers run.

Ship open, give a pickup window of several days rather than a date, book one to two weeks ahead, meet the driver somewhere a full-size trailer can turn, and compare several quotes for the same dates. Avoid paying a large deposit before a carrier is assigned.

No. Estimates help you plan and compare. A quote is a company's offer for your specific shipment, and the price is only confirmed once a carrier accepts it.

Coast-to-coast shipments usually spend about 7 to 10 days in transit, plus a few days to schedule pickup.

Many companies offer updates by phone, text or an online tracker. Ask how you'll get updates before you book.

Some companies sell guaranteed or date-specific service for an extra fee. Standard shipments use estimated windows.

It can. Storms may close highways and passes, so northern and mountain routes can take longer between December and March.

Midweek pickups are often cheaper than weekends, but a flexible multi-day window matters more than the exact day.

Book early for October to December trips south and March to May trips north, or ship just before the rush.

Aim for a week or two before move-in, and avoid the busiest move-in weekend.

About a quarter tank. It's enough for loading and unloading without adding unnecessary weight.

Yes. The driver needs a key to load and unload the car. Keep a spare for yourself if you have one.

Usually just your booking confirmation and a photo ID at pickup and delivery. Title and registration normally stay with you; some routes and ocean shipments to Hawaii or Alaska need extra paperwork.

Yes. A clean car makes the pickup inspection accurate, so any new damage at delivery is easy to prove.

Usually not directly. The carrier that moves your car provides the cargo coverage. Some brokers carry contingent cargo insurance, but it only applies in limited situations.

Check the carrier's cargo limit and your own auto policy first. Extra coverage can make sense for high-value cars that exceed the carrier's limit.

It depends on the carrier's policy. Hail and severe weather are sometimes excluded, which is one reason owners of valuable cars choose enclosed transport.

Companies are ordered by their Trustpilot rating, adjusted for how many reviews it is based on, and you can filter by type and service. Companies can't pay to appear higher, and any sponsored placement is labeled.

Get quotes from at least three companies, check each one's FMCSA authority and insurance, read recent reviews and complaints, and get the price, pickup window and cancellation terms in writing.

A carrier moves the car with its own trucks but covers fewer routes. A broker finds a carrier for your route and dates. Both can be good choices if they're licensed, insured and transparent about who moves your car.

Contact the company first and keep everything in writing. If it isn't resolved, you can report the company to Haulwide and file a complaint with FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database.

It means we matched the company's name and USDOT or MC number to active FMCSA records and confirmed insurance on file. It isn't a guarantee of service quality, so check reviews and complaints too.

Look up its USDOT or MC number on the FMCSA company snapshot, confirm the name and phone match, check that authority is active, and read recent reviews and complaints.

Use the Report a Company form to share what happened. We review every report before publishing a summary, and you should also file with FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database.

No. We publish reviewed summaries of customer reports and a review status. Deciding whether a company broke the law is for regulators and courts.

Yes. We never publish your name, contact details or the evidence you upload. Reports appear only as paraphrased summaries.

Large upfront payments followed by no pickup, bait-and-switch pricing, fake or borrowed USDOT numbers and vehicles held for extra money.

No. Scores and rankings are calculated the same way for every company. Advertising never changes them, and any sponsored placement is clearly labeled.

Contact us with the page, what's wrong and any supporting information. We review corrections and update pages when we confirm a mistake.

We review it regularly. When a change affects Scores or rankings, the page is updated and the change applies to every company at the same time.