Pricing Data Methodology
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
- Free to compare
- The same rules for every company
- No paid rankings or Scores
- Estimates labeled as estimates
Free · No obligation · About a minute
Compare top-rated companies
Price sources
Prices come from four published studies, each with a date and a method its publisher states. Every page that shows a figure names the sources behind it and links to them.
| Source | Published | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| SGT Auto Transport, The State of Auto Transport 2026 | September 9, 2026 | 30 months of the company's completed open-transport deliveries across 1,581 state-to-state lanes, mix-adjusted for distance |
| Move.org | March 4, 2026 | Nearly 800 broker quotes for a running 2025 Toyota Camry with a one-week lead time |
| Kelley Blue Book | January 12, 2026 | Quotes from eight transport companies for a 2025 Honda Accord on three routes |
| Direct Connect Auto Transport | No date given | The company's carrier data for an operable sedan on open transport |
SGT Auto Transport, The State of Auto Transport 2026
- Published
- September 9, 2026
- What it measures
- 30 months of the company's completed open-transport deliveries across 1,581 state-to-state lanes, mix-adjusted for distance
Move.org
- Published
- March 4, 2026
- What it measures
- Nearly 800 broker quotes for a running 2025 Toyota Camry with a one-week lead time
Kelley Blue Book
- Published
- January 12, 2026
- What it measures
- Quotes from eight transport companies for a 2025 Honda Accord on three routes
Direct Connect Auto Transport
- Published
- No date given
- What it measures
- The company's carrier data for an operable sedan on open transport
How estimates are calculated
- Measure the distanceStraight-line distance between the state or city centers, stretched by 1.2 to approximate road miles. It is an estimate, not a driving route.
- Collect every published figureTake each source that publishes a per-mile price for that distance. A source that prices one exact distance is used only within 10% of it.
- Publish the spanShow the lowest and highest published per-mile figures and the totals they imply, with the contributing sources named.
- Adjust for the shipmentApply the published enclosed premium, vehicle-size differences and non-running surcharge, each attributed to the source that published it.
Transit windows come from the federal driving limits in 49 CFR 395.3 — 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour window — which allow roughly 500 road miles a day before loading stops and required breaks. Multi-car carriers make several stops, so the window runs from that pace to about half of it.
How the cost calculator works
The calculator estimates driving distance between the pickup and delivery states, finds the published price range for that distance band, then adjusts for vehicle size, transport type, condition and pickup timing. It's a planning tool that gives a range, not a quote.
When you enter a city or ZIP code in a quote request, we measure between those locations instead, using ZIP code coordinates from GeoNames (geonames.org), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Limitations
- The figures are other companies' published data, not prices Haulwide has measured
- The sources disagree: around 1,000 miles they publish $0.89 to $1.89 per mile, so the ranges are wide
- No source publishes prices for individual routes, so a route's range is its distance band's range
- Distances are estimated from state and city centers, not from your exact addresses
- Prices are confirmed only when a carrier accepts your shipment
- Fuel spikes or storms can move prices before the next update
Frequently asked questions
Why is my quote different from the estimate?
Your exact locations, dates, vehicle and current demand all affect real quotes. Use estimates to judge whether a quote is realistic.
Car shipping cost factorsCan companies pay to change their Score or ranking?
No. Scores and rankings are calculated the same way for every company. Advertising never changes them, and any sponsored placement is clearly labeled.
Advertising disclosure
How do I report an error?
Contact us with the page, what's wrong and any supporting information. We review corrections and update pages when we confirm a mistake.
Contact us
More about our methodology
- Haulwide Score MethodologyWhat the 1–10 Score measures.
- Company Ranking MethodologyEligibility, ordering and updates.
- Verified Review MethodologyVerification, moderation and privacy.
- Methodology overviewPrinciples behind all our data.
- Market data methodologyHow market figures are calculated.
- Editorial policyHow we write and correct content.
Compare top-rated car shipping companies
Get quotes from licensed companies ranked on the same standards.