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Cross-Country Car Shipping Pricing

Average Cross-Country Car Shipping costs by distance and vehicle type, what affects the price and how it compares with other options.
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Cross-Country Car Shipping at a glance

Cost per mile
$0.35–$1.89 per mile
Typical total
$875 – $4,725
Transit time
5–10 days
Best for
Long-distance moves

Free · No obligation · About a minute

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Where is your car going?

Transport type

Most affordable · Best for everyday cars, SUVs and pickups

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$0.35–$1.89 per mile

Average cost per mile

Published figures, about 2,500 miles

$875 – $4,725

Typical total cost

Standard car, about 2,500 miles

5–10 days

Transit time

Varies by distance and route

Long-distance moves

Best for

Cross-Country Car Shipping pricing by distance

Average price per mile per vehicle. Rates vary by season, route popularity, vehicle condition and carrier.

Cross-Country Car Shipping price per mile by distance and vehicle type
Distance rangeSedanSUVPickup truck
Under 500 miles$0.80–$2.20 per mile$0.85–$2.35 per mile$1.10–$3.04 per mile
500–999 miles$0.73–$1.89 per mile$0.78–$2.02 per mile$1.01–$2.61 per mile
1,000–1,499 miles$0.70–$1.89 per mile$0.75–$2.02 per mile$0.97–$2.61 per mile
1,500–1,999 miles$0.40–$1.89 per mile$0.43–$2.02 per mile$0.55–$2.61 per mile
2,000+ miles$0.35–$1.89 per mile$0.37–$2.02 per mile$0.48–$2.61 per mile

The span across the published studies listed below. SUV and pickup rates apply the published size adjustments. Short trips cost more per mile because loading and dispatch costs are spread over fewer miles.

Shipping vs. Driving a Car Cross-Country: pricing

Saves time

Ship your car

$0.35–$1.89 per mile

  • No days behind the wheel
  • No added miles or wear
  • Door-to-door pickup and delivery
  • Takes about 5–10 days

Your own schedule

Drive it yourself

No published figure; priced per quote

  • Estimate includes fuel, 4–6 hotel nights and meals
  • About 5–7 days of driving
  • Adds thousands of miles of wear
  • Room to pack belongings

When prices move

No source publishes monthly prices for this service, and the seasons that move them are the same for all of them.

When car shipping is cheapest

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

What affects cross-country car shipping pricing?

  • DistanceThe total rises with distance, but the price per mile falls on long trips.
  • Corridor accessCities on major interstates are cheaper than towns far from the main routes.
  • Season and weatherSummer demand and winter storms on northern and mountain routes both raise prices.
  • Vehicle sizeBigger vehicles use more space and weight on long-haul trailers.
  • Open or enclosedPublished studies put enclosed transport 30–60% above open, which adds up over a long trip.
  • Pickup flexibilityA flexible window lets a carrier fill a long-haul truck efficiently.

What a quote should include

  • Transport from pickup to delivery
  • Fuel and tolls
  • The carrier's cargo insurance
  • Door-to-door service where a truck can safely reach

Ask before you book

  • Is this an estimate or a confirmed price?
  • How much is the deposit, and when is it charged?
  • How is the driver paid at delivery?
  • What does it cost to cancel or reschedule?
Car shipping cost per mile

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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