Car shipping service
State-to-State vs. In-State Car Shipping
Compare State-to-State Car Shipping with the alternatives on price, protection, availability and the vehicles each option suits.
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
- Free to compare
State-to-State Car Shipping at a glance
- Cost per mile
- $0.70–$1.89 per mile
- Typical total
- $875 – $2,365
- Transit time
- 3–5 days
- Best for
- Relocations
Free · No obligation · About a minute
Get a state-to-state car shipping quote
Interstate
State-to-state
$0.70–$1.89 per mile
- Lower price per mile on longer trips
- Carriers with FMCSA authority
- Several days on long routes
- Registration to update after
Local
In-state
$0.80–$2.20 per mile
- Higher price per mile
- Often one or two days
- Smaller trucks common
- No new registration needed
Quick comparison
Feature | State-to-state | In-state |
|---|---|---|
| Typical distance | 200 to 3,000+ miles | Under about 500 miles |
| Price per mile | Lower on longer trips | Higher, because fixed costs dominate |
| Transit time | 1–12 days | Often 1–2 days |
| Carrier licensing | USDOT number and FMCSA authority | State rules apply; many still have a USDOT number |
| Truck type | Multi-car long-haul carriers | Often smaller wedge or flatbed trucks |
| After delivery | Register the car in the new state | Nothing new to register |
Choose state-to-state if:
- Your pickup and delivery are in different states
- You're relocating or buying out of state
- You want door-to-door service across a long distance
Choose in-state if:
- Both addresses are in the same state
- The trip is short enough to drive in a day
- You need same-day or next-day delivery
Our recommendation
Any trip across a state line is interstate shipping, whatever the distance. Check that the company has FMCSA authority, and budget for registration in your new state.
Ready to ship your car with state-to-state car shipping?
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