Cost to Ship a Car
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Shipping a Car? This is What You Can Expect to Pay.
The first question that most people ask themselves when they need to transport their car is, “how much will it cost me?”. And, if you’ve ever asked yourself that same question, you know finding the answer can be challenging. There’s nothing more stressful than wasting time calling multiple transport companies for completely inaccurate estimates.
Here’s the thing…
Obtaining accurate prices to ship your vehicle is actually pretty simple as long as you know what information to provide to auto transporters. In this guide, you’ll discover exactly what information you’ll need to provide to auto transporters to ensure accurate pricing.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car?
The average cost to ship a car using auto transport companies in the US is $2.92 per mile to ship a vehicle less than 200 miles, but it costs $0.78 per mile to ship a car 1,000 miles or more. Of course, the cost to ship a car depends on a few factors like distance, service type, and more.
If you want to do a little more research on how much your specific car shipment may be, you can visit our cost to ship index, which includes hundreds of auto transport shipments completed through the uShip marketplace. You’ll find how much it costs to ship a car across the country, state to state, locally or internationally.
The best way to get no-obligation auto shipping rates is to use the uShip vehicle shipping cost calculator below:
Auto Transport Pricing Factors
There are dozens of factors that go into determining the cost of transporting a vehicle. By understanding these factors, you’ll have a better sense of the quotes you receive and how you can adjust your transport requirements to obtain better pricing
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- Distance: Distance is the main factor calculated in the cost to ship a car. It will cost less overall if you’re not going far but will be a higher cost per mile. Distance is directly related to the amount of fuel used to transport your vehicle.
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- Make and Model of Vehicle: Vehicle make and model is a factor that goes into the cost of shipping a car. The larger the car or the more weight added to the car carrier, the higher the vehicle shipping rate as the transporter can move fewer cars to meet weight restrictions.
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- Vehicle Condition : If your vehicle runs and drives, you will receive more affordable shipping quotes than a vehicle that does not. A car that does not operate will need to be towed or winched onto a single car carrier, thus increasing the transportation cost.
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- Transport Type: From open-air auto transport to enclosed car shipping, there are many ways to ship your vehicle. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, along with price variations. You’ll want to consider what your needs are when transporting your car.
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- Time of Year: Shipping a vehicle in the summer months costs less than shipping a car in the winter. In many areas of the United States, snow and ice affect the typical trucking lanes, potentially bringing a higher car shipping rate.
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- Gas Prices: Current gas prices can significantly affect the cost of shipping a vehicle. Fuel prices directly correlate with shipping rates and can drive up how much you will pay for transport services. When gas prices are high, it’s best to choose a transport type that hauls multiple cars at once.
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- Vehicle Height: When shipping vehicles, height matters for cost. Most sedans average a height of 57 inches, while SUVs can range from 63 to 73 inches. Due to this height difference, SUVs are typically more expensive to transport than sedans. Additionally, special SUVs that are taller than usual force sedans to be shipped under or over the taller vehicle.
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- Vehicle Length: Some vehicle transportation companies use vehicle length to calculate the cost of shipping a car. With the average length of a sedan being 189 inches, vehicles under this length become desirable and cheaper to ship. Vehicles over 196 inches become trickier to fit inside a transport vehicle, causing auto transport companies to increase the costs.
- Pick Up and Delivery Locations: Urban and metropolitan areas typically have many car transport trucks available and shipments available, keeping the cost to ship a car lower than a rural area. It’s hard to add a rural stop to a shipping lane and will require additional fuel and time, increasing your overall auto shipping rates.
Car Shipping Prices By Transport Method
The type of method you choose to transport your vehicle will affect what you’ll pay. For example, you’ll pay much less for an open car transporter than an enclosed auto transporter. Sometimes it may be worth spending the extra money for enclosed transport to protect a high-value vehicle from damage, while it wouldn’t make much sense for an unfinished project car. Here are some of the most popular options when it comes to transporting your car:
Train Transport
To ship a car by train, you can expect to pay around $800 to $1000+ for cross-country shipping. While freight train transport can be an affordable option, it’s the slowest and takes a lot of work.
Open Auto Transport
Open auto transport is one of the cheapest options out there. Shipping a car coast-to-coast with open auto transport would cost around $1,500 on average.
Enclosed Auto Transport
On average, it’s about $1,800+ to ship a car across the country using enclosed transport. This option is best for high-value vehicles such as classic and luxury cars.
Door-to-Door Auto Transport
Door-to-door car transport prices can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the method of transport. The best way to find out how much it would cost to ship your car door-to-door is to get an instant quote.
How to Save Money on Car Shipping
While transporting your car won’t be cheap, there are certain things you can do to reduce what you’ll pay.
First, it’s a good idea to allow yourself plenty of time to find a transporter. Give yourself time to get as many quotes as you can so that you can find the best service at the best possible price. Additionally, some carriers will be willing to give you a price break if you can work on their terms.
Another money-saving tip is to consider terminal-to-terminal transport. A terminal is a regional storage facility typically located in large metropolitan areas. Carriers transport cars to and from these terminals to combine shipments going to the same general area, making terminal shipping less expensive than door-to-door.
Does your car run and drive? If not, you can save hundreds of dollars by making any minor repairs to get your vehicle operable. It takes more effort and more time to ship a non-operable vehicle than it does to ship one that runs and drives
uShip for Affordable Car Shipping
The best way to find out how much it will cost to ship your car is to use uShip. uShip is an online shipping marketplace that allows you to obtain and compare quotes from multiple auto transporters in one place. Within just a few clicks, you can run instant rates from some of the best car shippers in your area. And the best part is, there’s no obligation to book with us, so it’s essentially risk-free.
See How Much it is to Ship Your Car
Get Quotes NowRelated Car Shipping Guides
You might not know what to expect when shipping a car, especially when it comes to the time-frame that spans from initial pick-up to delivery at its destination. So, how long does it take to ship a car cross country?
The auto transport business is driven by efficiency. There are many ways to ship a car. Millions of cars are hauled by truck, by rail, by air, or via large ship overseas every year for many reasons.
One of the worst things that can happen while a vehicle is in transport is damage. 5% to 10% of vehicles are You can minimize the risk of damage by properly preparing your vehicle for transport.