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Jun 18, 2023

How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car Across the Country? (2023)

When you’re moving across the country, it can be helpful to have a transport

When you’re moving across the country, it can be helpful to have a transport company move your car to your final destination. But is it worth it? The cost to ship a car across the country is about $1,589 on average for open car transport service, and it can exceed $2,000 for large vehicles or enclosed shipping.

With so many factors affecting shipping rates, there's much to consider — which is why we at the Guides Auto team have reviewed the best car shipping companies in the business. Read on to learn more about the cost to ship a car cross country and how to save money on your move.

The MarketWatch Guides Team is committed to providing reliable information to help you make the best possible decision about shipping your vehicle. Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. After 200 hours of research, the end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Learn more about our methodology.

On average, it costs about $1,589 to ship a standard sedan across the country with open car shipping services. However, if you want expedited service or enclosed shipping, you’ll likely pay more. You will also pay more if you are shipping a large vehicle.

Our team compared rates along three different routes and from three leading providers: Montway Auto Transport, Easy Auto Ship and uShip. Below are the average rates for three routes. These estimates apply to a 2020 Honda Accord with open carrier transport.

On average, car transporters can fit between eight and 10 vehicles on a trailer. Space is limited, so car shipping companies charge more for larger vehicles. Full-size SUVs and pickup trucks cost the most to ship.

Below are the costs to ship a Honda Accord compared to a Chevy Suburban along the same route. You can see it costs almost $500 more to ship the Suburban across the country.

Whether you have a luxury or classic car, or you simply want to protect your vehicle from the elements, you can use enclosed shipping to increase security during transport. But it’ll cost you. Our averages show the cost to ship a car across the country is about $900 higher with enclosed shipping than with open shipping.

Cross-country moves can vary widely in mileage. The route between Southern California and Georgia is over 2,000 miles, while the route between Northern California and the tip of Maine is over 3,000 miles.

Car shipping costs are based largely on mileage. According to Montway Auto Transport, you’ll pay about:

With the high prices of cross-country shipping, it sometimes feels like there's not much you can control, but there are options available to lower costs. In addition to getting different quotes from multiple companies, here are more ways you can save on shipping:

Our team reached out to AmeriFreight CEO Sam Ismailzada and asked for his best money-saving car shipping tips. Along with booking your car shipment as far in advance as possible, Ismailzada stressed the importance of finding the right auto transport partner. He explained, "Most people jump at the lowest quote they receive, but end up paying way more because the company they went with didn't tell them the full truth."

Ismailzada believes that simply going with the auto shipping company that gives you the lowest quote can be dangerous, as you might sacrifice quality of service or get matched with an inexperienced carrier. He advised, "Go with a company that transparently explains the whole process and tells you what you can do, what you can't do and the why behind it."

Depending on how far you’re shipping your car, you may pay anywhere from $500 to $1,500 or more to ship your car to another state. It may be less expensive to drive the car yourself or arrange for a friend to drive it instead of shipping a short distance.

The cost to ship a car to California depends on where it's coming from. Open car shipping from neighboring western states can cost $500 to $1,000, while long-distance shipping from the East Coast can cost between $1,500 and $2,000.

Shipping a car overseas involves container shipping over the ocean as well as truck shipping on land. This usually costs a few thousand dollars, though many factors can influence the overall cost.

Transporting your car by plane isn't cheap and it usually only makes sense if your vehicle is highly valuable. You can expect to pay a few thousand dollars for short domestic routes by plane. If you’re sending your car internationally, rates can be five to 10 times more expensive.

The cost to ship a car across the country depends on a variety of factors like the distance, the type of vehicle and the carrier-bidding process. Car transport brokers work with thousands of independent carriers to move vehicles, and that means brokers don't have full control over shipping prices.

There is a limited number of carriers who can move a car along any given route and time. If there are too many customers and not enough auto transport carriers, prices will rise.

Below is a breakdown of the different factors that affect car shipping costs.

While the cost to ship a car across the country is around $1,589 on average, you may find higher or lower rates depending on the time of year, route, vehicle and other factors. Each auto transport company has access to different carriers, so we recommend comparing multiple car shipping quotes online when you shop.

Our team ranked the best car shipping companies on cost, services, customer experience and reputation. Considering their high overall ratings, Montway Auto Transport and Sherpa Auto Transport are two of our top picks for shipping a car across the country.

Montway Auto Transport offers open and enclosed shipping with door-to-door service, and it works with over 15,000 carriers across the nation. Montway's high customer service scores show that the vast majority of its customers have positive experiences. Montway also makes shopping easy with instant quotes through its car shipping calculator.

Read more: Montway Auto Transport review

Sherpa is another car transport company with great customer service ratings. What sets Sherpa apart is its Price Lock Promise. Sherpa promises the free quote you receive will be the final rate you pay. If it can't secure a car hauler for the quoted amount, Sherpa will add up to $300 on your behalf to secure the shipment.

Read more: Sherpa Auto Transport review

It costs about $1,589 on average to ship a standard car across the U.S. with open transport services. Costs will depend on the specific distance, the type of car, the time of year, pickup and delivery locations and more. Shipping a large, inoperable truck across the U.S. with enclosed transport and door-to-door delivery may cost more than $1,589, for example.

Considering the costs of fuel, food and lodging, plus the hassle of moving your own car, it's often worth it to ship your car across the country with open vehicle transport. This also minimizes wear and tear on your vehicle. However, paying for an enclosed carrier or expedited shipping may not be the cheapest way to get your car across the country.

On average, open auto transport services from the West Coast to the East Coast cost about $1,589. The price depends on your vehicle, the distance and the shipping options you pick. Enclosed transport costs about $900 more than open car shipping across the country.

According to our research, Montway Auto Transport and Easy Auto Ship are the best options for cheap car shipping prices. Both companies offer a wide range of auto transport options at below-average rates.

According to quotes we received from Montway Auto Transport, shipping your car to Hawaii costs about $2,199 if it's coming from San Francisco. But if you’re shipping your car all the way from New York, you may pay rates around $3,299.

The average cost of shipping a standard operable car from California to New York is about $1,680 with open transport. Other factors will affect the cost of shipment, such as the distance, type of vehicle, shipping options you choose and more. Shipping a large SUV from California to New York with open transport may cost about $2,167, for example.

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

In this article, our team selected providers with high cost and customer experience ratings. Our scores were informed by extensive secret shopper analyses and consumer surveys.

*Data accurate at time of publication.