Overview: Car Shipping & Auto Transport Companies
Auto transport moves a car you are not driving yourself. A cross-country move, a student's car going to school, a purchase from a seller in another state, a classic heading to a show, or the seasonal run south in the fall and back in the spring. The car rides on a truck. You never sit in it, and usually you never meet the driver who loads it.
The first thing to sort out is who you are talking to. A carrier owns the truck. A broker sells the job and hands it to a carrier off a load board. Most of the advertising you see comes from brokers, which is normal in this trade, but it decides who answers the phone when the car arrives with a dent. Ask for the name of the carrier that will actually haul it. Interstate carriers are federally regulated and carry a motor carrier number, so you can check the company that is really doing the work.
The rest is choices. Open trucks are how most cars move and they cost the least. Enclosed is for low, rare or freshly painted cars. Door-to-door means as close as a long truck can legally get, which may be a lot down the street.
Use the state and city lists to see which services quote pickups in your area. This is route work, not neighborhood work, so the right company may be the one with a truck passing through next week.
Cost of shipping a car
Examples for an operable standard sedan on a named route with a flexible pickup window. These are route planning ranges; distance alone cannot price a different shipment.
| Service or charge | Planning estimate | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Open transport: Los Angeles to Las Vegas | $325–$700per running sedan, about 270 road miles | Standard open-carrier shipment; confirm a safe meeting point.Extra handling, personal-item fees or urgent pickup can add cost.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Shipping, loading/unloading and standard fees Separate unless quoted otherwise: Inoperable loading; Access, size or timing premiums; Personal-item fees |
| Open transport: New York City to Miami | $850–$1,300per running sedan, about 1,280 road miles | Standard open-carrier shipment; exact ZIP codes affect the quote.Compare the same direction, dates and pickup window.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Shipping, loading/unloading and standard fees Separate unless quoted otherwise: Inoperable loading; Access, size or timing premiums; Personal-item fees |
| Open transport: Los Angeles to Chicago | $825–$1,500per running sedan, about 2,020 road miles | Standard open-carrier shipment with flexible pickup.Large SUVs, pickups, remote access and peak dates can cost more.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Shipping, loading/unloading and standard fees Separate unless quoted otherwise: Inoperable loading; Access, size or timing premiums; Personal-item fees |
| Enclosed transport: New York City to Miami | $1,400–$2,000per running sedan, same 1,280-mile route | Enclosed carrier on the same New York City–Miami route and flexible pickup terms as the open example.Confirm trailer type, loading method and cargo coverage. Luxury or unusually low vehicles need an individual quote.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Enclosed shipping, loading/unloading and standard fees Separate unless quoted otherwise: Special handling; Non-running, low or oversized vehicles; Urgent pickup or personal-item fees |
| Non-running loading surcharge | $150–$300additional per vehicle; shipping separate | Extra loading/unloading for a non-running vehicle that rolls, steers and brakes, with suitable access.Disclose missing keys or seized wheels. Forklift/crane loading, recovery and storage need separate quotes.Scope detailsIncluded in this estimate: Agreed extra loading/unloading Separate unless quoted otherwise: Base shipment; Seized wheels or special lifting; Recovery and storage |
| Priority pickup surcharge | Quote requiredadditional per shipment, specified dates | Priority pickup within a shorter, agreed window for your shipment.Get the commitment and cancellation terms in writing. Earlier pickup does not guarantee earlier delivery.Scope detailsAsk the quote to itemize: Agreed priority pickup Check separately: Base shipment; Guaranteed delivery unless agreed |
What affects the price
- Exact origin and destination, direction and pickup window
- Open or enclosed transport and vehicle dimensions
- Whether the vehicle rolls, steers and brakes, plus loading access
Questions to ask before booking
- Is this a confirmed total for my exact ZIP codes, dates, vehicle and condition, including broker, dispatch and handling fees?
- Who is the carrier, what cargo coverage applies, and how will pickup and delivery condition be recorded?
- What pickup window is promised, when is payment due, and what cancellation or deposit-refund terms apply if plans change?
Before you book
Use the route examples to frame a quote request. Do not multiply a quoted per-mile rate across a different route or add an enclosed premium to an already enclosed quote.
U.S. planning estimates in USD. Taxes and fees may be extra; confirm the work and written total. Actual quotes can fall outside these ranges.
Frequently asked questions
Broker or carrier, and does it matter?
It matters most when something goes wrong. A carrier owns the truck and its insurance covers the load. A broker arranges the job and does not touch your car, so a damage claim goes to the carrier, not to the company you paid. Brokers are useful because they reach far more trucks than any one fleet. Just get the carrier's name and its motor carrier number before the pickup, not after.
Open or enclosed transport?
Open is how nearly every car moves and it is the cheaper option by a wide margin. The car is exposed to weather and road grit for the trip, which an ordinary daily driver already lives with. Enclosed is worth it for low ground clearance, fresh paint, rare or high-value cars, and anything where a stone chip is a real loss. Enclosed also takes longer to book, because there are fewer trailers.
Why will nobody give me an exact delivery date?
Because a truck carries several cars and every stop before yours can move. Weather, a breakdown, an owner who is not home, hours-of-service limits on the driver: any of it shifts the schedule down the line. Honest companies quote a pickup window and an estimated delivery window, then call when the truck is close. A firm date promised at booking is the claim to be most careful about.
What happens at pickup and delivery?
The driver walks around the car with you and marks existing damage on a condition report, which becomes part of the bill of lading. You both sign it, and you keep a copy. Do the same walkaround at delivery, in daylight if you can, before you sign the car off. Photograph every panel and the odometer at both ends. That paperwork and those pictures are the whole basis of any claim.
Who insures the car while it is on the truck?
The carrier does, through cargo insurance, and that cover is what a damage claim runs against. Ask for the certificate rather than a verbal assurance, and ask what the deductible is and whether personal items in the car are covered, because usually they are not. Your own auto policy may or may not apply in transit, so a call to your insurer before shipping day is worth the ten minutes.
