How Much does it Cost to Ship a Car Across Country?

by SpeedLux
car shipping

Cars are great for getting you from point A to point B. But what if you need to travel a longer distance? 

Whether you can’t drive or can’t bring yourself to get on a plane, shipping your car with Auto Transport Companies may be the answer. But before you go ahead and buy that round-trip ticket for your vehicle, you should know what it will cost to ship your car.

Shipping vehicles is different from shipping other cargo types because vehicles are large, heavy, and often contain hazardous material. This requires the help of specialized shipping companies with the equipment and knowledge to do the job.

Vehicle shipment rates vary widely depending on factors such as the size, age, make and model of the vehicle.  The distance you need to cover also comes into play. For example, a trip of less than 200 miles costs an average of $2 per mile. After that, each mile traveled is relatively cheaper, costing about $0.58.

Another factor influencing the cost is your chosen car shipping method.  Enclosed car shipping, for example, offers greater protection and security than an open carrier. This adds up to around 35% more than open auto transport.

The Average Cost to Ship a Car

We crunched the numbers alongside EasyWay Auto Transport to figure out the average cost of shipping a car. We obtained quotations for transporting a sedan from California to Washington, a distance of 2630 miles, and discovered that it costs an average of $1469 for open auto transport, and $2009 for enclosed auto transport.

To make sure our data is accurate, we then requested quotes from 12 auto transport companies for the same distance, and these were the results:

For Open Auto Transport

Lowest price$1120
Highest price$2580
Average price$1300

For Enclosed Auto Transport

Lowest price$1120
Highest price$2580
Average price$1300

Factors that affect car shipping costs

The distance your car needs to travel is the most important factor when it comes to the cost. However, there are several more variables to consider:

  • Geography: you may have to pay a delivery fee if you need a door-delivery service in a rural area. As a top tip, in this instance you may save money by transporting the car to a central transport station and collecting it from there.
  • Size of the car: It may cost over twice as much to ship a big SUV compared to a small automobile.
  • Seasonality: During the winter, when demand for car shipping services is lower, auto transport firms generally charge less.
  • Transport type: The cost of moving a car via an open truck is likely to be far lower than carrying the same vehicle in an Enclosed Truck, which offers greater protection at a premium.

Bellow, we will explain in greater detail how the prices for car shipping are calculated.

Car Shipping Cost by Distance

As the shipping distance increases, the cost per mile decreases!  For example, Shipping a vehicle from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is more cost-effective than shipping it from Los Angeles to New York City.

Here are some average industry average shipping prices in 2021:

DistanceOpen Auto Transport Cost, $Enclosed Auto Transport Cost, $
500 miles400700
1000 miles600900
1500 miles9001200
2000 miles12001500
2500 miles15001800
3000 miles20002300

Car Shipping Cost by Size of Car

The larger the car, the larger the price tag.  This is due to two key reasons.  Firstly, larger vehicles take up more room on a transporter.  This leaves less room for other cars.  Secondly, heavier vehicles limit the total amount that can be carried.

To get some concrete data here on how size impacts price, we compared quotations for transporting a 2020 Mazda 3 (a midsize automobile) from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL, a distance of 2000 miles versus shipping a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe (a large SUV) over the same distance.

Transport with Open Carrier

Car modelAverage cost, $
2020 Mazda 3900
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe1300

Transport with Enclosed Carrier

Car modelAverage cost, $
2020 Mercedes C-Class1600
2020 Bentley Bentayga1800

Car Shipping Cost due to Geography

Geographical factors also impact pricing.  For example, some locations are considered more difficult to reach than others due to location, ease of access, and topography.  Together, these reasons can mean higher rates.

Car Shipping Cost by Shipping Type

Open Auto Transport and Enclosed Auto Transport are the two most common types of automobile transportation.

Open Auto Transport:

vehicle shipping

Enclosed Auto Transport:

image3.jpg

The main difference between the two is protection and safety.  Obviously Enclosed Auto Transport offers more protection against damage as the truck coverage shields the automobile. However, you’ll have to pay the price for this privilege, with a price premium of 35% more than the open method.

Additional links:

https://www.crosscountrycarshipping.com/best-company-to-ship-a-car-across-country/

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SpeedLux

SpeedLux is a high-authority automotive blog providing the latest automotive news and reviews. SpeedLux covers everything related to cars, bikes, and motorcycles, from news and reviews, to troubleshooting guides, tips and tricks, and more. SpeedLux was born in 2009 and we have over 20,000 articles published on our blog. We thank all our readers, as well as our partners, without whom we could not have reached this level.

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