How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car In 2025?

1. Researching providers should be your first step. Check out their prices, customer reviews, insurance policies and shipping services.
2. Gathering quotes is next. Get prices from at least three companies and make sure you’re comparing like with like on what’s being offered from each.
3. Decide which is the best option for you using your research.
4. Prepare for shipping by clearing out your personal possessions and removing roof and bike racks
5. Inspect your car. You need to be familiar with every scratch, dent and scuff to assess it for damage once it reaches its destination. Take photographs, videos and notes, including the car’s mileage.
6. Take note of the tracking number provided by the car shipping company and check in on your vehicle as it makes its journey
7. Meet your vehicle at its final destination so that you can inspect it for damage. Refer to your earlier photos, videos and notes. Be thorough and check the mileage is what you expected it to be.
8. Accept delivery once you’re happy that everything is in order. Once you’ve signed for your car it will be difficult to raise a dispute so check everything thoroughly.

In a country as vast as the United States, car shipping costs will vary enormously since the distance traveled plays a huge part in determining the total price.

The average shipping cost is $1,150, or $1.15 a mile. But you could pay anything from $550 to $2,450, depending on distance and a range of other factors, including:

• Shipping method
• Delivery destination
• Size and weight of vehicle
• Time of year

We will look at these in more detail below.

There are a number of variables that combine when it comes to arriving at a cost for the shipping of your car.

Distance

Longer journeys cost more. For example, car shipping companies in Texas would charge more to take your vehicle to Maine than to California.

A 500-mile journey is likely to cost between $550 and $800, while a 2,500-mile trip will set you back $1,400 and $1,750.

This chart estimates the difference that shipping distances can make:

TOTAL MILEAGE	AVERAGE COST	OPEN CARRIER COST	ENCLOSED SHIPPING COST	AVERAGE COST PER MILE
500	$550.00 - $850.00	$600.00 - $900.00	$900.00 - $1,100.00	$1.10 - $1.70
1,500	$1,100.00 - $1,600.00	$1,100.00 - $1,300.00	$1,300.00 - $1,600.00	$0.90 - $1.30
2,500	$1,400.00 - $1,750.00	$1,300.00 - $1,800.00	$1,800.00 - $2,000.00	$0.60 - $0.70

See More See Less

Delivery Destination

The options here are for door-to-door or terminal-to-terminal delivery.

With the first, your vehicle will be loaded onto a carrier truck at your home or another convenient location of your choosing. It will then be delivered to your nominated destination.

The second option requires you to drop off your car at a terminal, which will be loaded onto a carrier and shipped to a similar facility in the town or city of your choosing, close to your new home.

Door-to-door delivery costs more because of the personalized collection and delivery of your vehicle, which means you don’t have to take your car to or collect it from another location.

If you opt for the terminal-to-terminal solution, you also need to arrange transport for the legs of the journey when you are without your car, and you may also have to fit in with the terminal’s opening hours, which may not always suit your schedule.

Shipping Method

The most common shipping method is ‘open carrier,’ which involves driving eight or nine vehicles onto a truck fitted with ramps. The alternative is an enclosed container with one or more cars on board.

On a like-for-like basis, enclosed container shipping tends to be more expensive than open carriers because it offers more protection to the vehicle. With an open carrier, there’s always a risk of damage to bodywork from stones and other items flying up from the wheels.

Open carrier prices range from $550 to $1,600, depending on the distance, while enclosed container prices range from $1,000 to $2,450.

Which is better – open carrier or enclosed container shipping? The fact is, there are good and not-so-good points for both, so here’s a look at the pros and cons

SHIPPING METHOD	PROS	CONS
Open carrier	Cheaper than enclosed container alternative Benefits from economy of scale as carries more vehicles	Susceptible to damage from debris and extreme weather Vulnerable to theft and vandalism due to exposed nature of load
Enclosed container	Weather and dirt-proof, protects cargo from debris Good for expensive or otherwise notable cars that need protection from damage and theft	Up to 40% more expensive than open carrier alternative Shipping times can be extended by shortage of container spaces

See More See Less

Car Shipping Cost By Type Of Carrier

SHIPPING METHOD	AVERAGE COST	AVERAGE COST PER MILE
Enclosed	$1,000.00 - $2,450.00	$0.90 - $1.70
Open carrier	$550.00 - $1,600.00	$0.60 - $1.10

See More See Less

Type of Vehicle

Freight transportation costs always reflect the weight involved, and car shipping is no exception. If you own a heavy SUV, for example, you’ll pay more than if you have a compact city run-about. Transporting a particularly heavy vehicle can add anywhere between $15 and $250 to the price.

If you have a recreational vehicle (RV) or another outsized set of wheels, you may have to arrange another way to get it across the country by hiring a professional driver or driving it yourself.

The larger the vehicle you ship, the more you’ll pay, with costs increasing anywhere between $150 and $250, depending on the provider.

By way of illustration, we looked at the estimated costs of shipping different-sized vehicles 1,000 miles across the country:

VEHICLE TYPE	SHIPPING COST	OPEN-AIR COST RANGE	ENCLOSED COST RANGE	AVERAGE COST
Sedan	$600 - $1,700	$500 - $1,000	$800 - $1,500	$1,150
Compact SUV	$750 - $1,950	$500 - $1,200	$900 - $1,700	$1,350
SUV	$900 - $2,200	$550 - $1,400	$1,000 - $2,000	$1,550
Truck	$1,050 - $2,450	$600 - $1,500	$1,200 - $2,500	$1,750

See More See Less

Time of Year You Are Moving

Like any industry, car shipping is more popular at certain points in the year. Summer tends to be a busier time for vehicle hauliers, so you may be able to save by waiting until fall or winter to ship your car.

You’ll find that providers offer deals and discounts during quieter times of the year. There may also be discounts for seniors, veterans, military personnel, students and loyal customers.

1. Be flexible. If you’re fixed on shipping your vehicle on a particular date, you will have to pay what the market demands. If you can give a little leeway on dates, there may be money to be saved.
2. Book ahead. The closer to the shipping date you book, the less time you have to make shipping arrangements, leaving providers free to charge you whatever they like. Book as far in advance as you can to secure the best prices. Consider the time of year too, and avoid busier times like the summer when prices rise.
3. Shop around. Don’t accept the first quote you’re given. It’s best to compare prices from at least three providers to get a sense of each provider’s value.

To arrive at the average costs in this article, editorial team members surveyed four providers and six cost databases on national and local levels. All averaged figures were correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.