State to state
Ship A Car To Another State
The most common request we get, and the one with the fewest complications. One car, two addresses, different states. Here is exactly how it works and what it costs.
How it works, start to finish
- You send both ZIP codes and the vehicle. Year, make, model and whether it runs. You get a written price by email.
- We find and verify a carrier. Authority, cargo insurance and safety record checked before dispatch. You receive the driver's name and number.
- Pickup and inspection. The driver walks the vehicle with you, records its condition on the Bill of Lading, and you both sign.
- Delivery and sign-off. Inspect against the pickup report, note anything new, sign, and settle the balance with the driver.
Nothing is charged until step two is complete. That sequence is deliberate: you never pay for a truck that has not been found.
How long it takes
| Distance | Typical transit |
|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | 1 to 2 days |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | 2 to 4 days |
| 1,000 to 1,500 miles | 3 to 5 days |
| 1,500 to 2,500 miles | 5 to 8 days |
| Coast to coast | 7 to 10 days |
Transit begins when the vehicle is collected, not when you book. How long it takes to assign a carrier is separate and depends on how busy your corridor is.
Why nobody guarantees an exact hour. Drivers are limited by federal hours-of-service rules, and weather, traffic and other stops on the load all affect progress. A company promising an exact delivery time is either guessing or planning to break those limits.
What decides your price
- Distance and how busy the corridor is — interstate routes with constant traffic price better than rural collections
- Vehicle size and weight — a full-size pickup takes the deck space of roughly two sedans
- Open or enclosed — enclosed carries fewer vehicles and costs meaningfully more
- Running or not — a non-runner needs a winch, which narrows the carrier pool
- Season and flexibility — summer tightens capacity, and a date window beats a fixed day
Access at both ends
The most common cause of a difficult delivery is not the route. It is the last two hundred yards.
A loaded car carrier is roughly 75 feet long and 13 and a half feet tall. Narrow residential streets, low tree cover, gated communities and city ordinances all mean the truck may need to meet you at a nearby lot. Planned in advance it is a five-minute detour. Discovered on the day it becomes a problem.
What the quoted number covers
One figure, agreed before the vehicle moves, with nothing added afterwards. It covers collection at your address and delivery at theirs, the carrier's cargo cover for the whole journey, every toll and fuel cost along the route, the driver loading and securing the vehicle, and the condition report signed at both ends.
Nothing leaves that number and nothing is added to it. If a company quotes low and mentions a fuel surcharge later, that is not the same product.
State to state questions
How far in advance should I book?
Two to three weeks is comfortable on most routes. Short-notice moves are often possible when a truck is already running your corridor, but they cost more everywhere.
Do I need to be there for pickup and delivery?
Someone over 18 must be present at both ends to inspect and sign. It does not have to be you, provided you name them in advance.
Can I track my vehicle?
You get the driver's direct number when the carrier is assigned, and your coordinator follows progress. In practice that is more useful than a map pin, because a driver can tell you what is actually happening.
What if my car does not run?
That is fine as long as it rolls, steers and brakes. Tell us at quote stage so we assign a winch-equipped carrier rather than discovering it at the kerb.
Is open transport safe for a long trip?
Yes. Your vehicle is strapped to the deck by a driver who does this daily and covered by the carrier's cargo insurance. The exposure is to weather and road grime, the same as driving the route yourself.
Ready to move it?
Send both ZIP codes and the vehicle details. You will have a written price with no deposit and no obligation.
Routes & pricing
Car shipping routes across all 50 states
We run every lane in the country, open and enclosed, door to door. Pick a state to see distance, price range and transit time for your route.
Click a state to build your route