On an open carrier, my published routes run from $500 for a short hop to $1,950 coast to coast. Here is every route by distance, what 1,000 miles costs, and why the price per mile falls as the trip gets longer.
Shipping a running car to another state costs $500 to $1,950 on an open carrier on the 35 routes I publish, door to door, with the carrier’s cargo insurance and my fee included. The shortest, Las Vegas to Los Angeles at about 270 miles, is $500–$700; the longest, California to New York at about 2,790 miles, is $1,750–$1,950. Nothing is paid when you book.
How much does it cost to ship a car to another state by distance?
Group the routes by how far the car travels and the bands settle into four steps. The per-mile column is the middle of each open band divided by the trip’s miles.
| Distance | Routes | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier | Open, per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 miles | 3 | $500–$1,150 | $700–$1,650 | $1.04–$2.22 |
| 1,000–1,499 miles | 19 | $750–$1,750 | $950–$2,200 | $0.69–$1.12 |
| 1,500–1,999 miles | 6 | $950–$1,800 | $1,350–$2,500 | $0.61–$0.97 |
| 2,000 miles and over | 7 | $1,050–$1,950 | $1,650–$2,900 | $0.59–$0.69 |
How much does it cost to ship a car 1,000 miles?
About $750–$1,350 on an open carrier. That is the spread across the 10 routes I publish between 800 and 1,200 miles: Denver to Phoenix (820 mi, $750–$950); Atlanta to New York (880 mi, $950–$1,150); Ohio to Florida (1,050 mi, $1,000–$1,200); Pennsylvania to Florida (1,100 mi, $1,000–$1,250); Indiana to Florida (1,100 mi, $1,000–$1,150); Cincinnati to Naples (1,100 mi, $950–$1,300); Washington to California (1,140 mi, $750–$900); Texas to Florida (1,150 mi, $750–$1,100); New Jersey to Florida (1,150 mi, $1,100–$1,350); Illinois to Florida (1,200 mi, $950–$1,150). Two trips of the same length can differ by a few hundred dollars, because the price follows how many trucks run that way, not only the miles.
Why does the price per mile drop on longer trips?
On my sheet, trips under 1,000 miles work out at $1.04–$2.22 a mile on an open carrier, and trips of 2,000 miles and more at $0.59–$0.69. Loading, the pickup and the drop-off take the driver the same time whether the car rides 300 miles or 2,800, so that part of the price is spread over more miles on a long trip. A short trip still costs less in total; it just costs more for each mile.
What does every route cost?
| Route | Miles | On the truck | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to Los Angeles | 270 | 1–2 days | $500–$700 | $700–$850 |
| Denver to Phoenix | 820 | 2–3 days | $750–$950 | $1,000–$1,300 |
| Atlanta to New York | 880 | 2–3 days | $950–$1,150 | $1,350–$1,650 |
| Ohio to Florida | 1,050 | 2–3 days | $1,000–$1,200 | $1,250–$1,400 |
| Pennsylvania to Florida | 1,100 | 2–3 days | $1,000–$1,250 | $1,500–$1,700 |
| Indiana to Florida | 1,100 | 2–3 days | $1,000–$1,150 | $1,300–$1,650 |
| Cincinnati to Naples | 1,100 | 2–3 days | $950–$1,300 | $1,500–$1,750 |
| Washington to California | 1,140 | 2–3 days | $750–$900 | $950–$1,150 |
| Texas to Florida | 1,150 | 2–3 days | $750–$1,100 | $1,100–$1,500 |
| New Jersey to Florida | 1,150 | 2–3 days | $1,100–$1,350 | $1,600–$1,850 |
| Illinois to Florida | 1,200 | 3–4 days | $950–$1,150 | $1,200–$1,650 |
| Cleveland to Fort Myers | 1,250 | 3–4 days | $950–$1,200 | $1,350–$1,600 |
| New York to Florida | 1,280 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,300 | $1,650–$1,900 |
| Florida to New York | 1,280 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,350 | $1,200–$1,450 |
| Michigan to Florida | 1,300 | 3–4 days | $850–$1,000 | $1,650–$1,900 |
| Virginia to Texas | 1,350 | 3–4 days | $750–$1,100 | $1,100–$1,400 |
| Connecticut to Miami | 1,390 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,350 | $1,800–$2,100 |
| Detroit to Naples | 1,400 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,350 | $1,750–$1,950 |
| California to Texas | 1,450 | 3–4 days | $1,500–$1,750 | $1,650–$1,950 |
| Texas to California | 1,450 | 3–4 days | $950–$1,200 | $1,350–$1,600 |
| Massachusetts to Florida | 1,450 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,400 | $2,000–$2,200 |
| Seattle to Phoenix | 1,450 | 3–4 days | $1,100–$1,350 | $1,400–$1,650 |
| Boston to Miami | 1,500 | 3–4 days | $1,150–$1,450 | $1,750–$2,100 |
| Houston to Los Angeles | 1,550 | 3–4 days | $950–$1,200 | $1,450–$1,650 |
| Minnesota to Arizona | 1,700 | 4–5 days | $1,300–$1,500 | $1,750–$2,100 |
| Arizona to Illinois | 1,750 | 4–5 days | $1,250–$1,400 | $1,950–$2,100 |
| San Francisco to Austin | 1,750 | 4–5 days | $1,600–$1,800 | $2,200–$2,500 |
| Colorado to Florida | 1,900 | 4–5 days | $950–$1,350 | $1,350–$1,500 |
| Illinois to California | 2,015 | 5–6 days | $1,050–$1,350 | $1,650–$2,000 |
| Tennessee to California | 2,100 | 5–6 days | $1,300–$1,450 | $2,200–$2,500 |
| Georgia to California | 2,180 | 5–6 days | $1,350–$1,650 | $2,250–$2,500 |
| North Carolina to California | 2,450 | 6–7 days | $1,450–$1,750 | $2,450–$2,650 |
| California to Florida | 2,650 | 6–7 days | $1,600–$1,800 | $2,300–$2,550 |
| Florida to California | 2,650 | 6–7 days | $1,450–$1,700 | $2,100–$2,400 |
| California to New York | 2,790 | 6–7 days | $1,750–$1,950 | $2,650–$2,900 |
Your route is not in the table? I still ship it. The bands above are a fair guide for a trip of similar length; send me the two ZIP codes for a real price.
What changes the price of my trip?
- Where the car starts and ends. A pickup near a main highway is easier to fill than one far off it.
- Open or enclosed. Enclosed is the higher band on every route above.
- The vehicle. A larger vehicle, or one that does not run and needs a winch, costs more.
- Your dates. A pickup window of a few days lets me put the car on a truck already coming through.
For the steps, see how it works; for coverage, do you need insurance to ship a car. Florida prices have their own page: cost to ship a car to Florida.
For a price on your own trip, request a quote or call me on (567) 666-4241.
Written by Brian Smith, Auto Transport Manager at Leader Auto Ship LLC — FMCSA licensed property broker, MC #1638331, DOT #4232283. Brian has more than four years of experience and has personally handled about 800 shipments. Verify the licence yourself.
