Real rate bands for 43 corridors, open and enclosed, in both directions, plus the seven factors that actually move the number.
On an open carrier, a running car costs about $500–$700 for Las Vegas to Los Angeles (270 miles), $1,000–$1,200 for Ohio to Florida (1,050 miles) and $1,500–$1,950 between Los Angeles and New York (2,790 miles), door to door with insurance included. Enclosed adds about 42% at the median. Bands are current as of October 2026.
What it costs by distance
These are the bands Brian quotes today for a running car on an open carrier, grouped by route length. The spread inside each group is season and direction, not guesswork.
- About 300 miles: $500–$700. There is a floor below which no driver takes the load at all.
- 600–1,000 miles: $750–$1,200 (Denver and Phoenix, Atlanta and New York).
- 1,000–1,400 miles: $750–$1,550, which covers most Florida, Texas and Midwest corridors.
- 1,400–1,900 miles: $950–$1,800.
- 1,900 miles and up, including coast to coast: $950–$1,950.
Car shipping cost by route
Every band below is a running car, door to door, insurance included, and matches the route page it links to. Direction matters: on the 37 corridors that cover both directions on one page, the return leg differs by about $180 on average and by as much as $550.
| Route | Miles | Open | Enclosed | Return, open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to Los Angeles | 270 | $500 – $700 | $700 – $850 | $500 – $700 |
| Denver to Phoenix | 820 | $750 – $950 | $1,000 – $1,300 | $950 – $1,200 |
| Atlanta to New York | 880 | $950 – $1,150 | $1,350 – $1,650 | $950 – $1,150 |
| Ohio to Florida | 1,050 | $1,000 – $1,200 | $1,250 – $1,400 | $1,100 – $1,300 |
| Philadelphia to Tampa | 1,050 | $1,000 – $1,250 | $1,500 – $1,700 | $950 – $1,200 |
| Pennsylvania to Florida | 1,100 | $1,000 – $1,250 | $1,500 – $1,700 | $950 – $1,200 |
| Indiana to Florida | 1,100 | $1,000 – $1,150 | $1,300 – $1,650 | $950 – $1,250 |
| Cincinnati to Naples | 1,100 | $950 – $1,300 | $1,500 – $1,750 | $1,150 – $1,300 |
| Washington to California | 1,140 | $750 – $900 | $950 – $1,150 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| Texas to Florida | 1,150 | $750 – $1,100 | $1,100 – $1,500 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| New Jersey to Florida | 1,150 | $1,100 – $1,350 | $1,600 – $1,850 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| Illinois to Florida | 1,200 | $950 – $1,150 | $1,200 – $1,650 | $1,000 – $1,200 |
| Cleveland to Fort Myers | 1,250 | $950 – $1,200 | $1,350 – $1,600 | $1,200 – $1,500 |
| New York to Florida | 1,280 | $1,100 – $1,300 | $1,650 – $1,900 | Own page |
| Florida to New York | 1,280 | $1,100 – $1,350 | $1,200 – $1,450 | Own page |
| New York to Miami | 1,280 | $1,100 – $1,200 | $1,750 – $1,900 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| Michigan to Florida | 1,300 | $850 – $1,000 | $1,650 – $1,900 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| Virginia to Texas | 1,350 | $750 – $1,100 | $1,100 – $1,400 | $1,150 – $1,450 |
| Connecticut to Miami | 1,390 | $1,100 – $1,350 | $1,800 – $2,100 | $1,100 – $1,350 |
| Detroit to Naples | 1,400 | $1,100 – $1,350 | $1,750 – $1,950 | $1,150 – $1,300 |
| Dallas to Los Angeles | 1,435 | $950 – $1,200 | $1,350 – $1,600 | $1,500 – $1,750 |
| California to Texas | 1,450 | $1,500 – $1,750 | $1,650 – $1,950 | Own page |
| Texas to California | 1,450 | $950 – $1,200 | $1,350 – $1,600 | Own page |
| Massachusetts to Florida | 1,450 | $1,100 – $1,400 | $2,000 – $2,200 | $1,100 – $1,300 |
| Seattle to Phoenix | 1,450 | $1,100 – $1,350 | $1,400 – $1,650 | $1,100 – $1,300 |
| Boston to Miami | 1,500 | $1,150 – $1,450 | $1,750 – $2,100 | $1,150 – $1,350 |
| Houston to Los Angeles | 1,550 | $950 – $1,200 | $1,450 – $1,650 | $1,500 – $1,750 |
| Minnesota to Arizona | 1,700 | $1,300 – $1,500 | $1,750 – $2,100 | $1,550 – $1,800 |
| Minneapolis to Phoenix | 1,700 | $1,300 – $1,500 | $1,750 – $2,100 | $1,550 – $1,800 |
| Arizona to Illinois | 1,750 | $1,250 – $1,400 | $1,950 – $2,100 | $1,150 – $1,350 |
| Chicago to Phoenix | 1,750 | $1,150 – $1,350 | $1,650 – $1,850 | $1,250 – $1,400 |
| San Francisco to Austin | 1,750 | $1,600 – $1,800 | $2,200 – $2,500 | $1,100 – $1,300 |
| Colorado to Florida | 1,900 | $950 – $1,350 | $1,350 – $1,500 | $1,250 – $1,500 |
| Illinois to California | 2,015 | $1,050 – $1,350 | $1,650 – $2,000 | $1,350 – $1,500 |
| Chicago to Los Angeles | 2,015 | $1,050 – $1,350 | $1,650 – $2,000 | $1,350 – $1,500 |
| Tennessee to California | 2,100 | $1,300 – $1,450 | $2,200 – $2,500 | $1,500 – $1,800 |
| Georgia to California | 2,180 | $1,350 – $1,650 | $2,250 – $2,500 | $1,500 – $1,750 |
| North Carolina to California | 2,450 | $1,450 – $1,750 | $2,450 – $2,650 | $1,650 – $1,800 |
| California to Florida | 2,650 | $1,600 – $1,800 | $2,300 – $2,550 | Own page |
| Florida to California | 2,650 | $1,450 – $1,700 | $2,100 – $2,400 | Own page |
| Los Angeles to Miami | 2,735 | $1,600 – $1,800 | $2,300 – $2,550 | $1,450 – $1,700 |
| California to New York | 2,790 | $1,750 – $1,950 | $2,650 – $2,900 | $1,500 – $1,750 |
| New York to Los Angeles | 2,790 | $1,500 – $1,750 | $2,300 – $2,500 | $1,750 – $1,950 |
The seven factors that move your price
- Distance: cost per mile falls as distance rises. The 270-mile hop above works out to about $2.20 a mile; Los Angeles to New York is about $0.70 a mile.
- Vehicle size and weight: a Miata and an Escalade do not occupy the same space or burn the same fuel.
- Open vs enclosed: across the routes above, enclosed runs a median 42% more than open (8% to 92%) because the trailer carries fewer cars and costs more to run.
- Running condition: special loading costs more. In my planning example, $1,000 open becomes about $1,300 non-running; actual equipment and access determine the quote.
- Route popularity: busy interstate corridors are cheaper than rural routes where a driver must detour 90 miles for one car.
- Season: snowbird traffic to Florida in the fall and north in spring can tighten capacity. Get a quote for your actual dates rather than adding a fixed seasonal percentage.
- Date flexibility: offering several pickup days gives us more carrier options. Ask what difference it makes to your quote; a fixed saving is not guaranteed.
How to judge a quote that looks unusually cheap
An unusually low estimate can leave an order waiting if no carrier accepts it, followed by a request to pay more. A low price alone does not prove dishonesty. Ask whether the total is estimated or carrier-confirmed, what happens if no truck accepts, and what is included. My cross-country cost guide shares firsthand route examples and an explicitly illustrative low-quote scenario.
How to get your exact number
The bands above are where Brian’s quotes land. Your exact price depends on the ZIP codes, the vehicle and the pickup date. Find your route for its full page, or call (567) 666-4241 and get a firm number from the person who will actually book it. Nothing is charged until a carrier is assigned.
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.
