Car shipping cost calculator
Pick your route and see the price from Brian’s rate sheet, no email needed. For an exact price, send your two ZIP codes and Brian calls you back with a real carrier rate.
Car shipping cost calculator by route
Choose the state the car is in now and the state it is going to. If I publish a price for that route, you see the open and enclosed price; if not, I price it by hand from your ZIP codes. 194 routes and directions are priced today.
Pick both states to see the price from my rate sheet. Shipping to or from Alaska or Hawaii? Estimates do not apply there: send your ZIP codes in the quote form and I price the trip by hand.
Get your exact quote
Send me your two ZIP codes, the vehicle and your first available pickup date. I’ll review your actual vehicle, pickup window, access and carrier options, and call you back with a real rate, usually within the hour. Requesting a quote is free and carries no obligation.
Prefer to talk now? Call (567) 666-4241 or text me.
Let's plan your shipment
Real shipments and realistic cost examples
I am Brian, an auto transport manager with more than four years of experience and about 800 shipments handled personally. The first two examples below are recent bookings I handled. The others are planning ranges from my experience. All are open transport; none establishes a fixed price for every car on that route.
| Route | Vehicle | Open price | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach, CA → Buffalo, NY | 2020 Honda CR-V; running | $2,100 | Actual booking; pickup mid-September 2026. No pickup problems reported. |
| Cincinnati, OH → Miami, FL | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class; running | $1,200 | Actual booking; pickup late September 2026. No pickup problems reported. |
| Long Beach, CA → Miami, FL | Average sedan or SUV | $1,500–$1,700 | Brian’s planning range; confirm the actual vehicle, condition and dates. |
| New York → Miami, FL | Average sedan or SUV | $1,100–$1,200 | Brian’s planning range; the pickup city and access still matter. |
The $2,100 Long Beach–Buffalo booking sits above the published California–New York open band. An actual carrier offer can differ from a state-level range; that is why the cities, vehicle and dates need checking. Read the cross-country cost guide for my advice on comparing the written total and avoiding a price surprise.
What condition and trailer choice can do to the price
My worked example starts with a $1,000 open quote for a running car. It illustrates the effect of equipment and loading needs; these are not fixed fees to add to every route.
Open, running
$1,000
Open, non-running
$1,300
Enclosed, running
$1,400
Enclosed, non-running
$1,600
Say whether a non-running car can roll, steer and brake. Disclose extra belongings and any access or clearance issue before quoting. Read the carrier coverage checklist before pickup; trailer choice alone does not establish what a policy covers.
What a price range cannot know
A price range cannot confirm carrier availability for your dates. Seasonal demand, a narrow pickup window and other loads on the truck can change an offer. An early estimate is useful for a budget; a named carrier’s accepted price is a different step.
It also cannot see how rural your addresses are. A pickup ninety miles off the interstate is a detour the driver has to price in, and no price table captures that.
Ask what the written total includes, whether a carrier has accepted it, and what happens if no carrier does. A lower offer deserves those questions; the number alone does not prove that it is a scam or that the car will move on your dates.
Shipping a common corridor? I have written up the specifics — distance, seasonality and timing — for 43 of the routes I run most often, the rate bands I actually quote are in the car shipping cost guide, and there is more detail on how pricing and insurance actually work.
About the price
- Where do the prices in this calculator come from?
- From my own rate sheet, the same bands shown on each route page: a standard running sedan or SUV, door to door, with carrier cargo cover and my fee included. The calculator does not use a per-mile formula. If I have not published a price for your two states yet, it says so, and I price the route by hand from your two ZIP codes.
- How accurate are car shipping cost calculators?
- A calculator applies a formula to two ZIP codes. It does not check live carrier availability, loading equipment or current demand on your lane, so its number is a planning estimate, not a price a carrier has accepted. That is why I quote every shipment by hand: send me your actual cities, vehicle, condition and dates, and I call you back with a real carrier rate.
- Why do you show prices when other brokers do not?
- A first-time shipper should be able to plan a budget before sharing contact details. My estimates give you a starting point for comparing offers. Ask every company what its written price includes and what happens if no carrier accepts its estimate.
- Is a price range on this site a binding quote?
- No. Your real price is set at the moment a carrier accepts the load at a specific rate. If market conditions mean a range is not achievable on your lane, I will tell you before anything is charged and give you the choice to wait, widen your dates, or adjust the rate.
- What is the cheapest way to ship a car?
- Start with open transport, a flexible pickup window and early planning for busy dates. Ask whether a safe, carrier-approved meeting point near a major route would lower your quote. Savings depend on your actual shipment rather than a fixed discount.
- Do I pay anything to get a real quote?
- No. Asking Brian to review a shipment is free and carries no obligation. Your details are not sold to other brokers. Confirm the booking price, included services and payment schedule before accepting a carrier.
- Can I get a quote for a motorcycle or a non-running vehicle?
- Yes. Choose Motorcycle or Non-running in the quote form. If the vehicle cannot roll, steer or brake, say so; it needs a specific equipment and loading quote. Boats and RVs are quoted individually.
Ready to get your vehicle moving?
Request a quote for your route. No deposit, no obligation, and no handing your number to five other brokers.