Car Shipping Cost Calculator for 2024

Get a Car Transport Quote

Instant Pricing - Car Shipping Calculator - No Personal Information

Begin with your origin and destination zip codes to get your instant quote to ship a vehicle.

Runs and Drives?

Boat? Oversized? Vehicle Not Listed? Canada? 
Use Our Manual Quote

Use Our Car Shipping Calculator to Ship a Car to Another State

State to state auto shipping is ranks among the most requested services provided by National Express.  Our estimator will provide a quote for state to state car shipping instantly, with just some basic information. 

Our Car Shipping Calculator Will Give You the Cost to Transport a Car to Across the Country

Can you get a price instantly to ship a car across the country? Yes you can. We reveal the price instantly without having to wait for an email or a phone call just like any other type of auto transport.  

Car Shipping Locally? Auction or Storage? We Have You Covered

It actually does not matter the distance, or where you car comes from. Our shipping estimate will provide an accurate price for reliable and safe car shipping regardless if it's in your own town or thousands of mile away.  We ship from auctions to your preferred shop or your home.  Running and non-running too. 

How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car?

Once you find out that anyone can use an auto transport company, the next logical question is: How much does it cost?

A car delivery estimator like ours will start with the car shipping cost per mile. In fact most car shipping companies will work in this way. However the final price given to car transport quotes depends on various factors which have a bearing on the price  An online quote from a reputable auto transport company will provide a fair market prices. 

As of 2024 to ship a car 100-200 miles will be $1.75 per mile. Shipping 200-300 miles will typically be $1.50 per mile. If you take a trip that is over 500 miles, like a state to state transport , you will then look at a rate of about $1.20 per mile. Finally, if shipping a car 1,000 you are looking at $0.90 a mile. After which the price per mile will drop significantly, as 2000 miles can cost $0.60 cents a mile and considered cross country car transport.

So let's say you are shipping a regular sedan from Greensboro, North Carolina to St Louis, Mo, the cost to ship a car 600 miles, the is $1.10 per mile at $660.00 without any other factors. 

The 3-Step Process to Get Your Quote Instantly

  1. Enter the zip codes info the for the states you are coming from and going to in the first section of our auto shipping cost calculator.
  2. Select your vehicle by entering the year, make, model and desired transport service.
  3. Pick the date your car is first available.

You will then receive your instant quote from our shipping cost estimator when you hit Submit!


The 3-Step Process to Book Car Shipping Services

  1. Decide on the type of vehicle shipping service that fits your needs. Our safe and convenient quoter will give you the rate for all we offer.
  2. Once you've selected a between quotes, car shipping companies, and service type, the hard part to get your vehicle shipped is over. Just provide all the details to schedule your shipment. Such as pickup and delivery locations You can choose open transport, go for the enclosed car transport, expedited, or inoperable services.
  3. Our expert car shipping service will ship your vehicle safely and professionally. When you work with National Express, our car shipping experts. You will have direct carrier access to monitor your car car cross country or to another state.

The Factors that Determine Car Shipping Cost

When shipping a car you will find that rates are not static.  The instant quote rates provided by our  calculator are based on the following factors that come together to formulate your car shipping costs in real time:

Distance

You might have already guessed that the further you are going, the more it will cost to ship. The longer trips are cost less per mile, but there are more miles. Your car shipping cost quote will reflect that.

Distance from and to the pickup and delivery locations is the first and the biggest factor that an auto transport company looks at to give you a car shipping quote. The distance a vehicle needs to travel on the car carrier .  Auto transport companies calculate this on a cost per mile basis to generate the average car shipping cost. However, for certain routes the rules can change drastically.

When demand spikes for car transport services in an area with little to no carriers, car shipping rates coincide with the rate of demand and literally what people are willing to pay. Calculating open transport car shipping costs per mile here does not make sense. However on a normal, steady route the cost per mile will drop the longer the trip. So for example,  it can be $1 a mile when shipping cars 500 miles but it can be $0.30 cents a mile for 2000 miles for car carriers to ship for you.

This is the reason why the average transportation cost over longer distances is actually cheaper on the per mile basis. Regardless of distance this is a door to door service and to almost any chosen pick up and delivery locations that the truck can fit into. (Car transporters offer door to door service unless they cannot physically fit or it's not safe to navigate. This is typical for residential car delivery.) Again, our car transport cost calculator does all this for you.

Type Of Carrier – Open or Enclosed Transport?

The next biggest factor that impacts a calculator will be the type of carrier you choose to for car transport. Auto transport providers most often offer open carrier or enclosed car shipping. Generally, in auto transport, the open carrier / trailer is the most commonly used method with consistently the least cost incurred. It is the cheapest car shipping. It is the most popular option, regardless of the other factors that affect the price.

What type of car can go open? Almost any make and model can. Think of your daily driver or similar. By far it is the most requested auto shipping quote provided by car shipping companies. It is the cheapest way to ship a car whether it's one car or multiple car shipping and the best way to save money.

An enclosed transport service is a 40-60% increase on the cost to ship over the open car transport cost. This is a great option for a classic car, exotic car, or other vehicle that needs to be kept out away from the outside elements. The best auto transport companies offer enclosed car shipping service. Our system does do all the hard work needed to find out what these car shipping rates as well.

Here, the most common question asked by the customers is which carrier to choose. Which is a better, open or enclosed? The simple answer is it depends if you will benefit from enclosed transport. If you are just worried about car shipping costs only, then open will be less every time and there's your answer. However, if you are considering better protection, the go ahead and read on.

Both types of car carrier have their own set of auto transportation characteristics to consider when  deciding to ship a car. With auto transporters, if you’re looking for the lowest possible car shipping cost and have a simple car or SUV then most will ship a car with open carrier. Or if you’re the owner of a luxury car or classic car that needs extra care, then an enclosed carrier will be the best option when getting a car transport quote although it comes with a higher cost to ship.

Vehicle Size and Type

The size and type of a vehicle will determine the rate to ship a car. Here you will find common adjustments made by our calculator when requesting your instant quote But why does this get taken to account?

It is because the trailers come with a maximum hold capacity. A car carrier can legally hold a certain weight. That's why the heavier the vehicle is , the more it takes to have the car shipped and travel to its destination on the carrier.  This is the reason why you’re asked about the type of your vehicle at the time of getting quotes.

Generally speaking, heavy vehicles such as a cargo van or a truck and large/small SUVs take up the maximum loading capacity of the trailer which will result in higher car shipping rates. Similarly, if the vehicle is longer, it will take a bigger spot in a trailer, hence, it will be charged more to ship a car.

Because size and weight impacts how much it is to ship your car, these car transport rates will be higher. An auto transport company also takes in to account add-ons like bike racks, luggage holders etc.  These will all influence the cost to ship.

Most companies that are reputable and know what they are doing will absolutely make sure they all fees upfront for extra weight and add ons that increase the vehicle shipping costs. No hidden fees.

Vehicle Condition

The next factor is the condition of your vehicle. Is the vehicle operable?  Meaning, does it run and drive? Usually, an inoperable car requires extra care, time, and effort from the carrier. The driver will ask you for an extra fee (usually about $150.00-200 added to the final cost) for the efforts the driver has to make in order to winch, push, or pull the car on and off the truck.

Depending on the position of the vehicle and the course of shipment, your car could be moved on the trailer to make way for other vehicles on the route. So this is another reason it will incur additional cost.

The Type Of Route

Larger metro areas or routes that have large populations at the beginning or end of the route will provide lower the cost. Heavily traveled or popular routes will cost less because carriers always have vehicles to pick up and drop off at both ends.

For example, a vehicle shipping from Miami to Los Angeles, will pay around $11100-1300 for all those miles. But if going from Columbia, South Carolina to Ashland Oregon, it will be around $1600+ to ship a car

If there just aren’t any cars being moved besides yours (usually 50 miles or more), then you will most pay much more per mile than the guy in the next big city or metro area. How much car shipping prices will have to do with what metro locations are available on the way to your destination. Our vehicle shipping cost calculator takes that all into account for you so you don't have to.

This is because the major cities have more carrier centers and easy routes that can be easily accessed by the drivers. For example, there are more flights from Los Angeles to Dallas than from Iowa to Pensacola and changes what it would cost. Similarly, there are more carrier services in urban areas as compared to the less popular and rural area. Our calculator takes these into account.

Time of Year

It is important to remember that truckers set prices depending on the demand.  If you’re shipping your vehicle during the holidays or festive season, then the shipping charges will be definitely high. In the summer months you will see prices move up as well due to demand. This includes cross country car shipping. It is because the routes are busy during this time thanks to seasonal shippers such as snowbirds, and drivers also need some holiday time!

The east coast has some of the largest shifts in pricing. Snowbird routes like New York to Florida double in price during at their peak. These increases begin in early fall.  With some careful planning, being given time, you can make the best of the time of year you will be ready to ship. It's important to understand, the total mileage isn't the most prevalent in pricing when it comes to auto shipping companies.

Weather Conditions

As far as parts of the country go that have bad weather like heavy snow or sever rain,  shipping during harsh weather conditions will increase how much it will cost due to the extra work and risk involved. Conversely great weather keeps prices down.

Fuel Costs (Updated for 2023)

Gas/Diesel fuel rates factor into shipping rate.  The higher the fuel cost, the more the carrier has to charge to drive their truck across country. 

The Current Fuel Prices

The cost of fuel is fluctuating all the time. Auto shipping companies are adjusting constantly rates constantly. There is nothing that can be done to save on this aspect. So, depending on the place where you live and the current prices of the fuel in your region, that will be one of the strongest factors to determine the final cost of auto transport. This one reason why car shipping quotes will vary for similar distances.

This is also why you will hear a lot about the "average cost to ship". Because without at least having a few other factors considered, car hauling rates are estimated based on general information. Speaking of fuel, it's good courtesy to ship your vehicle with less than a quarter tank.

COVID19 (During 2020 to 2022)

The COVID-19 issues led to a price increase due to the many precautions drivers had to take, as well as the in addition to mandatory lockdowns. This has now ended for the most part in 2023. There are no longer any restraints on auto shipping due to COVID.  To date there are shortages on items, but fortunately auto transport has not suffered shortages recently.

Absolutely the Best Auto Transport Services in the Car Shipping Industry

Our car shipping cost calculator automatically computes all the factors and variables for your specific route which delivers the total car shipping cost. We back it up with A+ shipping specialists and know the vehicle shipping process

Discounts for Multiple Vehicles

If you ship more than one vehicle, you can save money with a multiple vehicle shipment. Ask our shipping experts about auto transport quotes for multiple vehicles.

Customer Service and Support

You need answers to your auto shipping questions. Not only do we provide the most comprehensive FAQ Knowledge base in existence, we are available to you by phone at 800-284-7177 to help with your vehicle shipping needs. No other car shipping company provides better service and the most competitive cost to ship.

A Reputable and Reliable Car Shipping Company

National Express is the best car shipping company. Using quality over quantity is our directive when it comes to you and your vehicle.  We are one of the best car shipping companies with a track record for excellent service backed by over a thousand reviews.

As a reputable car shipping company that is determined to provide a reliable car shipping service, we take tremendous amount of pride in our hard working team. They are rigorously trained to provide the best service to make your auto shipping experience top notch, regardless if you are a one-time customer or have various car shipments with us.

Unlike other car transport companies, we strive to provide you with a service you can count on for your car shipment.

Our team is there from pick up of your vehicle all the way to delivery. All without breaking the bank making you pay high car shipping costs. You don't need to overpay to ship a car when using National Express as your auto shipping company!

Using the National Express Auto Transport Auto Shipping Calculator

Our instant car transport cost calculator tool provides precise instant quotes based on the vehicle transport factors that mean the most. We take all these variables and roll them in to your total cost. You will receive an accurate shipping price with no hidden fees.