How To Ship a Car to Another State: Costs and Companies (2023)

Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team writer and has written for numerous automotive news sites and marketing firms across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, specializing in auto finance and car care topics. Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team authority on auto insurance, loans, warranty options, auto services and more.

Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal finance, loans, insurance and warranty topics.

Key Takeaways

Whether you need to transport your vehicle to the next state over, across the country or all the way to Hawaii, car shipping companies can make the process simple. We at the MarketWatch Guides Team have created this step-by-step guide that explains how to ship a car to another state. For more information about specific providers, read our review of the best car shipping companies in the nation.

The MarketWatch Guides Team is committed to providing reliable information to help you make the best possible decision about shipping your vehicle. Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. After 200 hours of research, the end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Learn more about our methodology.

When it comes to vehicle transport, you have options for how your car gets shipped and which type of company does it. Here are the basic steps to shipping a car to another state, along with other details you should know.

There are several kinds of companies that can ship a car to another state, but some have limitations and drawbacks:

When you’re choosing auto transport services, it’s best to know how different providers compare. The key difference between brokers and online marketplaces is that brokers find and assign carriers for you. Marketplaces allow you to choose a carrier yourself. You can often make your selection based on carriers’ profiles and their bids for your shipment requests.

Choosing to find a carrier without using a broker or marketplace means you won’t have added broker fees, but you may have fewer options. While a broker or marketplace has a network of carriers to assign to shipments, a single carrier company will have fewer trucks and drivers. You might also have to contact more carriers to get free quotes and other information.

Browsing providers’ websites is a great way to find out what kinds of car transport services are available, but these choices come down to what you need for your car and how much you’d like to spend.

Here are the most common transport options:

These are the most common delivery services offered by many auto transport companies:

Many auto transport companies offer free, instant quotes online. Getting quotes can give you an idea of how much you’d pay for the same car shipment with different shipping providers.

You’ll typically have to provide the following information to get a car shipping quote:

Quotes directly from carrier companies may be closer to the actual shipping costs, but online quotes from brokers and marketplaces are typically rough estimates. This is because those companies may have to raise the rate to find a driver who’s willing to do the shipment.

The process of booking transport can be different depending on the type of company you use. With a broker, the company will post your shipping request and inform you when carriers bid on it. You’ll then work with the broker to book your shipment.

With an online marketplace, you’ll post your shipment yourself and get bids directly from carriers. From there, you can examine the carriers’ information and prices and choose one to book with.

With any type of shipping company, it’s best to book at least two weeks in advance of your desired pickup date.

Some providers will give you the option of paying part or all of your shipping cost when you book. If you don’t pay in full when you book, you’ll pay the carrier when your vehicle is delivered. Drivers usually prefer cash, but some may take money orders, checks or other payments.

Preparing your car can reduce shipping costs and help you know whether you need to make a claim for damage after transport.

Here are the main things to do before the carrier picks your vehicle up:

When you meet your carrier at the pickup location, whether it’s your home or a terminal, there are two things you’ll do:

Auto transport companies are different in what tracking services they offer, but these are the most common ways you can stay updated on your shipment:

It’s possible for carriers to be late with shipments, which is why companies don’t usually offer guaranteed pickup and delivery dates. A carrier can generally drive between 300 and 500 miles per day, but delays can happen from severe weather, heavy traffic or other problems.

Here’s what generally happens toward the end of the shipping process:

If you selected door-to-door shipping, this only means the carrier can get as close to your doorstep as legally and safely as possible. If you know you won’t be able to make it to your shipping destination on time, let your carrier know immediately.

The cost of shipping a car to another state can range from just under $400 to a little over $2,000, with distance being the biggest factor.

We used the online quote tools from Montway Auto Transport and Easy Auto Ship to get door-to-door shipping quotes for a working 2018 Honda Civic. Both companies’ quotes included insurance with no deductible, as well as a discount for paying in cash.

Source: Nexus Auto Transport

The biggest factors carriers use to determine shipping prices are distance, transport method and type of delivery. Here’s a look at some of the things that affect shipping costs:

Here are some other things to know when you’re planning to ship your car:

Our reviews team has researched and ranked the best vehicle shipping companies in the nation based on cost, customer service ratings, industry reputation and more. Two of our top recommendations are Montway Auto Transport and uShip.

Since its founding in 2006, Montway Auto Transport has served more than 900,000 customers with its network of over 15,000 vetted carriers. The transport broker ships vehicles to all 50 states and to international destinations, meaning it has a larger service area than many of its competitors. Montway also has high ratings from customers on the Better Business Bureau’s website and glowing reviews on Trustpilot.

Read more: Montway Auto Transport review

As an online shipping marketplace, uShip can help you find the perfect carrier that fits your shipping needs at an affordable price. You can receive bids from multiple carriers on the site or post a set rate for your shipping request. The company also offers its Ship with Confidence Guarantee, which promises uShip will refund a customer up to $500 if their vehicle is damaged or a carrier gets paid but doesn’t ship their vehicle.