How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car? (2026)
For a running sedan on an open carrier, FreightWaves Checkpoint, a consumer guide with an advertiser disclosure and quote links, puts the typical 2026 price at $540–$1,100 for trips under 500 miles, $700–$1,800 for 500–1,500 miles, and $1,050–$3,000+ beyond 1,500 miles. Sherpa Auto Transport, a broker, reports that the middle half of its 310,510 open-carrier shipments cost $975–$1,450, with an average of $1,238. Every average on this page comes from a broker, a company that sells shipping, or a site that earns from quote links, so each number carries its publisher’s name, and different numbers for the same thing sit side by side instead of being averaged.
Price by distance
Distance sets the base price. Each publisher cuts distance into its own bands, so each row keeps the band the source uses.
| Publisher | Distance (as the source defines it) | Typical total | Per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreightWaves Checkpoint | Under 500 miles | $540–$1,100 | $1.25–$2.00 |
| FreightWaves Checkpoint | 500–1,500 miles | $700–$1,800 | $0.65–$1.20 |
| FreightWaves Checkpoint | 1,500+ miles | $1,050–$3,000+ | $0.55–$0.95 |
| Web Auto Transport | Under 500 miles | $350–$700 | $0.80–$1.50 |
| Web Auto Transport | 500–1,500 miles | $700–$1,100 | $0.55–$0.90 |
| Web Auto Transport | 1,500–3,000 miles | $1,000–$1,500 | $0.50–$0.80 |
| Web Auto Transport | Coast to coast | $1,100–$1,600 | $0.45–$0.75 |
| Ship A Car, Inc. | Under 300 miles | about $450 | about $2.00 |
| Ship A Car, Inc. | 300–600 miles | about $650 | about $1.45 |
| Ship A Car, Inc. | Around 1,000 miles | about $1,100 | about $1.05 |
| Ship A Car, Inc. | 2,500 miles and up | about $1,650 | about $0.60 |
What each row prices: FreightWaves Checkpoint, “an operable standard sedan” on “door-to-door open transport”; Web Auto Transport, a broker whose help center says its quote includes “broker service,” prices “open transport on standard sedans and SUVs”; Ship A Car, Inc., a broker, “the median price per road mile for a single car on an open carrier in our dispatched bookings over the last twelve months.” FreightWaves Checkpoint’s page also recommends Sherpa, with a “Get a quote” button, so keep that link in mind when you compare FreightWaves’ and Sherpa’s numbers.
The total rises with distance while the per-mile rate falls, so one rate multiplied by any distance gives a wrong answer. The per-mile page shows why.
Price by vehicle type
Bigger and heavier vehicles cost more. FreightWaves Checkpoint, for the same three distance bands:
| Vehicle | Under 500 miles | 500–1,500 miles | 1,500+ miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard sedan | $540–$900 | $700–$1,500 | $1,050–$3,000+ |
| SUV | $600–$1,100 | $800–$1,700 | $1,200–$3,200+ |
| Truck | $650–$1,150 | $900–$1,850 | $1,300–$3,400+ |
FreightWaves Checkpoint’s sedan row here is narrower than its own distance table above ($540–$1,100 and $700–$1,800 for the first two bands). Both are its estimates, so both are shown.
Sherpa Auto Transport publishes its own shipments across all distances. Its typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile:
| Vehicle | Sherpa typical range | Sherpa average | Shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | $950–$1,400 | $1,225 | 160,781 |
| SUV | $1,050–$1,500 | $1,306 | 141,728 |
| Pickup | $1,125–$1,800 | $1,501 | 25,590 |
| Van | $1,050–$1,650 | $1,375 | 6,236 |
Web Auto Transport lists add-ons over a standard sedan instead: +$50–$150 for a mid-size SUV, +$100–$300 for a full-size truck or large SUV, +$150–$400 for an oversized or lifted vehicle. It adds that “the price difference here is about size and weight, not the value of your car.”
What adds to the price
| Add-on | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosed trailer | “typically costs 30%–60% more than open shipping”; elsewhere on the same page, “up to 50% more” | FreightWaves Checkpoint |
| Enclosed trailer | average $1,852 enclosed vs. $1,238 open, “about $614 more on average” | Sherpa Auto Transport |
| Enclosed trailer | “about a third above open” | Ship A Car, Inc. |
| Enclosed trailer | +30–60% | Web Auto Transport |
| Car doesn’t run | “typically add $150–$300”; its FAQ says “$150–$350” | FreightWaves Checkpoint |
| Car doesn’t run | $1,576 average vs. $1,280 running, “approximately $296” more | Sherpa Auto Transport |
| Car doesn’t run | +$100–$250 | Web Auto Transport |
| Season | June–August is peak: “Expect prices 10-20% above average.” | Sherpa Auto Transport |
| Season | February “about a tenth below a typical month,” June “about an eighth above” | Ship A Car, Inc. |
| Expedited pickup (within 48 hours) | “+30-50% above standard” | Web Auto Transport |
| Rural pickup or delivery | “may add $50-$200” | Sherpa Auto Transport |
| Rural ZIP far from trucking lanes | “can add 30 to 100 percent” | Web Auto Transport |
| Tight, fixed pickup window | price “can jump 40 to 60 percent” | Web Auto Transport |
Each source prices each add-on on its own. Sherpa’s gaps are averages across all its shipments, not the same route. None of the sources says how two add-ons combine on one quote; the calculator adds the percentages to one base price and says on the page that this is its own assumption. The trailer choice is covered in more detail on the enclosed transport cost page.
Why quotes for the same route differ
- Prices move fast. FreightWaves Checkpoint: “Most quotes are only valid for 24–48 hours,” and “Pricing can and does change week to week.”
- Not every quote is binding. FreightWaves Checkpoint: “Many auto shipping companies do not provide binding estimates,” so the final amount “could change” by delivery day.
- Two of the publishers on this page, Sherpa and Ship A Car, are brokers. Federal rules define a broker as a person who, for compensation, “arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier” (49 CFR 371.2). Web Auto Transport says a real quote reflects “what carriers are charging on your corridor this week.”
- Your dates matter. Sherpa says a “3-5 day pickup window (instead of a single day)” helps it find a carrier at a better rate.
- A very low number is not a bargain. Web Auto Transport: “a quote dramatically lower than all the others is a warning sign, not a deal.” What to check before paying is on the scams and broker check page.
How to get an accurate quote
- Give every company the same details: pickup and delivery ZIP codes, year, make and model, whether the car runs, open or enclosed, and the first date the car is ready. FreightWaves Checkpoint lists the same inputs, except the date.
- Look up each company’s USDOT or MC number in FMCSA’s records, and find out whether it is a broker or the carrier. The guide to choosing a car shipping company walks through it.
- Get it in writing: the total, whether it is binding, how long it is valid, the pickup window, any deposit and when it is due, and what the price includes.
- Compare totals for your route. Ship A Car, Inc. warns that “comparing quotes purely on per-mile rate misleads: compare totals for your actual route.”
To get a baseline before you ask, put your route into the car shipping cost calculator. It shows the distance price for an open-carrier sedan and each add-on, with the source for every number. Then compare real quotes against it.
Before paying a deposit, check the company's USDOT or MC number.
Illustrations on this page are AI-generated to help you picture the situation. They are not photos of real homes, jobs or people.
Sources
- FreightWaves Checkpoint — Car Shipping Cost Calculator: Instant Car Transport Quotes (updated May 29, 2026)
- Sherpa Auto Transport (broker) — Car Shipping Cost Calculator, data from 335,037 Sherpa shipments (updated July 2026)
- Ship A Car, Inc. (broker) — What is the Average Cost to Ship a Car Per Mile? (updated Sept 5, 2026)
- Ship A Car, Inc. (broker) — How to Ship a Car Across the Country: Cost, Time & Steps (updated Oct 1, 2026)
- Web Auto Transport Help Center — How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car? (last updated June 30, 2026)
- Web Auto Transport Help Center — Expedited vs. Standard Car Shipping: What's the Difference? (last updated June 30, 2026)
- eCFR — 49 CFR 371.2, Definitions (broker), current text as of Oct 29, 2026
Updated November 2, 2026